Vocabulum IX: It's De-lovely!
The Latin preposition de- is the dynamic root of hundreds of English words.
Depending upon its role in a Latin sentence, the preposition de can mean from, down from, of, out of, about, concerning, because of, or in accordance with. It’s truly a powerful preposition in Latin and has become just as prolific as the root of English words. We will focus upon words beginning with de- in this section. (Welcome to Manuscribit where we learn English grammar through Latin. It’s best to start with the very first post and work your way through, with sketchbook in hand. You can also learn Latin through my other Substack, entitled Loquī. While all subscriptions to Manuscribit are free, Loquī will require a modest monthly subscription fee. Contact me with any questions.)
damnare: to condemn or procure the conviction of condemn, condemnation, damn, damnation (Note the silent “n” in damn. That’s a remnant of the Romans.)
daps, dapsilis: religious feast or banquet, sumptuous and abundant dapper (It’s an old-fashioned term, but now you know where it came from.)
debacchor: to rage or revel furiously, (literally) of Bacchus debauch, debauched, debauchery Bacchus was the god of wine and ecstasy, and celebrations in his honor were full of drunkenness and sexual pleasure.
debere, debitum: to owe, to be bound, to ought, bound or indebted, (literally) because of enrichment (beare, beatum) debit, debt, debtor, indebted (Now you know why there is a silent “b” in debt—again, the Romans are still with us!)
debilis, debilitare: frail, weak, to cripple or paralyze, (literally) of bile (bilis) or gall, (figurative) of madness debilitate, debilitation
decem: ten decade, decimal, etc. There are two many English derivatives to list here.
decernere: to determine, (literally) because of seeing or perceiving (cernere) discern, discernment
decidere: to cut off, put an end to, (literally) of giving up or withdrawal (cedere) decide, decision, decisive, indecisive (Note the difference between decernere and decidere. One indicates that the determination process is ongoing, while the other indicates that it is finished.)
declarare: to make known or reveal, (literally) about making clear, clarity (clarus) declare, declaration, declaratory
declinare: to turn aside or evade, to digress, (literally) down from swerving or inclining downward (clinamen, clinatus) decline
decorare: to adorn, embellish, (literally) of crowning (corona) decor, decorate, decoration
deducere: to bring or spin down, (literally) to lead downwards deduce, deduction In mathematics, deduction means to subtract or take away; in logic, it’s a thinking process of going from general to specific. In either use, you are going from large to small.
deferre: to carry down or bear away, to take into consideration defer, deferral, deference
deformis: of bad form deform, deformity
delicatus, deliciae: tender, soft, pleasure, favorite (literally) of value, to be valued delicacy, delicate, delicious
delinquere: to fail, offend, do wrong, (literally) about quitting, failing to complete delinquent
demovere, demotum: to remove, dislodge, (literally) to move down demote, demotion
denominare: to designate, (literally) of naming denominate, denominator, denomination
denuntiare: to give warning, to threaten, (literally) about announcing to the public denounce, denunciation
descendare: to go down, to sink, (literally) down from ascending descend, descendant, descending, descent
describere, descriptum: to copy out, to sketch or diagram, (literally) to write down describe, description
desperare: to give up hope, (literally) away from hope despair, desperation
detractum: drawn away, pulled down, (literally) dragged down detract, detraction
devertere, deversum: to turn aside, (literally) to turn down another way, a by-way diversion, divert, diverticulum, diverticulitis
devovere, devotum: to vow or dedicate, (literally) of promising solemnly devote, devotee, devotion
As you can imagine, there are many words with the de- prefix which are not here. If you don’t have a Latin dictionary, it’s a great, inexpensive investment which permits you to explore word etymology at your own pace. The Roman, after over 2000 years, still influence our language and thinking today.
The next post will begin with dextra, a great word with an interesting history, and from there we will complete our study of “d” words from Latin.
Finally, for those of you interested in studying Latin in a relaxing and self-paced way, I have posted the first monthly lesson of my Latin language course Loquī. While you can can get a taste of it at no charge, it will require a small monthly subscription payment ($10/month, $100/annually) to continue. It’s perfect for students from middle school on up, homeschoolers, and anyone who wants to learn or refresh their Latin. You can easily divide each monthly lesson over 4 weeks. It follows the basic Latin grammar I studied at the University of Michigan using the excellent Introduction to Latin by Professor Susan C. Shelmerdine, University of North Carolina, as well as the popular middle school curriculum, Ecce Romani, recommended by Professor Tadeusz Mazurek of the University of Notre Dame. Everything will be provided in one place, with links to quizzes, videos, and project ideas. Everyone can benefit from learning Latin. I hope you will it check out above.
Until our next Manuscribit post, may God’s peace be with you!