Latin Words in English
A Latin word you know helps you guess the English word, and the other way round.
How It Works
| English | Latin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| aquarium | aqua | water |
| vision | videre | to see |
| student | studere | to study |
| audio | audire | to hear |
| library | liber | book |
| manual | manus | hand |
| verbal | verbum | word |
| portable | portare | to carry |
Some words changed meaning on the way, so check the Latin before you trust the English.
The spelling often changes in a regular way. Latin -tio becomes English -tion (natio, nation), and Latin -ia often becomes -y (familia, family; gloria, glory).
The match works in both directions. If you know that audio means I hear, then audience, audible and auditorium all make sense.
Examples (4)
- Puella aquam portat.
The girl carries water.
Aqua gives aquarium and aquatic. Portat comes from portare, which gives portable, transport and import.
- Marcus librum videt.
Marcus sees a book.
Liber gives library. Videt comes from videre, which gives vision and video.
- Pater filium audit.
The father hears the son.
Audit comes from audire, which gives audio, audience and audible.
- Terra magna est.
The land is large.
Terra gives terrain, territory and terrestrial.
How It Connects
Learn This First
English borrowed many words straight from Latin, so the overview of Latin is enough to start.
Related Patterns
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Patterns that build on this one.
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