Read The Greek & Latin Roots of English Online

Authors: Tamara M. Green

Tags: #Language Arts & Disciplines, #Linguistics, #General, #Vocabulary, #Etymology

The Greek & Latin Roots of English (23 page)

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dexter, dexteri = on the right; skillful; favorable

sinister, sinistri = on the left; awkward; unfavorable

Hadrian's villa at Tivoli, Italy. The Roman emperor Hadrian ruled 117–138 CE.

United We Stand …

The seal of the Roman government that appeared on all public documents and that was inscribed on coins, monuments, and the standards of the Roman army was the acronym SPQR, which stood for “Senatus Populusque Romanus.” The twentieth-century fascist dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini, whose stated aim was to restore Rome to its former imperial greatness, ordered that SPQR be made visible everywhere in Rome. The result was that if you visit the city now, you will find this acronym engraved on manhole covers.

Divided We Fall

The names of the three social classes of Roman society also have become part of our political vocabulary. Originally, these divisions seem to have been determined by birth; but in later times, membership in a particular class was often based on wealth.

Latin Word	English Meaning
patricius, patricii	patrician, a member of the Roman nobility
cf. pater, patris	father
optimas, optimates (pl.)	the best, or most noble; those of high social standing
eques, equites	horseman, knight
cf. equus, equi	horse
plebs, plebis	the common people. The history of the Republic was marked by the struggle of the plebs for political and economic rights.
servus, servi	slave

We, the People

The
proletariat
consists of those who labor for wages, making their contribution to the state not through the ownership of property, but by the production of children for the labor force.

proles, prolis = offspring

Theories of Social and Economic Organization with Classical Roots

All of the following terms that describe modern social and economic systems were coined or developed their present meanings in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. What is the meaning of the suffix
-ism
in each of the following terms?

English Word	Latin Root	English Meaning
capitalism	caput, capitis	head
communism	communis, communis	common
socialism	socius, socii	ally,companion
fascism	fascis, fascis	stick

The
fasces
(plural) was a bundle of sticks, bound together, that was carried in front of the chief Roman magistrates, as a symbol both of their power and of the unity of the Roman people.

THE LAW

One of the greatest and most lasting contributions of ancient Roman civilization to the development of European thought is the vast body of laws and institutions that form the basis of much of modern jurisprudence. This influence can be seen not only in the structure of many European law codes, but also in the very language of the modern legal system.

Latin Word	English Meaning
codex, codicis	book
crimen, criminis	accusation; the act of which one is accused
judex, judicis	judge
jus, juris	right, law, justice
lex, legis	law

Latin Legal Terminology Used in Modern Law
¹

Latin Phrase	Latin Meaning	Modern Judicial Usage
alias	at another time	an assumed name
alibi	elsewhere, in another place	a defense by which the person accused, in order to prove that he could not have committed the crime with which he is charged, offers evidence to show that he was in another place at the time
bona fide	in good faith	without deceit or fraud
caveat emptor	let the buyer beware	the purchaser assumes the risk that goods might be defective or unsuitable to his or her needs
de facto	by fact	a state of affairs that exists actually and must be accepted for all practical purposes, but which is illegal or illegitimate.
de jure	by law	legitimate, lawful
habeas corpus	have the body	a court order that commands an individual or government official to produce the prisoner at a designated time and place so that the court can determine the legality of custody.
nolo contendere	I do not wish to contest	a plea that has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose
prima facie	at first appearance	a lawsuit or criminal prosecution in which the evidence before trial is sufficient to prove the case unless there is substantial contradictory evidence
pro bono publico	for the public good	legal work undertaken for the public good, without charge, especially for a client without sufficient financial resources

Who's Giving Advice Here?

A
council
and a
counsel
both give advice, but they have different Latin roots. Check your unabridged dictionary for their etymologies and differences in meaning.

WAR AND PEACE

The Roman legal system spread wherever the Roman armies conquered because victory meant the imposition of Roman customs and practices, including, of course, the rule of Roman law. In addition, many veterans, after completing their tours of duty, would settle in the regions where they had been stationed, thus further strengthening Roman control and cultural influence.

Greek or Latin Word	English Meaning
auxilium, auxilii	help, aid; troops
bellum, belli	war
miles, militis	soldier
pax, pacis	peace
periculum, periculi	danger
cf. experior-experiri-expertum	try, attempt; risk
polemos (πόλεμος)	war
vinco-vincere-victum	conquer

Who's in Charge Here?

Some officers took their titles from the number of men they commanded. How many were overseen by a
decanus?
How many by a
centurio?

NAME _______________________________________________________

A. In the following sentences, answer each question, or fill in the blank with the literal meaning of the italicized word or part of a word. Make sure that the sentence is grammatically correct. If you are unsure of the meaning, check your unabridged dictionary.

1. What is a
plebiscite
? ____________ Who participates in it? ____________

2. What is the science of
demography
? ____________

3. What was the original purpose of a
census
? ____________

4. To whom should
regalia
properly belong? ____________ What is its current meaning? ________________________________________________________________

5. When I followed the sign that said, “this way to the egress,” where did I end up? ____________

6. The Roman statesman Cicero wrote a work entitled
de Senectute
. What was it about? __________

7. If a person
pontificates
, he speaks in the manner of a __________. What is the current usage of this word? ____________________________________________________________

8. He said he was in
vinc
ible, but I knew that he could be easily __________.

9. What happens when
tyrannicide
is committed? __________ __________

10. A
patrimony
is an inheritance from one's __________.

11. The
imperative
form of a verb indicates a __________.

12.
Civ
ility is the kind of behavior expected of a__________. What is the current usage of this word? _____________________________________________________________________