Tagged Questions
0
votes
1answer
76 views
Does “Pictura Mentum” mean anything?
I know that the etymology of the word "pigment" is the Latin verb pingere (to paint) plus the suffix -mentum (instrument used in the accomplishment of the action).
I know that the -mentum suffix is ...
4
votes
1answer
73 views
Why does “-b-” differ between L “offero” and L “aufero”?
offero
From ob ("towards") + ferō ("bear, carry")
aufero
From ab ("from") + ferō ("bear, carry")
Both prefixes of them end with "-b-", but why do their compounds differ from each other, ...
7
votes
1answer
112 views
How does L. “quartus” come from L. “quattuor”, which has “quat” but “quart”?
quartus
From Latin quattuor ("four"), originally from Proto-Indo-European
quattuor
From Proto-Indo-European *kʷetwóres.
Cognates include Sanskrit चतुर् (catur), Old Armenian չորք ...
5
votes
1answer
185 views
What is the origin of the Latin suffix -alis/-alia?
What is the origin of the Latin suffix -alis/-alia? Can it be an Etruscan borrowing? Is Russian adjectival suffix -аль- a borrowing from Latin?
6
votes
2answers
284 views
Hebrew “shemen” versus Latin “semen”
Is the etymology of the word "semen" (eng. "seed") in Latin connected to the hebrew word שֶׁמֶן "shemen" (eng. "ointment")?
I've just read a peculiar article that attempted to make this connection:
...
3
votes
3answers
610 views
Why is “Aurora Borealis” from Greek, but “Aurora Austrialis” from Latin?
In astronomy we have the Aurora Australis in the south and the Aurora Borealis in the north. According to Wikipedia, auster is in fact the Latin equivalent of the Greek νότος, or southern wind. ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
What are the historical origin of terms for north, south, east and west?
In the course of researching the etymology of the word "Australia", I was trying to find the Latin words for north and south (the cardinal directions). I found some websites that translate north as ...
11
votes
6answers
818 views
Why do so many core Romanian words with Latin roots come from different roots than in the other Romance languages?
Romanian is a romance language like Catalan, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Spanish so much of its core vocabulary is derived from Latin.
Why then even in core vocabulary does Romanian so often ...
