20 English Words and Their Hidden Latin Roots

Unearth the Latin Roots in English vocabulary that you use every day. Dive into the fascinating world of etymology with this exploration of 20 English words with surprising Latin origins!

Language is a living entity that evolves with the passage of time. This constant transformation often uncovers a surprising source: Latin. This ancient language’s influence, hidden in plain sight within our everyday English vocabulary, often goes unrecognized. 

Today, The Reliable Narrator embarks on an exploration of the Latin roots in English, revealing the deep connections of 20 common English words.

Latin: The Linguistic Time Capsule

Even in our contemporary world, the Latin roots in English endure like ancient fossils in rock. These “fossils” have adapted over centuries, taking on new forms and meanings while preserving their connection to their linguistic ancestors. As we unravel these Latin roots within English, we illuminate the intricate web of semantic relationships that make language such a fascinating field of study.

The Journey into Latin Roots in English

Let’s embark on a journey, tracing the Latin roots embedded in 20 common English words. Each word showcases the rich tapestry of linguistic transformations:

• Intellect: Derived from ‘intellegere,’ which combines ‘inter-‘ (between) and ‘legere‘ (to gather or choose). It essentially implies inter-choosing/gathering or thought.

• Incredible: Comes from ‘incredibilis,’ where ‘in-‘ denotes negation, and ‘credibilis’ means believable. Together, it means something not believable.

• Circumvent: Originates from ‘circumvenire,’ where ‘circum-‘ implies around, and ‘venire’ means to come or go. It signifies to go around or bypass.

• Impression: Derived from ‘impressionem,’ which merges ‘in-‘ (into) and ‘premere’ (to press). It denotes the action of pressing into.

• Transcribe: Comes from ‘transcribere,’ combining ‘trans-‘ (across) and ‘scribere’ (to write). The word means to write across, or more generally, to copy.

• Inflammable: Originates from ‘inflammare,’ which brings together ‘in-‘ (into) and ‘flamma’ (flame). The term indicates something that can catch fire or ignite.

• Interrupt: From ‘inter-‘ (between) and ‘rumpere’ (to break). It literally means to break between or to break the continuity.

• Confidential: Combines ‘con-‘ (with), ‘fidere’ (to trust), and ‘-alis’ (pertaining to). The word signifies something pertaining to trust.

• Desperate: From ‘desperare,’ where ‘de-‘ signifies completely and ‘sperare’ means to hope. It denotes a state of complete loss of hope.

• Inspection: Comes from ‘inspectio,’ which blends ‘in-‘ (into) and ‘spectare’ (to look at). Thus, the term signifies to look into or examine.

• Immortal: From ‘immortalis,’ where ‘in-‘ negates ‘mortalis’ (mortality), hence not subject to death.

• Intervene: Derives from ‘intervenire,’ where ‘inter-‘ means between, and ‘venire’ is to come. It signifies to come between.

• Invincible: From ‘invincibilis,’ where ‘in-‘ negates ‘vincibilis’ (conquerable), hence unconquerable.

• Transport: Derived from ‘transportare,’ which merges ‘trans-‘ (across) and ‘portare’ (to carry). It denotes to carry across.

• Contradict: Comes from ‘contradicere,’ which combines ‘contra-‘ (against) and ‘dicere’ (to say). It signifies to say against or to oppose.

• Regenerate: From ‘regenerare,’ which merges ‘re-‘ (again) and ‘generare’ (to create). Hence, it signifies to create again.

• Revolution: Derives from ‘revolutionem,’ which blends ‘re-‘ (again) and ‘volvere’ (to roll). It means to roll again or a drastic change.

• Contravene: From ‘contravenire,’ which merges ‘contra-‘ (against) and ‘venire’ (to come). It signifies to come against or to violate.

• Extinguish: Originates from ‘extinguere,’ where ‘ex-‘ means out, and ‘stinguere’ is to quench. The term refers to quenching out or to put out.

• Persevere: From ‘perseverare,’ which combines ‘per-‘ (through) and ‘severus’ (strict). It denotes to be strict through or to persist.

Reliable Thoughts

As we lift the veil from these seemingly familiar words, their Latin roots remind us of the historical depth and complexity of the English language. The Latin roots in English represent not only etymological transformations but also the evolving ideas, beliefs, and understandings of humanity. The next time you use these words, appreciate the centuries of linguistic evolution carried within their letters. Let’s continue to delve into this linguistic treasure trove and uncover more Latin roots in English, further enriching our understanding of the language’s wonderfully intricate nature.