Classics 22: Etymology

Lesson 9

THIRD DECLENSION LATIN NOUNS

Nominative and genitive forms are both more important in this declension than the others.
The nominative form is important because many 3rd declension nominatives have entered English as words
The genitive form is important because it contains the stem: to get the stem, remove the -is on the end.
3rd declension Latin nouns come in all three genders
The plural of 3rd declension nouns:

Masculines and feminines: stem + -es
Neuters: stem + -a d

English plurals with ending -a

corpora
opera ("works," not the stage opera)

THIRD DECLENSION LATIN NOUNS
Masculine and Feminine nouns
apex, apicis	summit	apic-ul-ate, apic-al
apis, apis	bee	api-ary, api-cult-ure
arbor, arboris	tree	arbor-eal, arbor-etum
avis, avis	bird	avi-ary, avi-at-or
bos, bovis	ox	bov-ine, Bov-idae
calor, caloris	heat	calor-ific, calor-ie
calx, calcis	lime	calc-ium, chalk
calx, calcis	heel	calc-ar, in-culc-ate
carbo, carbonis	coal	carb-ol-ic, carbon-ic, carbun-cle
caulis, caulis	stalk	caul-i-flower
clavis, clavis	key	con-clave, clav-icle
cortex, corticis	bark	cortic-ose, cortic-al
crux, crucis	cross	cruc-ial, cruc-ify
cuspis, cuspidis	spear point	cusp, bi-cuspid
ensis, ensis	sword	ens-i-form, ens-i-sternum
falx, falc-is	sickle	falc-i-form, falc-ul-ar
fascis, fascis	bundle	fasc-ist, fasc-i-cule
febris, febris	fever	febr-i-fuge, febr-ile
feles, felis	cat	fel-ine, Fel-idae
finis, finis	end	con-fine, fin-ance
follis, follis	bag	foll-icle, fool
fons, fontis	fountain	font, font-an-el
frons, frondis	leaf	frond-esc-ence, frond
funis, funis	rope	fun-ambul-ist, fun-i-cul-ar
glans, glandis	acorn	gland, gland-ul-ar
gramen, graminis	grass, meadow	gramin-i-vor-ous, gramin-eous
grex, gregis	herd	e-greg-ious, se-greg-ate
hospes, hospitis	guest, host	hospit-able, hospit-al
ignis, ignis	fire	ign-ite, ign-eous
lac, lactis	milk	lact-ic, lett-uce
lapis, lapidis	stone	lapid-ary, di-lapid-at-ion
lens, lentis	lentil	lent-oid, lent-i-cul-ar, lens
limen, liminis/limes, limitis	threshold	lint-el, e-limin-ate
lux, lucis	light	luc-ul-ent, pel-luc-id
mater, matris	mother	matr-i-mony, matr-i-cul-ate
mel, mellis	honey	mell-i-flu-ous, mell-i-fer-ous
merx, mercis	pay	merch-ant, mark-et
merces, mercedis	price	mercen-ary, mercy
nox, noctis	night	equ-i-nox, noct-urne
nutrix, nutricis	nurse	nutrit-ious, nutri-ent
nux, nucis	nut	nuc-leus, nuc-lear
orbs, orbis	sphere	orb, orb-it
ordo, ordinis	series	ordain, extra-ordin-ary
ovis, ovis	sheep	ov-ine, Ov-idae
palus, paludis	swamp	palud-ic, palud-i-col-ous
paries, parietis	wall	pariet-al, pariet-o-quadr-ate
pater, patris	father	patri-mony, patr-ic-ian
piscis, piscis	fish	pisc-i-vor-ous, pisc-at-or-ial
qies, quietis	rest	quiet, ac-qui-esce
radix, radicis	root	radish, radic-al
rete, retis	net	ret-i-form, ret-ina
sal, salis	salt	sal-ary, sauce
salus, salutis	health, safety	salute, salv-age
sapo, saponis	soap	sapon-ify, sapon-aceous
semen, seminis	seed	semin-ary, semin-i-fer-ous
sidus, sideris	star	con-sider, de-sider-atum
sopor, soporis	deep sleep	sopor-i-fer-ous, sopor-i-fic
sudor, sudoris	sweat	sudor-i-fic, sud-at-orium
testis, testis	witness	test-i-fy, con-test
tempestas, tempestatis	storm	tempest, tempest-uous
turris, turris	tower	turr-et, turr-i-cul-ate
urbs, urbis	city	urb-an-ity, sub-urb
vermis, vermis	worm	verm-in, verm-icelli
vestis, vestis	clothing	di-vest, tra-vesty
Neuters
animal, animalis	animal	animal-cule, animal-ize
iter, itineris	journey	re-iter-ate, itiner-ary
mare, maris	sea	sub-mar-ine, cor-mor-ant
munus, muneris	gift, duty, service	mun-i-fic-ent, re-muner-ate, com-mon, com-mun-ion
ni(hi)l, nihilis	nothing	an-nihil-ate, nihil-ism
nomen, nominis	name	nomin-al, nomin-ate
stamen, staminis	thread, fiber	stamen, stamina
tempus, temporis	time	tempor-al, temper

Exercises

1. Break down into etymological elements and identify what those elements mean. Also, make sure you know what the word means in English.

temporal	soporific	unciform	divest
inculcate	ensiform	submarine	mercenary
little bundle	immaculate	nuclear	radicalize
dilapidation	stamina	suburb	vermicelli
fiery	testify	tempestuous	Mercator
funicular	hospital	piscatorial	sudatorium

2. Identify English words whose elements mean the following, etymologically speaking.

stone-adj.	milk-y	salt-ed (at least 3)	honey-bearing
bow-ed	year-ly	rock oil	bee place
bird verb agent	(to put) out the threshold	back sail action	bark adj.
heat-making	goat horn	having to do with a little tower	ladder-like
use of fruit	having a little summit	ox-like	seed-place
little coal	little house	grass eating	having to do with a little acorn
untimely	make to nothing	a putting on a cross	not witnessed
journey place/having to do with	little worms	to name	city-dwelling

Match the word in the second column that has an element that has the same meaning as one of the elements of a word in the first column:

1. rhabdomancy	a. Aviator
2. astral	b. apiculture
3. dendritic	c. feline
4. ornithologist	d. piscivorous
5. Melissa	e. orbital
6. galactic	f. Melissa
7. phloem	g. marine
8. xiphoid	h. paucity
9. ailurophobia	i. lucifer
10. phosphorus	j. calorimeter
11. nyctalopia	k. salary
12. spherical	l. vermiculate
13. oligarchy	m. stamen
14. xanthophyll	n. atemporal
15. thermometer	o. diurnal
16. ichthyophagous	p. arboreal
17. halophyte	q. lactation
18. police	r. ensisternum
19. thalassocrat	s. reiterate
20. helminth	t. urban
21. mitosis	u. noctivagant
22. chronic	v. lupine
23. anode	w. sidereal
24. ephemeral	x.bacilliform
25. lycanthrope	y.corticoid
26. anemometer	z. folio
	aa. ventifact

Fascinate is not from fasc- "bundle":
W3 lists the etymology of fascinate as: Latin fascinatus, past participle of fascinare, probably modification (influenced by Latin fari to speak) of Greek baskainein to bewitch, speak evil of, from baskanos sorcerer, slanderer, probably from a Thracian or Illyrian word akin to Greek phaskein to say, phanai to say

Be careful of conusions: roots may look alike
antapex: the point of the celestial sphere from which the solar system is moving
apicad: toward the apex (anatomy)
apicifixed:
acarapis: causes Isle of Wight disease in bees
apiphobia

ALL OF THESE MAY BE FROM GREEK CAULOS
caulerpa: tropical sea-bottom alga with creeping extension below
caulescent: having a stem visible above ground
caulicolous: growing on the stems of other plants
cauliflorous
culocarpic
filicauline
colcannon
kohlrabi
caulobacter: bacteria the move when young by means of flagella
nudicaul
cole
GREEK caulos> eriocaulon, caulopteris, prerocaulon