4. -meal.
5. -om (old dative plural).
6. -ward.
7. -wise = manner.
The Latin Element.—The Latin element is numerically the larger part of the language. It is therefore impossible to know well the English vocabulary except by knowing a considerable part of the Latin language. Whether our Latin words come directly through the ancient classics, or through the Romance tongues, such as French, Italian, and Spanish, to know their full force one must know the original meaning of them, as used by the ancient race of world-conquerors. Every instructor in English watches with keen interest the progress made by his students in their Latin studies. Of course, the mere knowledge that a given word is derived from a given Latin word does not necessarily give the student practical command of it in his writing; but usually such knowledge does help to a better understanding of the meaning the word has to-day, and so tends both to fix it in memory and to insure exact use of it.
Latin Words transferred to English.—Some Latin words have been transferred bodily into English. Discuss with the instructor the derivation of the present meanings of the following:—
Alias = otherwise; album = white; amanuensis = hand-writer; animus = mind; arena = sand; boa = great serpent; camera = chamber; cornucopia = horn of plenty; extra = beyond; focus = hearth; gratis = for nothing; item = also; memento = remember (imperative); nostrum = our own; omnibus = for all; posse = to be able; quorum = of whom; rebus = by things; rostrum = beak; torpedo = numbness; vagary = to wander; videlicet = it can be seen; virago = a mannish woman.
Latin Prefixes and Suffixes.—Recall English words having the following prefixes, and explain the effect of the prefix on each.
A-, ab-, abs- = from; ad- = to; amb- = about; ante- = before; bis-, bi- = twice; circum- = around; cum- (found in French col-, com-, cor-, coun-) = with; contra- = against; de- = down, from; dis- (Fr. des-, de-) = asunder; ex- (Fr. es-, e-) = from; extra- = beyond; in- (Fr. en-, em-) = in, into; in- (il-, im-, ir-, ig-) = not; inter- = between, among; non- = not; ob- = against; pene- = almost; per- = through; post- = after; præ-, pre- = before; præter- = beyond; pro- (Fr. pour = pol-, por-, pur-) = for; re- = back; retro- = backwards; se- = apart; sub- (suc-, suf-, sum-, sup-, sur-, sus-) = under; super- = above; trans- = across; vice- = in place of.