Basic Latin Vocabulary


Introduction

This is an experimental tool I am developing to ease the process of learning "the Recommended Basic Vocabulary" as outlined in Diederich, Paul Bernard. The Frequency of Latin Words and Their Endings. University of Chicage Press (Chicago, IL) 1939.

According to this dissertation, the lists consists of 1,471. These words occurred 20 or more times in the literature Dr. Diedrich examined. As a group, these words represent roughly 85% of the words one will encounter in the Latin literature. The author also found that about another 10% could easily be deduce either because they were compounds of these words or as obvious roots of English derivatives.

I have attempted to preserve the author's original list as closely as possible. To allow the user to test him/herself, I have randomized the order in which words in a particular subcategory are presented. In addition, I have removed most of the English derivatives the author included so that the English to Latin test would not become trivially easy.





Nouns and Related Words
English to LatinLatin to English
Gods Gods
Time Time
Sky Sky
Fire Fire
Water Water
Earth Earth
Plants Plants
Food Food
Animals Animals
People People
Body Body
Mind Mind
Feelings Feelings
Talk Talk
Writing Writing
Work and Play Work and Play
City and Buildings City and Buildings
Military Military
Government Government
Social Approval Social Approval
Evil Evil
Death Death
Abstractions and Unclassified Abstractions and Unclassified





Pronouns
English to LatinLatin to English
All Pronouns All Pronouns





Verbs and Related Words
English to LatinLatin to English
Location of the Subject Location of the Subject
Location of the Object Location of the Object
State of the Subject State of the Subject
State of the Object State of the Object
Constructive Activities Constructive Activities
Destructive Activities Destructive Activities
Verbs Affecting Other Verbs Verbs Affecting Other Verbs
Vocal Activities Vocal Activities
Mental and Sensory Operations Mental and Sensory Operations
Favor Favor
Disfavor Disfavor





Adjectives and Related Words
English to LatinLatin to English
Size Size
Number Number
Texture-Density Texture-Density
Appearance Appearance
Position Position
Time Time
Favorable Favorable
Unfavorable Unfavorable
Unclassified Unclassified





Adverbs
English to LatinLatin to English
Time Time
Place Place
Cause-Manner Cause-Manner
Adversative Adversative





Interjections
English to LatinLatin to English
All Interjections All Interjections





Conjunctions
English to LatinLatin to English
All Conjunctions All Conjunctions





Prepositions and Prefixes
English to LatinLatin to English
All Prepositions and Prefixes All Prepositions and Prefixes





Latin Tools

Ed Donnelly