# Latin verbs = English words **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 26, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566 "2001-05-26T07:07:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/1 "2001-05-26T07:07:01Z")
The recent news story about placebos got me thinking. _Placebo_ means “I shall please” in Latin. There are a great many English words that come directly from Latin nouns without change of spelling (e.g., cerebellum, gladiolus). But there aren’t many English words that come directly from Latin **verbs** without change of spelling. I don’t count participles, gerunds, or gerundives (so not **agenda, innuendo, pudendum,** or **referendum** ). I don’t count English words that are spelled the same as Latin verbs by coincidence only (such as **it** , **sum,** , and **fit** ). I don’t count phrases (so not **nolo contendere** or **habeas corpus** ) I admit some of the words in my list don’t come _directly_ from the Latin verb, so I’ll make two lists [/quote] **English words that come directly from Latin verbs** caveat - let him beware exeunt - they go out exit - he goes out imprimatur - let it be printed mandamus - we command nocebo - I shall harm placebo - I shall please recipe - take (imperative) veto - I forbid video - I see **English words that are from Latin verbs, and spelled the same, but whose eytmology is complicated** audio - I hear (actually from the prefix “audio-”) circuit - it encircles (actually from Latin _circuitus_ via French) credit - it lends, he believes, etc. (actually from Latin _creditum_) edit - he published (actually backformation of “editor”) radio - I shine (actually a clipped form of “radiotelegraphy”) [/quote] I’m sure there must be more. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/2 "2001-05-26T07:39:38Z")
habitat: it dwells. Do you count infinitives? That (I think) would permit certiorari: “to get informed”. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/3 "2001-05-26T07:40:44Z")
Magnificat: it magnifies. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/4 "2001-05-26T07:55:34Z")
Magnificat, though, is sort of a special case because it’s just used to refer to a particular text (or a musical setting of it) by means of the first word in it (which is common with ecclesiastical documents written in Latin – Bible passages, parts of the Mass, papal bulls, and so forth). In this case, the passage starts _Magnificat anima mea Dominum…_ As far as the OP is concerned: credo - I believe. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/5 "2001-05-26T09:48:56Z")
Thank you for my first Latin lesson. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/6 "2001-05-26T12:04:53Z")
Well, I figured because a piece of music (say) is still a magnificat (common noun!) whether or not it has the text sung with it. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/7 "2001-05-26T13:21:10Z")
_Lavabo_ — ‘I shall wash’. _Gazebo_ — ‘I shall gaze’. (The last one is a facetious coinage) ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/8 "2001-05-26T13:41:15Z")
Porto - I carry (as in Porto-Potty “I carry poo”) That’s all I’ve got. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/9 "2001-05-26T18:29:51Z")
fiat - let it be done posse - to be able (actually from _posse comitatus_ (“power of the county”) audit - he hears (actually from _auditus_, “hearing”) ---
**Author:** ![Lucki\_Chaarms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lucki\_Chaarms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucki_Chaarms)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/10 "2001-05-26T18:52:31Z")
Isn’t “edit” eat? Or is that “edet”? I hate latin. Lucky ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/11 "2001-05-26T22:56:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lucky Charms \* > \*\*Isn’t “edit” eat? Or is that “edet”? I hate latin. > > Lucky \*\* There are two similar verbs 1. edo, edere, edi, esum = eat 2. edo, edere, edidi, editum = publish, bring forth. The English word is related to #2. ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/12 "2001-05-27T02:35:05Z")
caret (^) - it lacks deficit - it is wanting tenet - he holds memento - remember (imperative) See _Latin and Greek in Current Use_ by Burriss and Casson ---
**Author:** ![Peregrine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a6a055/32.png) [@Peregrine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peregrine)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/13 "2001-05-27T02:55:38Z")
A little later in the same chapter: affidavit - he has pledged ignoramus - we do not know stet - let it stand floruit - he flourished ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2001, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/14 "2001-05-27T04:57:49Z")
\*_Ignoramus_ — literally, ‘we don’t know’. Originated as a medieval legal document in which this word appeared, later transferred by jocular usage to an ignorant person. _Adit_ — literally, ‘it goes to’. The entrance to a mineshaft. _Obit_ — literally, ‘he or she goes away’. Interestingly, the Latin verbal root _i_ ‘go’ exactly coincides with the Japanese verbal root _i_ ‘go’. If _Magnificat_ as the title of a text set to music, or the title of that musical setting itself, can count, then I offer you the _Stabat Mater_. This piece, set to music by many composers since the Middle Ages, takes its name from the beginning line _Stabat mater dolorosa_ ‘The mother stood sorrowful’, a poem about the Blessed Virgin at Calvary. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2001, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/15 "2001-05-28T07:30:50Z")
Ah, but Stabat Mater is a phrase, as forbidden by the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2001, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latin-verbs-english-words/66566/16 "2001-05-28T07:43:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jomo Mojo \* > \*\*If _Magnificat_ as the title of a text set to music, or the title of that musical setting itself, can count, then I offer you the _Stabat Mater_. This piece, set to music by many composers since the Middle Ages, takes its name from the beginning line _Stabat mater dolorosa_ ‘The mother stood sorrowful’, a poem about the Blessed Virgin at Calvary. \*\* [hijack] I sang in Pergolesi’s _Stabat Mater_ this spring – it’s an amazing piece of music. (Even if the girl who got the solo I really wanted wasn’t _nearly_ as good as I would have been. :p) [/hijack]