Early Latin Loanwords in English

What have the Romans ever done for us?

Many English words have their origins in Latin. This includes most words borrowed from French after the Norman invasion as well as many learned borrowings and neologisms of the modern era. However, this quiz is about the words derived from Latin that were already present in (Old) English before the Norman invasion. Most of these words were already used by the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons on the continent.

For many words, similar forms existed in Old English and French. Therefore, it is not always clear if an English term is ultimately inherited from Old English or borrowed from French (or just influenced or reinforced). Words derived from Latin terms that are clearly loanwords themselves are not included. Neither are words with disputed etymologies and some lesser known terms. For a list of these, see the comments. Otherwise, I have tried to be as comprehensive as possible. Let me know if I missed a word.

Sources: Wiktionary, Etymonline, Oxford English Dictionary.

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Last updated: March 26, 2025

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Misc.

A heavy piece of metal with hooks, thrown in the water to prevent ships from drifting.

anchor

A hat with a fore piece to protect the eyes from the sun.

cap

Originally, 'curly'. Now an adjective that can mean 'brittle', 'firm and fresh', 'cool' among other things. Or the British term for a potato chip.

crisp

Opposite of true.

false

A heightened body temperature due to disease.

fever

A precious stone.

gem

An oven used to bake pottery.

kiln

A boss or an expert at a certain skill.

master

Literally 'a thousand [steps]'. A unit of length.

mile

A high hill. Jesus held a sermon on one of these. A variant of this word was reborrowed from French and is more common now.

mount

A symbol or mark; a small piece of commentary or a reminder; a musical tone.

note

A piece or portion of something bigger.

part

A large upright wooden stake. A later reborrowing from French gave it the meaning 'mail'.

post

The underside of the foot.

sole

To moderate or a technique used to harden metal. Later also became a noun meaning a tendency toward a type of mood.

temper

A line in a poem or in the Bible.

verse

Months

Named after the Roman god of doorways and transitions.

January

The month of 'purification', a Roman holiday.

February

Named after the Roman god of war. During winter, warfare was paused; this month was the start of a new campaign season.

March

Named after a Roman earth goddess.

May

Named after the Roman goddess of marriage.

June

Named after a Roman statesman, who conquered Gaul, defeated his rival Pompey, proclaimed himself 'dictator for life' and was stabbed to death in the Senate.

July

Named after the first emperor.

August

The seventh month of the old Roman calendar (now the ninth).

September

The eighth month of the old Roman calender.

October

The ninth month of the old Roman calender.

November

The tenth month of the old Roman calender.

December

Household object

A light source made of wax.

candle

A drinking vessel, especially for hot drinks.

cup

A plate for serving food. Related to discus.

dish

A tool for the winnowing of grain in ancient times. Now an often electrical appliance providing a cooling breeze in summer.

fan

A pronged piece of tableware. Or a tool for pitching hay.

fork

A board used as furniture. In the Middle Ages, they were laid on trestles when in use and stored away when not. Later, permanent legs were added.

table

Trade

From Latin "caupo". Initially a verb meaning 'to bargain', now an adjective meaning 'inexpensive'.

cheap

A place where shipped goods are loaded and unloaded unto land.

port

A unit of weight. It gave its name to the British currency.

pound

A unit of weight. For the Romans, one twelfth of the above, now, one sixteenth.

ounce

Plants and Animals

A donkey, or a bad word.

ass

From the Latin word for crab. A dead area of a plant caused by disease. A variant of this word is used for malignant tumors.

canker

A mouse catching pet.

cat

A plant, ultimately from the Latin word for hay. The bulb looks like a hand and is used as a vegetable. The leaves are used as a herb and the seeds as a spice. It tastes like anise.

fennel

From Latin "malva". A word used for several herbaceous plants. One of these grows in marshes; its root was used to flavor a type of candy. The modern version of this candy is fluffy and white, and can be roasted over a fire (but it is no longer made with the herb).

mallow

What you get when you cross a horse with a donkey. Used as an animal of burden.

mule

A tasty shell eaten with fries in Belgium.

mussel

A family of plants among which the date and the coconut. Also the face of the hand.

palm

A fruit closely related to the apple, but elongated.

pear

A conifer tree which yields tasty nuts.

pine

A kingdom of life: organisms capable of photosynthesis.

plant

A red-orange flower associated with WWI. A certain species produces opium.

poppy

A peppery root vegetable, white on the inside with a red skin.

radish

A species of pigeon that is a symbol of devoted love.

turtle [dove]

Religion

The liturgical season directly before Christmas, to celebrate the Coming of Christ.

Advent

A table used for religious rites.

altar

An 'enclosed box' in Latin. Curiously used both for Noah's boat and the chest for the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

Ark

A small room for a monk or a prisoner.

cell

A set of beliefs, a religious doctrine.

creed

A student or follower. Jesus had twelve of them.

disciple

Holy Water is kept in here. Also used for baptisms.

font

The female equivalent of a monk.

nun

A sacrifice, a proposal or a bid. Also a verb.

offer

Originally 'suffering', especially that of Jesus. Also used for strong emotions or enthusiasm.

passion

A religious building.

temple

Construction/Architecture

The fortified abode of a lord in the Middle Ages.

castle

A unit of length, the width of a thumb. [Perhaps borrowed from Greek]

inch

In Roman times, a stone used to grind grain. In the Middle Ages a device was invented that harnessed the power of the wind for this task.

mill

A hole in the ground.

pit

A long piece of wood. Later reborrowed from French with a different vowel. Used in an athletics event.

pole

A paved road, especially in a town.

street

Flat pieces of clay which the Romans used to cover roofs.

tile

A tall building used for defense. [Perhaps borrowed from Greek]

tower

Originally an earthen rampart. Now also the vertical parts of a building that separate inside from outside, divide rooms from each other and provide support.

wall

Farming, Food

Latin "caseus". A dairy product.

cheese

Someone who prepares food as his livelihood.

cook

Crushed and fermenting grapes.

must

Fermented grape juice.

wine

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