List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English
Updated: 11/6/2025, 2:13:04 AM Wikipedia source
This list contains Germanic elements of the English language which have a close corresponding Latinate form. The correspondence is semantic—in most cases these words are not cognates, but in some cases they are doublets, i.e., ultimately derived from the same root, generally Proto-Indo-European, as in cow and beef, both ultimately from PIE *gʷōus. The meanings of these words do not always correspond to Germanic cognates, and occasionally the specific meaning in the list is unique to English. Those Germanic words listed below with a Frankish source mostly came into English through Anglo-Norman, and so despite ultimately deriving from Proto-Germanic, came to English through a Romance language (and many have cognates in modern Romance languages). This results in some Germanic doublets, such as yard and garden, through Anglo-Saxons and Anglo-Normans respectively.
Tables
| Germanic source | Germanic | Latinate | Latin source |
| Frankish *bannjan, *bandjanPGmc *laibijaną + *af-PGmc *frasakaną PGmc *fralētanąPGmc *gebaną + *ūpPGmc *bilinnaną | abandonleaveforsakeforletgive upblin | relinquishabdicatedesertrenounce | relinquere < re- + linquereabdicāre < ab- + dicātusdēserere < dē- + serererenūntiāre < re- + nūntius |
| PGmc *akizFrankish *hūrtPGmc *smartōn-PGmc *waiPGmc *sairazPGmc *þrawōPGmc *warkiz | achehurtsmartwoesorethroewark | painagony | poena < Gk poinēL.L. agōnia < Gk agōniā |
| PGmc *lataz, *lētiz (Frankish *lat, *lēti)PGmc *trewwiþō | allegiancetroth | fidelityloyalty | fidēlitāslēgālis |
| PGmc *ana + *libąPGmc *kwikwaz | alivequick (living) | animate | animātus < animāre < anima |
| Old Norse angrPGmc *wraiþiþo | angerwrath | rageire | rabiēsīra |
| Frankish *raidjanPGmc *raihwazPGmc *hrengaz (Frankish *hring)PGmc *līnǭ + *ūpPGmc *sat-PGmc *hlutąPGmc *līstǭ | arrayrowrange, rankline, lineupsetlotlist | seriesordersequence | seriēs < serereordōL.L. sequentia < sequēns < sequī |
| Old English andswaru | answer | response | responsum |
| WGmc *aiskōnPGmc *frignanąPGmc *besōkijanąOld English bedecianPGmc *sōkijaną | askfrainbeseechbegseek | inquirerequest | in + quaererere + quaerere |
| PGmc *gawarazPGmc *ana + *breustąPGmc *ūp + *tō + *spōdiz | awareabreastup to speed (idiom, compound word) | cognizant | cognoscere |
| WGmc *bauknanFrankish *baukanOld Norse *flǫgra, flakkaFrankish *hariwaldFrankish *heribergaFrankish *witan | beaconbuoyflagheraldharbingerguide | signalindicator | signāleM.L. indicātor |
| PGmc *bi- + *furaiPGmc *bi- + *furai + *handuzPGmc *ana + *haubudą + *afPGmc *airiz | beforebeforehandahead ofere | priorprevious | priorprae- + via |
| PGmc *bi- + *hafjanąPGmc *beraną + *-ungaFrankish *stikkanFrankish *wīsaPGmc *wegaz | behaviourbearingetiquetteguiseway | actionattitudemannerconduct | āctiōL.L. aptitūdōV.L. *manuāria < L manuārius < manusM.L. conductus < L condūcere |
| PGmc *bi- + *haitanąPGmc *bidjaną + *-unga | behestbidding | commandorder | commandāreordō |
| PGmc *bī- + *hōfąPGmc *gagnizPGmc *fura- + *dailizPGmc *bōnizPGmc *blōdisōjaną + *-ungaPGmc *wela + *farō | behoofgainforedealboonblessingwelfare | advantagebenefit | abantaticumbenefactum |
| WGmc *bī- + *ginnanPGmc *sturtjaną | beginstart | commence | com + initiāre |
| PGmc *galaubjąPGmc *gamenþiją + *sat-PGmc *gōdaz + *spelląPGmc *trewwiþōPGmc *hlinunga | beliefmindsetgospeltruthleaning | creed | crēdere |
| PGmc *bilībanąPGmc *uz- + *bīdanąPGmc *terganąPGmc *stadiz | belive, belaveabidetarrystay | remain rest | re- + manere re- + stare |
| PGmc *balgizPGmc *medi- + *hrefizPGmc *wambō | bellymidriffwomb | abdomen | abdomen |
| Middle English bigge (< Old Norse?)PGmc *grautazPGmc *stōraz, stōrizPGmc *mikilazPGmc *haugaz (Frankish *houg) | biggreatstourmicklehuge | largegrand | larga < largusgrandis |
| PGmc *gaburþiz + *dagazPGmc *jērą + *tīdiz | birthdayyeartide | anniversary | s) anniversāria |
| PGmc *blīwąPGmc *hiwjąPGmc *daugōPGmc *skadwōPGmc *wlitiz | bleehuedyeshadelit | colour | AN colur < OF colour < L color < OL colos |
| PGmc *blōmôPGmc *blōsmazPGmc *buddǭ PGmc *burjô (Frankish *burjan) | bloomblossombudburgeon | flower | flor- < flos |
| PGmc *budagąPGmc *framojanąWGmc *makojaną + *ūpPGmc *līką | body, embodimentframemakeuplich | corpus, corpsecarcasscadaver | corpusM.L. carcosium, carcasium < ?cadāver |
| PGmc *brōþar | brotherly | fraternal | frāternus |
| Old English buddaOld English bitela | bugbeetle | insect | insectum |
| Old English byldanPGmc *raizijanąOld Norse reisa | buildrearraise | construct | cōnstruere < com + struere |
| Old English bysig + nissePGmc *under + *takanąPGmc *nutō | businessundertakingnote | affairenterprise | ad + facereFr. entre + prendre |
| PGmc *bugjanąOld English copian | buycop | purchase | pro- + V.L. *captiare |
| WGmc *kalbam | calf | veal | vitellus, vitulus |
| PGmc *kallōjaną + *-ungaMiddle English jobbePGmc *lība- + *werkąPGmc *lība- + *laidōPGmc *libēn- + *-unga | callingjoblifeworklivelihoodliving | careerprofessionvocationoccupationemployment | carrāria (via) < CelticM.L. professiōvocātiōoccupātiōimplicāre + -mentum |
| PGmc *kattuz | cat | felid, feline | fēlis |
| Frankish *gram, *grinjanPGmc *maganąPGmc *skamō | chagrindismayshame | displeasuredissatisfaction | dis- + L placēredis- + L satisfactiō |
| PGmc *skihaną (Middle High German schicken)PGmc *trandijanąPGmc *wagōną (Old Saxon wogōn)PGmc *dapraz (via Middle Dutch dapper)Middle English dasshen (< Danish daske)PGmc *swankianąPGmc *ūp + *tūnaz, *tūną | chictrendyin voguedapperdashingswankyuptown | elegantfashionablestylish | ēlegāns < ēlegerefactiō < facerestylus, stilus |
| PGmc *kelþazPGmc *barnąMiddle English babe + -yPGmc *kidją (via Old Norse kið)Middle English newborn | childbairnbabykidnewborn | infantneonate | īnfānsneonātus |
| PGmc *keusanąPGmc *pikkaną PGmc *walą (Old Norse val) | choosepickwale | optselect | optaresēlēctus < sēligere < sē- + legere |
| PGmc *karzjaną | chore | task | tasca |
| PGmc *kaldazPGmc *kaliz + *-igazPGmc *freusaną | coldchillyfreezing | frigid | frigidus |
| PGmc *kwemanąPGmc *landijanąPGmc *raikijanąPGmc *getanąWGmc *makōjan | comelandreachget tomake (to a place) | arrive | ad + ripa |
| PGmc *kūz PGmc *bulôPGmc *nautąPGmc *uhsôPGmc *steurazPGmc *wīsundaz (Old High German wisunt)Old High German ūrohso | cowbullneatoxsteerbisonaurochs | beefcattle | bōs/bovis V.L. capitale |
| PGmc *dagaz + *likaz | daily | diurnalquotidian | diurnalis |
| PGmc *daudaz + *likazPGmc *banô + *fullaz | deadlybaneful | mortalfatal | mortālisfatum |
| PGmc *dōmjanąFrankish *wardōnPGmc *haldanąPGmc *fōlijanąPGmc *bi- + *þankijaną | deemregardholdfeelbethink | judgeconsideresteem | iūdicāreconsīderāreaestimāre |
| PGmc *deuząPGmc *hirutazPGmc *dajjǭ (Old English dā)PGmc *hindōPGmc *staggijôPGmc *raihąPGmc *bukkaz | deerhartdoehindstagroebuck | venison | venātiō/nis |
| PGmc *gamainijazPGmc *bī- + *lūtilaz PGmc *putōną+ *dūn PGmc *lēgaz | demean, bemean belittleput downlower | debase, abasedegradehumiliate | bassus < Oscan or Celtic L.L. dēgradāre < dē- + gradus L.L. humiliātus < humiliāre < humilis |
| PGmc *dōnąPGmc *frumjaną, *framjanąPGmc *under + *takaną | doperformundertake | executedispatch | execūtāre < ex(s)equīO.Fr. despeechier < des- + L.L. -pedicāre |
| Old English docgaPGmc *hundaz | doghound | canid, canine | canis |
| PGmc *drunkizPGmc *sweljanąOld High German garo + ūzOld Norse ves + heillPGmc *sūpaną | drinkswillcarousewassailsup, sip | imbibebeverage | imbibere < in + bibere |
| PGmc *dūbǭ | dove | pigeonculver | pibionemcolumbula |
| PGmc *ernustuzPGmc *grimmazPGmc *sternijaz | earnestgrimstern | seriousgravesober | susgravissōbrius |