Some grammatical terms and their roots in Latin

(in citation form, courtesy of The Perseus Project
... with the Usual Disclaimers, of course)


Agentive
agō, agere, ēgī, actus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'do, work'
Active
agō, agere, ēgī, actus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'do, work'
Auxiliary
augeō, augēre, auxī, auctus (Second [thematic -ē- stem] conjugation verb) 'help'
Causative
causa, causae (Fem, First [thematic -ā- stem] declension noun) 'cause'
Caritive
careō, carēre, caruī, caritus (Second [thematic -ē- stem] conjugation verb) 'lack, miss, be without'
Antecedent
ante + cēdō, cēdere, cessī, cessus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'go away'
Cessative
cessō, cessāre, cessāvī, cessātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'stop'
Exclamation
ex + clamō, clamāre, clamāvī, clamātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'cry'
Clause
claudō, claudere, clausī, clausus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'close'
Inceptive
in[1] + capiō, capere, cēpī, captus (Third [athematic consonant stem -iō] conjugation verb) 'begin'
(in[1] prefix = 'into/inside')
Benedictive
bene + dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'say'
Conditional
cum + dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'say'
Indicative
in[1] + dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'say'
Predicate
pre + dīcō, dīcere, dīxī, dictus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'say'
Dative
, dare, dedī, dātus (Irregular) 'give'
Dual
duo, duae, dua 'two'
Factive
faciō, facere, fēcī, factus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'do, make'
Benefactive
bene + faciō, facere, fēcī, factus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'do, make'
Perfect
per + faciō, facere, fēcī, factus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'do, make'
(the perfect participle of the English verb do is 'done', still used in this sense)
Imperfect
in[2] +per + faciō, facere, fēcī, factus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'do, make'
  1. (in[2] prefix = "not"; Latin, cognate to Germanic "un-" (uncivil) and Greek "a-" (atheist)
  2. (/im-/ allomorph before labial /p-/ of {in[2]} morpheme)
Lative
ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
(Perfect and Participle are examples of suppletion)
Ablative
ab + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Allative
ad + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Elative
ex + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Illative
in[1] + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Relative
re + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Superlative
super + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Translative
trans + ferō, ferre, tūlī, latus (Irregular third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'carry'
Affix
ad + figō, figere, fixī, fixus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'pierce'
Infix
in[1] + figō, figere, fixī, fixus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'pierce'
Prefix
pre + figō, figere, fixī, fixus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'pierce'
Suffix
sub + figō, figere, fixī, fixus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'pierce'
Infinitive
in[2] + finis (Masc [occasionally Fem], Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'end'
Inflection
in[1] + flectō, flectere, flexī, flexus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'bend'
Reflexive
re + flectō, flectere, flexī, flexus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'bend'
Retroflex
retro + flectō, flectere, flexī, flexus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'bend'
Gerund
gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'bear, cherish'
Register
re + gerō, gerere, gessī, gestus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'bear, cherish'
Cognate
cum + (g)nascor, (g)nascī, (g)nātus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'born'
(Deponent verbs have only passive forms, regardless of their meaning)
Gender
genus, generis (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'kind, type', a derivative from
gens, gentis (Fem, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'clan, tribe'
Genitive
genetivus, -a, -um (Masc, Fem, Neut, First & Second [thematic -a/-o stems] declension adjective) 'innate', a derivative from
gignō, gignere, genuī, genitum (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'bear, produce'; in passive 'be born'
Egressive
ex + gradior, gradī, gressus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation, deponent) 'step'
Ingressive
in[1] + gradior, gradī, gressus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation, deponent) 'step'
Progressive
pro + gradior, gradī, gressus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation, deponent) 'step'
Habitual
habeō, habēre, habuī, habitus (Second [thematic -ē- stem] conjugation verb) 'have'
Interjection
inter + iaciō, iacere, iēcī, iactus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'throw'
(-- often spelled jaciō)
Adjective
ad + iaciō, iacere, iēcī, iactus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'throw'
Subject
sub + iaciō, iacere, iēcī, iactus (Third [athematic consonant stem] -iō conjugation verb) 'throw'
Imperative
imperō, imperāre, imperāvī, imperātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'order'
Comitative
cum + , īre, īvī, ītus (Irregular) 'go'
Conjunction
cum + iungō, iungere, iunxī, iunctus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'join'
Conjugation
cum + iugō, iugāre, iugāvī, iugātus (First [thematic -ā-] stem] conjugation verb) 'join'
(iugō is a regular formation from iungō)
Lateral
latus, lateris (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'side'
Locative
locus, locī (Masc, Second [thematic -o stem] declension noun) 'place'
Demonstrative
de + monstrō, monstrāre, monstrāvī, monstrātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'show'
Nominative
nomen, nomenis (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'name'
Noun
nomen, nomenis (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'name'
Pronoun
pro + nomen, nomenis (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'name'
Optative
optō, optāre, optāvī, optātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'hope, wish'
Subordinate
sub + ordō, ordinis (Masc, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'order'
Comparative
cum + parō, parāre, parāvī, parātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'get'
Parse
pars, partis (Fem, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'part'
Participle
pars, partis (Fem, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'part'
Partitive
pars, partis (Fem, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'part'
Passive
patior, patī, passus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation, deponent) 'allow, suffer'
Pejorative
pēior, pēius (Masc+Fem, Neut, Irregular Third declension adjective) 'worse'
(pēior is the comparative form of malus, -a, -um 'bad')
Reduplication
re+ duo, duae, dua + plicō, plicāre, plicāvī, plicātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'fold'
Complement
cum + pleō, plēre, plēvī, plētus (Second [thematic -ē- stem] conjugation verb) 'fill'
Plural
plūs, plūris (Masc+Fem, Neut, Irregular Third declension adjective) 'more'
(plūs is the (irregular) comparative form of multus, -a, -um 'much, many')
Deponent
de + ponō, ponere, posuī, positus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'place'
Apposition
ad + ponō, ponere, posuī, positus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'place'
Preposition
pre + ponō, ponere, posuī, positus (Third [athematic consonant stem] conjugation verb) 'place'
Potential
potens, potentis (Masc+Fem, Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension adjective) 'mighty, strong'
(potens is the present active participle form of the irregular modal verb possum, posse, potuī, positus 'can, may')
Regular
regō, regere, rexī, rectus 'rule'
Derivation
de + rīvus, rīvī (Masc, Second [thematic -o stem] declension noun) 'river'
Interrogative
inter+ rogō, rogāre, rogāvī, rogātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'ask'
Sibilant
sibilō, sibilāre, sibilāvī, sibilātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'hiss'
Assimilation
ad + similis, simile (Masc+Fem, Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension adjective) 'same'
Dissimilation
dis + similis, simile (Masc+Fem, Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension adjective) 'same'
Singular
singulī, -ae, -a (Masc, Fem, Neut, First & Second [thematic -a/-o stems] declension adjective) 'single'
Consonant
cum + sonō, sonāre, sonuī, sonitus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'sound'
Person
per + sonō, sonāre, sonuī, sonitus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'sound'
(Nota Bene: This etymology is attributed in Lewis and Short to the writings of Gabbius Bassus;
modern etymologists derive persōna from an Etruscan original.)
Resonant
re + sonō, sonāre, sonuī, sonitus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'sound'
Aspect
ad + speciō, specere, spexī, spectus (Third [athematic consonant stem -iō] conjugation verb) 'look'
Stative
stō, stāre, stetī, status (Irregular First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'stand'
Instrumental
in[1] + struō, struere, struxī, structus 'build'
Construction
cum + struō, struere, struxī, structus 'build'
Future
sum, esse, fūī, futūrus, (Irregular) 'be'
Essive
sum, esse, fūī, futūrus, (Irregular) 'be'
Abessive
ab + sum, esse, fūī, futūrus, (Irregular) 'be'
Adessive
ad + sum, esse, fūī, futūrus, (Irregular) 'be'
Inessive
in[1] + sum, esse, fūī, futūrus, (Irregular) 'be'
Temporal
tempus, temporis (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'time'
Tense
tempus, temporis (Neut, Third [athematic consonant stem] declension noun) 'time'
Intonation
in[1] + tonus, tonī (Masc, Second [thematic -o stem] declension noun) 'tone'
Verb
verbum, verbī (Neut, Second [thematic -o stem] declension noun) 'word'
Adverb
ad + verbum, verbī (Neut, Second [thematic -o stem] declension noun) 'word'
Vocative
vocō, vocāre, vocāvī, vocātus (First [thematic -ā- stem] conjugation verb) 'call'
Volitional
volō, velle, voluī (Irregular modal verb) 'want'


Linguistics 114
Last change June 8, 2013 John Lawler
(with assistance from Aaron J. Dinkin gratefully acknowledged)