List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents

This list contains Germanic elements of the English language which have a close corresponding Latinate form.

Where no Germanic source is available, a corresponding Old High German word from the same root has been included. These are in parentheses.

It is worth noting that usually the Germanic-based words sound more common, and the Latinate-based ones more lofty.

Germanic source	Germanic	Latinate	Latin source
(Old Norse angr Old English wræþþo)	anger wrath	rage ire	rabiēs īra
WGmc *aiskōn	ask	inquire	in + quaerere
	baby	infant	īnfāns
	back (n)	dorsum (> dorsal)	dorsum
WGmc be + *ginnan	begin	commence	com + initiāre
	belief	creed or credence	crēdere
	belly	abdomen	abdomen
(OHG botah)	bodily	corporal	corpus
WGmc *brōþar	brotherly	frāternal	frāternus, frater
(OHG chalb)	calf	veal	vitellus, vitulus
Gmc *kweman	come	arrive	ad + ripa
Gmc *kōuz	cow	beef, bovine cattle	bōs/bōvis med. L capitale
Gmc *daudaz	deadly	mortal	mortālis
Gmc *deuzam	deer	venison	venātiō/nis
Gmc *erþō	earth	soil	solum
Gmc *fadar	fatherly	paternal	paternus, pater
WGmc * fōljan	feeling	sensation	sensus, sentiō
Gmc *furistaz	first	primary	prīmus
	flood	inundate	inundāre < in + unda
	forbid	prohibit	prohibēre < pro + habēre
	forgetting	oblivion	oblīviscī
	foretell	predict	praedīcere
WGmc *fuχs	fox-like	vulpine	vulpēs
Gmc *frijaz	freedom	liberty	līber
	friendly	amicable	amīcus
Gmc *geban	give	provide	pro + vidēre
(OHG glat)	gladness	joy pleasure delight	gaudium placēre dēlēctāre
Gmc *зai-	go	depart	dispertīre
	god	deity	deus
	hearing	audience	audīre
WGmc *χōdjan	heed	attention	atteniō, attendere
	height	altitude	altitūdō (< altus)
	help	assist	assistere < ad + sistere
WGmc *χannja	hen	poultry	pullus
	hill	mount	mōns, montis
Gmc *χrussaz	horse	equestrian	equestris
Gmc *χundaz	hound-like	canine	canis
(OHG jucchen)	itch	irritate	irritāre
(OHG cnaen)	know	recognize	re + cognoscere
	leader	duke president	dux praesidēns
	leave	egress exit	ēgressus ex + īre
	length	longitude	longitūdō (< longus)
(OHG luba)	loving	amorous	amōrōsus
	match	correspond	con + respondēre
	mean	intend signify	intendere significare
	meet	encounter	incontrāre < in + contrā
	mistake	error	error (< errāre)
Gmc *mōdar-	motherly	maternal	māternus, māter
Gmc *neujaz	new	novel modern	novus modernus
(OHG naht)	nightly	nocturnal	nocturnus
WGmc *alda	old	ancient	ante - "before"
Gmc *anþaraz	other	different	differre
(OHG rozzen)	rot	putrefy	putrefacere
	seem	appear	apparere
WGmc *skæpa WGmc *lambaz	sheep lamb	mutton	med. L. multō
WGmc *skuttjan	shut	close	clausus
Gmc *skeuχ(w)az	shy	timid	timidus
	skillful	adept	adeptus < adipiscī
	sleeping	dormant	dormīre
WGmc *seχ(w)	sight	vision	vidēre/vīsum
Gmc *swīnam	swine	pork	porcus
	teach	educate	ēdūcāre < ēdūcere
	thinking	pensive	pēnsāre
(OHG draen)	throw	catapult	catapulta
Gmc *tūnaz, tūnam	town	city	cīvitās, cīvis
	understand	comprehend	comprehendere
(OHG uzaro)	utterly	totally	tōtālis
(OHG wetti)	wage	stipend salary	stipendium salārium
	wait	expect	ex + spectāre
	watchful	vigilant	vigilāre
Gmc *(ga)χailaz	whole	entire	integer
	width	latitude	latitūdō (< latus)
	wise	prudent	prudēns < providēns
Gmc *wunskjan	wish	desire	desiderāre
Gmc wulfaz	wolf-like	lupine	lūpus
WGmc *gelwa	yellow	ochre	ochra

* reconstructed form

[edit]

List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents

See also