The Greek & Latin Roots of English (23 page)

dexter, dexteri = on the right; skillful; favorable

sinister, sinistri = on the left; awkward; unfavorable

Hadrian's villa at Tivoli, Italy. The Roman emperor Hadrian ruled 117–138 CE.

United We Stand …

The seal of the Roman government that appeared on all public documents and that was inscribed on coins, monuments, and the standards of the Roman army was the acronym SPQR, which stood for “Senatus Populusque Romanus.” The twentieth-century fascist dictator of Italy, Benito Mussolini, whose stated aim was to restore Rome to its former imperial greatness, ordered that SPQR be made visible everywhere in Rome. The result was that if you visit the city now, you will find this acronym engraved on manhole covers.

Divided We Fall

The names of the three social classes of Roman society also have become part of our political vocabulary. Originally, these divisions seem to have been determined by birth; but in later times, membership in a particular class was often based on wealth.

We, the People

The
proletariat
consists of those who labor for wages, making their contribution to the state not through the ownership of property, but by the production of children for the labor force.

proles, prolis = offspring

Theories of Social and Economic Organization with Classical Roots

All of the following terms that describe modern social and economic systems were coined or developed their present meanings in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. What is the meaning of the suffix
-ism
in each of the following terms?

The
fasces
(plural) was a bundle of sticks, bound together, that was carried in front of the chief Roman magistrates, as a symbol both of their power and of the unity of the Roman people.

THE LAW

One of the greatest and most lasting contributions of ancient Roman civilization to the development of European thought is the vast body of laws and institutions that form the basis of much of modern jurisprudence. This influence can be seen not only in the structure of many European law codes, but also in the very language of the modern legal system.

Latin Legal Terminology Used in Modern Law
¹

Who's Giving Advice Here?

A
council
and a
counsel
both give advice, but they have different Latin roots. Check your unabridged dictionary for their etymologies and differences in meaning.

WAR AND PEACE

The Roman legal system spread wherever the Roman armies conquered because victory meant the imposition of Roman customs and practices, including, of course, the rule of Roman law. In addition, many veterans, after completing their tours of duty, would settle in the regions where they had been stationed, thus further strengthening Roman control and cultural influence.

Who's in Charge Here?

Some officers took their titles from the number of men they commanded. How many were overseen by a
decanus?
How many by a
centurio?

NAME _______________________________________________________

A. In the following sentences, answer each question, or fill in the blank with the literal meaning of the italicized word or part of a word. Make sure that the sentence is grammatically correct. If you are unsure of the meaning, check your unabridged dictionary.

1. What is a
plebiscite
? ____________ Who participates in it? ____________

2. What is the science of
demography
? ____________

3. What was the original purpose of a
census
? ____________

4. To whom should
regalia
properly belong? ____________ What is its current meaning? ________________________________________________________________

5. When I followed the sign that said, “this way to the egress,” where did I end up? ____________

6. The Roman statesman Cicero wrote a work entitled
de Senectute
. What was it about? __________

7. If a person
pontificates
, he speaks in the manner of a __________. What is the current usage of this word? ____________________________________________________________

8. He said he was in
vinc
ible, but I knew that he could be easily __________.

9. What happens when
tyrannicide
is committed? __________ __________

10. A
patrimony
is an inheritance from one's __________.

11. The
imperative
form of a verb indicates a __________.

12.
Civ
ility is the kind of behavior expected of a__________. What is the current usage of this word? _____________________________________________________________________

13. He wanted to become an
equestrian
, but he was terrified of __________.

14. What is the current meaning of
provincial
? ________________________________________

15. A person who behaves in a s
erv
ile manner acts like a __________.