Latin Roots & Their English Derivatives

These flashcards pair key Latin roots with sample English derivatives to help you recognize how common vocabulary grows from classical origins.

ago (act, ag-)

to do, drive → act, action, active, agent, react, navigate

aqua

water → aquarium, aqueduct, aqueous, sewer

amo / amor

love → amiable, amicable, amorous, enamor

animus / anima

mind, spirit → animal, magnanimous, unanimous, animosity

annus

year → annual, anniversary, millennium, perennial

ante

before → anterior, anticipate, ancient, advantage

audio

to hear → audience, audible, audition, obey

augeo

to increase → augment, author, auxiliary, auction

bellum

war → rebel, belligerent, duel, rebellion

bonus / bene

good → benefit, benevolent, benign, bonanza

cado / cadere (cid-/cas-)

to fall → accident, cadence, decay, casual

caedo / cidere (-cide, ‑cis-)

to cut, kill → decide, homicide, scissors, concise

calor / caleo

heat → calorie, cauldron, chafe, nonchalant

cano (cant-)

to sing → chant, incantation, recant, incentive

caput (cap-/capt-/cept-)

head, take → captain, capital, accept, receive, principal

caro / carn-

flesh → carnage, carnivore, incarnate, carnival

cedo / cess-/ceed-

to go, yield → exceed, succeed, recession, precedent

civis

citizen → civic, civilize, city, civilization

clarus

clear, bright → clarify, declaration, clarity, clear

claudo / claus- (close)

to shut → exclude, include, clause, closet

corpus / corpor-

body → corporation, corpse, incorporate, corporal

credo

to believe → credit, creed, incredible, discredit

cresco / cret-

to grow → increase, concrete, crescent, recruit

curro / curs-

to run → current, course, occur, excursion

do / dat-/don-

to give → donate, tradition, pardon, dowry

dico / dict-

to say → dictate, predict, verdict, dictionary

dormio

to sleep → dormitory, dormant, doze

duco / duct-

to lead → conduct, educate, produce, induce

durus / duro

hard, last → durable, duration, endure, during

ego

I → egotism, egocentric, alter-ego

facio / fact-/fect-/fic-

to make, do → factory, efficient, magnify, suffice

fallo / fals-

to deceive → false, fallacy, falsify, infallible

femina

woman → female, feminine, effeminate

fero (fer-)

to bear, carry → transfer, refer, suffer, confer

fides / fid-

faith, trust → fidelity, confide, diffidence, infidel

firmus

strong → affirm, confirm, infirmary, farm

finis

end, limit → define, final, infinite, finish

flamma

flame → inflame, flamboyant, flammable

fluo (flux-)

to flow → fluid, influence, affluent, reflux

fortis

strong, brave → fortify, comfort, effort, forte

frango / fract-/frag-

to break → fraction, fragile, refract, fragment

fugio / fug-

to flee → refugee, fugitive, centrifugal, refuge

fundo / fus-

to pour, melt → diffuse, confuse, fusion, refund

genus / gener-

birth, kind → general, generate, progeny, ingenious

gradus / gress-

step → progress, congress, degrade, ingredient

gravis

heavy, serious → grave, gravity, aggravate, grief

habeo / habit-/hibit-

to have, hold → inhibit, exhibit, habit, rehabilitation

homo

man, human → homicide, humane, humanity, inhuman

ignis

fire → ignite, ignition, igneous

iter

journey → itinerary, itinerant, circuit

iacio / ject-

to throw → eject, inject, project, reject

judex / judic-

judge → judicial, prejudice, adjudicate, jurisdiction

jungo / junct-

to join → junction, conjunction, adjunct, disjoint

lex / leg- (law)

law → legal, legislator, legitimate, privilege

liber (free)

free → liberty, liberal, deliver, deliberate

locus

place → local, locate, dislocate, allocate

loquor / locut-

to speak → eloquent, colloquial, soliloquy, ventriloquist

luceo / luc-

to shine → lucid, illuminate, translucent

ludo / lus-

to play → allude, illusion, prelude, ludicrous

magnus

great → magnitude, magnify, magnificent, master

malus

bad → malice, malevolent, maladjusted, malpractice

manus

hand → manual, manuscript, maintain, manufacture

mare

sea → marine, maritime, submarine, mariner

mater / matr-

mother → maternal, matrimony, matrix, matron

miser

wretched → misery, commiserate, miserable

mitto / miss-

to send → transmit, mission, dismiss, promise

moveo / mot-

to move → motion, motor, emotion, remote

multus

many → multiple, multitude, multiply

nascor / nat-

to be born → native, natal, nation, Renaissance

nomen / nomin-

name → nominate, denomination, misnomer, noun

novus

new → novel, novice, innovation, renovate

occido / cis- (kill)

to cut down → homicide, suicide, pesticide

pater / patr-

father → paternal, patron, patriot, expatriate

pax / pac-

peace → pacify, pacifist, appease, pay

pendeo / pens-/pend-

to hang, weigh → suspend, depend, expense, ponder

plectere / plex-/ply

to fold, weave → complex, employ, duplicate, reply

plenus / plet-

full → complete, replete, plenty, implement

pono / posit-

to place → position, compose, deposit, impose

porto

to carry → transport, import, support, portfolio

primus / prior

first → primary, prime, primitive, principal

quaero / quis-/quest-

to seek → inquire, request, question, acquisition

rego / rect-

to rule, guide → correct, direct, region, erect

rumpo / rupt-

to break → erupt, disrupt, corrupt, bankrupt

scribo / script-

to write → describe, manuscript, inscription, transcript

sedeo / sess-/sid-

to sit → reside, session, assess, president

sentio / sens-

to feel, think → sense, consent, sentiment, resent

sequor / secut-

to follow → sequence, consequence, pursue, execute

specto / spec-

to look at → inspect, respect, spectacle, suspect

spiro / spir-

to breathe → inspire, respire, spirit, perspire

stringo / strict-

to draw tight → restrict, district, strain, strict

struo / struct-

to build → construct, destroy, structure, instruct

teneo / tain-/tent-

to hold → contain, retain, tenant, attention

terra

earth → terrain, terrestrial, territory, Mediterranean

traho / tract-

to draw, pull → attract, contract, extract, tractor

via

road, way → viaduct, deviate, previous, trivial

video / vis-

to see → visible, evidence, provide, television

vinco / vict-

to conquer → victory, convince, invincible, convince

vivo / viv-/vit-

to live → survive, vivid, vital, vivacious

voco / voc-

to call → vocal, invoke, revoke, vocation

volvo / volu-/volut-

to roll, turn → revolve, revolution, involve, volume