Many English words are derived from Latin. Some of these words have been modified, but others have remained in their original versions. Latin terms are used in philosophy, medicine, law, and biology.
Here are some of the more common words and phrases that are either adapted from or in Latin:
- Agenda
- a.m.
- caveat emptor (“buyer beware”)
- census
- etc.
- in memoriam
- inter alia
- interim
- item
- memorandum (or memo)
- per
- per diem
- p.m.
- pro and con
- P.S.
- sponsor
- status quo
- subpoena
- quasi
- ultra
- via
- veto
Latin-based languages, like French, Italian, and Spanish, also influence English. For example, the English word “bureaucracy” comes from the French word for “office.”
Other French phrases that are often used in English include:
- c’est la vie (“That’s life.”)
- je ne sais quoi (literally, “I know not what.” or someone or something that has an intangible quality)
- faux pas (“social blunder”)
- RSVP, which is short for (an abbreviation for) “respondez vous s’il vous plait” or “please respond.” You’ll often see RSVP on invitations. When you do, you should tell the sender whether or not you’ll accept his invitation and attend his event.
You can quote from this article. And if you do, please tell them you got it from Fast Track English：
Fast Track English [http://www.fasttrackenglish.com/]
A link to this article：
http://www.fasttrackenglish.com/Everyday_English/Article-754.shtml