LECTURE II. their meanings when so applied

their meanings when so applied. I shall now proceed, alphabetically, in like manner to enume­rate and explain the principal Latin verbs that have been introduced into our language, in the composition of verbs or nouns, with the help of those prepositions.

In future lectures I hope to take up Latin substantives and adjectives in a similar manner, and for a like purpose.

Ago is a Latin verb; and in the present tense of the indicative mood is translated I do or act. The supine is actum, which is rendered to act or do. I shall, however, give the English in a general way, by the infinitive mood, instead of the indicative; and the past participle, which in this instance is actus acted, instead of the supine, actum, a part of the verb not known in the English grammar.

From ago we have some words in common use, as "agent;" and " cogent," from co for con pre­fixed, signifying not only doing an act, but as doing it forcibly, as if by combination of forces acting together; we have also " exigence," with the pre­fix ex, to describe what is enforced, driven out. " Vigour" may imply vi agere, to act with force.

From the frequentative of this verb, agito, we have " agitate, "cogitate," &c. From the parti­ciple actus, we have "action" and "actuate;" also " enact" to put into action; " exact" to extort or drive out from; "inactive," the prefix in having

LECTURE II. 29

here the force of a negative; and "overact," the prefix being English, perhaps derived from the Greek preposition uper. "Reaction" is that which acts bach again; and "transaction" is that which is carried on between two or more persons, acting, as it were, across from one to the other; or "transact" may mean to do through, or tho­roughly. "Outrage" means violence, from ultra beyond, and ago, to act. This word comes through the French outre, derived from ultra.

The Latin verb amo, to love, is to be found in English words; as " amiable," loveable or to be loved, and its derivatives. Through the French we have " enamour," to make fond; as also " amateur," used to describe a non-professional artist who is influenced only by love for the art

From audio, to hear, we have " audible," that may be heard, and its opposite " inaudible," The proper meaning of "audience" is a hearing;* audiens being the present active participle of this verb. Although the word is still used in this sense, as when a Sovereign is said to grant an audience to a subject, yet it is now more com­monly applied to designate the people who are hearers of what is spoken. From the past par­ticiple auditus, heard, we have an "auditor," applied to a person who "audits," that is, lite-

* "And they gave him audience unto this,word."— Acts xxii. 22. "Then follow me, and give me audience, friends."— Shakspeare: Julius Caesar, Act iii. Scene 2.

LECTURE II.

rally, hears the final account of a money trans­action. "Auditory" is equivalent to "audience," as now generally understood. "Obedience" means a diligent and attentive hearing, the prefix ob being used augmentatively.

Augeo, to increase, gives us the verb "aug­ment,'¹ of the same signification, and its noun, "augmentation," or increase. From the partici­ple auctus, we have an " auction," where the price goes on increasing; and an " author," (from the Latin noun auctor), being one who produces a work, and thus increases the number of our books. From the same root we have " authorize" and "authority," implying increased power.

Bibo, to drink, gives us " bibulous," given to drink, and a wine-"bibber;" also a "bib," being an apron put on a child when drinking. Hence like­wise we have "imbibe," literally to drink in; and applied metaphorically to the mind.

Cado, to fall, supplies us with several well-known words. The " cadence" of verse or song means the proper falling of the voice. Milton uses the word to describe the setting or going down of the sun. " Cadent" occurs as an adjective in Shakspeare.* An "accident" is that

* " Let it stamp wrinkles in her brow of youth, With cadent tears fret channels in her cheeks."

Lear, Act i. Scene 4.

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which befalls one, or falls to one's lot; the pre­position ad being as a prefix changed to ac before c, as observed in my former lecture. To "coin­cide" is to fall into or upon the same point. "Decay" means a falling off from; and "deca­dence" is a falling off to ruin. Trees that are not evergreen are called "deciduous," from the falling off of their leaves in autumn. An "incident" is that which falls or lights upon one; and those expenses which are not expected as regularly occurring are called "incidental," to signify that they fall upon one casually, and were not intended or contemplated at first. The west is called the " occident," from the apparent falling or declining of the sun in that quarter of the heavens, as the east is called the "orient" from its rising, (from orior to rise,) but both these words are rather French than Latin. From the participle casus, we have also some words derived; as "case," the condition in which anything may befal or hap­pen to be; and "casually," as it fell out. A "casuist" is one skilled in cases of conscience. An "occasion" is the time or circumstance in or at which any thing falls out, the prefix oc for ob having the effect of increasing the signification. Ob is also used to mean before one's face, and "occasion" indicates what comes in one's way. Again, this prefix sometimes signifies opposition to, against; and we may find " occasion" used in the sense of objection or accusation, in the

LECTURE II.

authorized version of the Scriptures of the 17th century.*

Another Latin verb, somewhat similar in the sound of its derivatives, CÆdo, to cut or kill, supplies many English words. It is to be ob­served, however, that all words derived from cado have the i short, as "incident," but all from cœdo have that letter long, as for example "decide," which signifies to cut off from; and hence it is used to denote a "decision" by which a dispute is "decisively" cut short. From the indicative and infinitive we have many words meaning murder or killing, as " fratricide," killing a brother; "homicide," killing a man, (now used to distinguish it from wilful murder, or man­slaughter); "infanticide," or child murder; " matricide," or the killing of one's mother; " parricide," which is applied not only to the murder of a man's father, but of any one in the relation of, or to be revered as, a parent, such as one's sovereign.† This latter, however, has also its proper name of " regicide," the killing of a king. A "suicide" is one who takes his own life. From the participle of this verb, CÆSUS, we have " concise," meaning short, or being cut into

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