Latin Words and Phrases
PROGRAM: “IN A WORD”
EPISODE: LATIN WORDS AND PHRASES
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
English, although a Germanic language, has plenty of Latin words. Some lexicographers estimate that up to a third of English words are influenced by Latin. Some were taken directly from Latin and some borrowed from languages with Latin origins, including French and Spanish. Because Latin was the language of the educated for much of European history, the fields of medicine, law, religion, and science have an especially large proportion of Latin words.
Sometimes, the Latin roots have taken on English spellings or endings, but many English words remain essentially the same as their Latin forms. Examples include abacus, gladiator, rabies, janitor, oasis, enigma, verbatim, propaganda, and quota. They may be Latin in origin, but to us, they’re familiar English.
Other Latin words and phrases may be a bit more baffling, but they’re used often enough that they’re worth learning. One of the most useful Latin phrases is usually abbreviated as e.g. It stands for exempli gratia, literally translated as “for the sake of example.” It’s a short way of saying “for example” or “for instance.”
Another Latin term, often confused with e.g., is i.e., that’s i period, e period, or id est, which means literally, “that is.” This abbreviation means, “to clarify.” So then, “e.g.” is used to introduce an example, while “i.e.” is used to introduce a clarification. I might say, “Words with Latin roots, i.e., English words derived from Latin, are common in our language, e.g., alibi and status.”
In reading, you may come across the word sic, spelled s-i-c, typically enclosed in square brackets and used within a quotation. In Latin sic means “thus.” When a quotation copied exactly from a source contains an error, the copier will add sic to indicate that the error existed in the original.
Also common in academic circles is the term non sequitur. The literal translation is “it does not follow,” and the expression is used when a conclusion doesn’t flow from the evidence or data presented to support it.
Some writers and editors shun Latin words and phrases like this as too formal, choosing a native word with Germanic roots over a Latinate word every time. For these language purists, “lamb” wins out over “mutton,” and “earthly” over “terrestrial.”
But I think they’re avoiding some perfectly good vocabulary that adds a bit of gravitas—i.e., gravity—to English.
This has been "In a Word," a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
EPISODE: LATIN WORDS AND PHRASES
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]
[FADE MUSIC]
I’m Candace Hastings with “In a Word,” your weekly communication tip.
English, although a Germanic language, has plenty of Latin words. Some lexicographers estimate that up to a third of English words are influenced by Latin. Some were taken directly from Latin and some borrowed from languages with Latin origins, including French and Spanish. Because Latin was the language of the educated for much of European history, the fields of medicine, law, religion, and science have an especially large proportion of Latin words.
Sometimes, the Latin roots have taken on English spellings or endings, but many English words remain essentially the same as their Latin forms. Examples include abacus, gladiator, rabies, janitor, oasis, enigma, verbatim, propaganda, and quota. They may be Latin in origin, but to us, they’re familiar English.
Other Latin words and phrases may be a bit more baffling, but they’re used often enough that they’re worth learning. One of the most useful Latin phrases is usually abbreviated as e.g. It stands for exempli gratia, literally translated as “for the sake of example.” It’s a short way of saying “for example” or “for instance.”
Another Latin term, often confused with e.g., is i.e., that’s i period, e period, or id est, which means literally, “that is.” This abbreviation means, “to clarify.” So then, “e.g.” is used to introduce an example, while “i.e.” is used to introduce a clarification. I might say, “Words with Latin roots, i.e., English words derived from Latin, are common in our language, e.g., alibi and status.”
In reading, you may come across the word sic, spelled s-i-c, typically enclosed in square brackets and used within a quotation. In Latin sic means “thus.” When a quotation copied exactly from a source contains an error, the copier will add sic to indicate that the error existed in the original.
Also common in academic circles is the term non sequitur. The literal translation is “it does not follow,” and the expression is used when a conclusion doesn’t flow from the evidence or data presented to support it.
Some writers and editors shun Latin words and phrases like this as too formal, choosing a native word with Germanic roots over a Latinate word every time. For these language purists, “lamb” wins out over “mutton,” and “earthly” over “terrestrial.”
But I think they’re avoiding some perfectly good vocabulary that adds a bit of gravitas—i.e., gravity—to English.
This has been "In a Word," a program made possible by the Texas A&M University Writing Center and a production of KAMU FM on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station. For more writing and speaking tips, visit our website at writingcenter.tamu.edu. I’m Candace Hastings, helping you make every word count.
[5 TO 10 SEC OF MUSIC]