100 Latin Verbs Face-Off (Part 2)

[B] to overcome | This verb gave us "superior" and "insuperable" - Romans used it for everything from conquering enemies to surpassing expectations. Fun fact: Caesar loved using this in his war commentaries, making his victories sound even more dramatic!

[C] to call | The ancestor of "appeal" and "appellation" - when Romans wanted to address someone formally or name something, this was their go-to verb. Wine lovers might recognize this in "appellation d'origine contrôlée"!

[B] to fight | Where "pugnacious" comes from! Romans distinguished between pugnāre (fist-fighting) and bellāre (waging war). Gladiators would pugnāre in the arena for entertainment.

[B] to be empty | The root of "vacation" - originally meaning "freedom from duty." When Romans said "vacāre studiīs" they meant having free time for studies, not that their studies were empty!

[D] to agree | Literally "stand together" - the Romans loved the image of people standing united. The impersonal "cōnstat" (it is agreed/established) was their way of saying "everyone knows that..."

[A] to watch over | Source of "cure" and "curator" - Romans believed caring and healing were connected. A Roman "cūrātor" could manage anything from aqueducts to art collections!

[A] to condemn | Gave us "damn" and "condemn" - in Roman courts, "damnāre capitis" meant condemning to death. Interestingly, being "damnātus ad metallum" (condemned to the mines) was considered worse than execution!

[D] to pray | Root of "oration" and "oral" - Romans saw prayer as formal speech. Cicero's famous opening "Ōrō vōs" (I beg you) started many a persuasive speech in the Senate!

[D] to enter | Ancestor of "introduce" and "introspection" - literally "to go within." Roman theaters had signs reading "intrāre grātīs" (enter for free) during festivals!

[A] to approve | Source of "prove" and "probable" - Romans tested things to approve them. "Probāre" someone meant both testing their character and approving of them!

[D] to commit a wrong | Root of "peccadillo" and "impeccable" (without sin). Romans distinguished between peccāre (making mistakes) and scelus (serious crimes). Everyone peccāt, but not everyone commits scelera!

[C] to call back | Literally "voice back" - gave us "revoke." Roman generals would revocāre their troops with trumpet calls. In law, it meant repealing decisions.

[D] to carry a load | Root of "portable" and "transport" - the workhorse verb of Roman commerce. Slaves called "portitōrēs" carried sedan chairs through Rome's narrow streets!

[C] to decide by contest | Source of "certain" - contests determined certainty! "Certāmen" (competition) was how Romans settled everything from poetry to politics.

[A] to disturb | Gave us "turbulent" and "disturb" - from turba (crowd). Romans associated crowds with chaos, hence turbāre meant stirring things up like a mob!

[B] to avoid | Root of "inevitable" (cannot be avoided). Romans had a saying: "Quod vītāre nōn potes, ferendum est" (What you cannot avoid, you must endure).

[A] to get ready | Originally meant "pair together" for preparation, later evolved to mean "compare." Roman armies would comparāre (prepare/assemble) before battles.

[B] to long for | Literally "away from the stars" (de + sīdera) - Romans thought longing meant missing your guiding stars. How poetic for expressing desire!

[A] to frequent | Source of "celebrate" - originally meant crowding a place frequently. Roman celebrities were literally people who attracted crowds wherever they went!

[D] to take an oath | Root of "jury" and "perjury" - Romans swore by Jupiter (Iūrāre per Iovem). Breaking an oath invited divine punishment, making perjury both illegal and sacrilegious!

[C] to toil | Source of "labor" and "elaborate" - Romans valued hard work so much they had a goddess of toil (Labora). "Labor omnia vincit" (Work conquers all) was their motivational motto!

[B] to relate | Root of "narrative" - from gnārus (knowing). Romans believed good storytelling required knowledge. Professional storytellers (narrātōrēs) entertained at dinner parties!

[C] to put a question to | Literally "ask between" - the source of "interrogate." Roman legal interrogations were public spectacles where skilled lawyers could make or break cases!

[A] to put to flight | Different from fugere (to flee) - this means making others flee! Roman cavalry specialized in fugāre (routing) enemy formations.

[B] to produce | Root of "create" and "procreate" - Romans used it for everything from making art to electing officials. Being "creātus cōnsul" meant being elected consul!

[B] to point out | Source of "indicate" - literally "speak into" something to reveal it. Roman informants were called indicēs, making this the snitch verb!

[C] to see | The mother of all vision words - "video," "visual," "evidence"! Romans believed "seeing is believing" so much that "vīdī" (I saw) was legal testimony.

[A] to have | Beyond possession, Romans used it for considering: "habēre prō" meant "regard as." Our "habit" comes from things we "have" regularly!

[D] to bid | The command verb of authority - magistrates would iubēre laws into effect. Unlike imperāre (military commands), iubēre was for civil orders!

[C] to hold | Root of "tenant," "tenure," and "tenacious" - Romans used it metaphorically for holding opinions, positions, and even holding someone's attention!