Latin homographs and homonyms

Latin homographs and homonyms

Latin has both homographs, words spelled the same but different in sound and meaning (as in English "wind," the verb meaning to turn, and "wind" the noun meaning fast moving air) and homonyms, words spelled and pronounced identically, but different in meaning (as in English "bear," the verb meaning to support or carry, and "bear," the animal). Knowledge of these is helpful for those wanting to pronounce and translate Latin, and especially for the scansion of Latin poetry, since Latin meters are based on syllable quantity (see Latin prosody). Latin does not use separate characters to differentiate long and short versions of the same vowel (as does ancient Greek, for example), and this is the source of a large numbers of homographs. A helpful modern convention in writing Latin is to distinguish vowel quantities by using a macron above the letter to indicate a long vowel, while the absence of a macron indicates a short vowel. For example, canet = "sings" but cānet = "is white." Two dots over a vowel means that it is pronounced as a separate syllable rather than being part of a diphthong (e.g āëre, three syllables vs. aere, two syllables) (see Latin spelling and pronunciation).

Latin Homographs (words spelled the same but differently pronounced)

aere bronze < aes aeris, n.	āëre air < āēr āĕris, m.
alitis, you nourish < alo -ere	ālitis, winged, winged one = bird < āles alitis
cāne white, white-haired < cānus -a -um	cane sing < canō -ere,	cane dog < canis -is
cavēre to be careful (infinitive)	cāvēre they were careful = cāvērunt
conditus founded < condō -ere	condītus seasoned, flavored < condiō -īre
cupidō eager < cupidus -a -um	cupīdō desire < cupīdō -inis
decōra good-looking < decōrus -a -um	decora glory < decus decoris, n.
dīcō say < dīcere	dicō dedicate < dicāre
ducis, ducī, ducēs leader(s) < dux ducis, m.	dūcis, dūcī, dūcēs lead < dūcō dūcere
eadem the same = fem. nom. sing. or n. pl.	eādem the same = fem. abl. sing.
ēdō put forth	edō eat
ēdūcō lead out	ēducō educate, bring up
emī to be bought	ēmī I have bought
es, est, estis, esse be < sum esse fuī	ēs, ēst, ēstis, ēsse eat < edō -ere
fēmina, fēminīs woman < fēmina -ae, f.	femina, feminis thigh < femur feminis, n.
ferimus we bear < fero ferre	ferīmus we strike < feriō -īre
feriās thou mayest strike < feriō -īre	fēriās holiday < fēriae fēriārum, f. pl.
fīde faithful < fīdus -a -um	fidē faith < fidēs -ēī, f.	fide lyre < fidēs -is, f.
fūgit he fled	fugit he is fleeing
īdem the same = m. nom. sing. or pl.	idem the same = n. nom. or accus. sing.
imprimis press < imprimō -ere	imprīmīs especially (adv.)
iūra justice, law < iūs iūris, n.	iūrā swear < iūrō -āre
lātus broad < lātus -a -um	lātus carried < ferō ferre	latus side < latus lateris, n.
lepōrem charm < lepos lepōrem, m.	leporem hare < lepus leporis, m.
levis light	lēvis smooth
levī light < levis -e	lēvī smeared < linō -ere lēvī litum
liber book	līber free
malum evil-doing < malum -ī, n.	mālum apple < mālum -ī, n.
malus bad < malus -a -um	mālus apple tree < mālus -ī, f.	mālus mast < mālus -ī, m.
mala bad < malus -a -um	māla cheek < māla -ae, f.
malō bad < malus -a -um	mālō I prefer < mālō mālle
māne in the morning (adv.)	manē stay < maneō -ēre
manet remains < maneō -ēre	mānet drips < mānō -āre
manibus hands < manus -ūs, f.	mānibus ghost < mānēs -ium m. pl.
modo only, recently, provided that	modō means, measure < modus -ī, m.
molitus grind < molō -ere	mōlītus having labored at < mōlior -īrī -ītus
movēre to move	mōvēre they moved = mōvērunt
nitor brightness	nītor try
nōta well-known < nōtus -a -um	nota, mark < nota -ae, f.
nōvī I know < noscō -ere nōvī	novī new < novus -a -um
oblītus having forgotten < oblīviscor oblīviscī oblitus	oblitus smeared < oblinō, smear
occīdī killed < occīdō -ere (caedō)	occidī died < occidō -ere (cadō)
ōra mouth, face < ōs ōris, n.	ōrā edge, border < ōra -ae, f.	ōrā pray < ōrō ōrāre
pāret obeys < pāreō -ēre	paret may supply < parō -āre
patēre to be open < pateō	patere suffer < patior patī passus sum
pedēs foot < pēs pedis, m.	pedes footsoldier < pedes peditis, m.
pēdis, pēditis you fart < pēdō -ere	pedis, gen. of ‘foot’, peditis, gen. of footsoldier
placet please < placeō -ēre	plācet placate, appease < plācō -āre
populus people	pōpulus poplar tree
prōcērum tall < prōcērus -a -um	procerum leading men < procerē -um m. pl.
quoque also (adv.)	quōque and by which (quō-que)
regiō region < regiō -ōnis, f.	rēgiō royal < rēgius -a -um
regis, regī, rege direct < regō -ere	rēgis, rēgī, rēge king < rēx rēgis, m.
rēfert it makes a difference	refert he brings back < referō referre
relīquī left < relinquō -ere relīquī	reliquī the rest < reliquus -a -um
satis enough	satīs sown, planted < serō serere sēvī satus
senis old man < senex senis, m.	sēnīs six each < sēnī -ae -a
secūrī with an axe < secūris -is, f.	sēcūrī free from care < sēcūrus -a -um
sēde resting-place, seat < sēdēs -is, f.	sedē sit < sedeō -ēre sēdī sessum
sedēre to sit	sēdēre they sat = sēdērunt
sequere or sequeris you follow	sequēre or sequēris you will follow
sōlum alone < sōlus -a -um	solum soil < solum -ī, n.
uter which of two	ūter bag, skin, bottle
utī so that, that = ut	ūtī use < ūtor ūtī ūsus sum
vādō, vādis go < vādō vādere	vadō, vadīs ford < vadum -ī, n.
vēnī I have come	venī come!
venīs you come < veniō	vēnīs veins < vēna -ae, f.	vēnīs are sold <vēneō -īre
vēnit has come, is for sale	venit he is coming
vēnēre came = vēnērunt	venere sex < venus veneris, f.
vidēre to see < videō -ēre	vīdēre they saw = vīdērunt
vincis, vincimus, vincitis conquer < vincō -ere	vincīs, vincīmus, vincītis bind < vinciō -īre
vīrīs strength = acc. of vīrēs < vīs	virīs men < vir virī, m.
vītium of vines < vītis -is f.	vitium fault < vitium -ī, n.
vocēs you may call < vocō -āre	vōcēs voices, remarks < vōx vōcis, f.

Latin Homonyms (words spelled and pronounced the same, but with different meanings)

Word	Meaninga	Meaningb
adeō	I approach	so, so much
canis	dog	you sing > cano
equitēs	horseman > eques	you ride a horse > equito
fidēs	faith	lyre
līberī	free	children
mālī	apple (gen.)	masts
maris	sea > mare	male > mas
pendēs	you hang > pendeo	you will pay > pendo
sēdem, sēdēs	seat > sēdēs, -is	sit > sedeō
vēnit	came > venio	is sold > vēneo
victus	conquered > vinco	nourishment > victus, -us
apium	of bees > apis	parsley
consuli	consul (dat.)	to be consulted > consulo
faciēs	you will make > facio	face, appearance
forēs	you would be > sum	door > foris
māla	cheek	apples > malum
obsidēs	hostage > obses	you beisige > obsideō
pariēs	wall	you will bear > pario -ere
rudis	unshaped	you roar > rudo
sōlī	alone > sōlus	sun (dat.) > sōl
vincī	to be beaten> vincō	to be tied > vinciō