roman tablet

Intact Latin Quiz

What did each of these words mean to ancient Romans?

Many of our words derive from Latin. Some have endured intact for over 2,000 years in spelling and meaning, such as aloe, apex, cadaver, color, dictator, momentum, phalanx, splendor, umbrella, and vapor. Others, though intact in spelling, have evolved meanings distinct from what ancient Romans understood them to mean.

Stewart Edelstein is the author of Dubious Doublets: A Delightful Compendium of Unlikely Word Pairs of Common Origin, from Aardvark/Porcelain to Zodiac/Whiskey.

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Which pair shares a common word ancestor?

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