home milestones sources gallery word parts word parts comparisons First stage: the Roman occupation
The everyday use of Latin in Britain probably ended soon after the Romans left in about 400 AD. We know of only a few Latin words which survive in English from this period:
  • place names which end in
    -chester, which come from the Latin word for camp
  • port (harbor, gate)
  • munt (mountain)
  • wic (village)
  • street (street)

    Second stage: the Germanic invasion
    The Anglii had learned other Latin words from their encounters with the Romans in northern Europe. The Latin words they brought to Britain included--

  • words related to war (wall, pit, sign)
  • words related to trade (wine, cheap, pound, flask)
  • words of domestic life (kettle, cup, cheese, butter, linen)

    Third stage: arrival of the missionaries
    By far, the Latin of Christian missionaries had the greatest effect on Old English. New words after 600 AD described--

  • religion and the church (shrine, altar, candle, deacon, temple)
  • education and learning (verse, school, master, plant)
  • clothing and household items (cook, pear, sock, chest, purple)