NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 1
Core Basic Vocabulary List
(Fourth Edition, 2024)
Purpose: This is an attempt to provide a comprehensive and fair list for all 1 st year
players. As the methods of Latin instruction have diverged over the years
into those that use the traditional approach and those that use the reading
approach, much of the vocabulary used in the various courses has diverged
as well. This list contains most of the important vocabulary words from
the popular textbooks.
Much, if not most, of the vocabulary in the language questions will come
from this list. Thus, learning these words is not only educational but an
excellent first step in preparing for the NJCL Certamen contest.
Method: Vocabulary from all the popular textbooks was first compiled into a bulk
list. These words were then given a rank based upon their frequency.
Those that are found in most of the books were automatically included in
the final list. Those words that are only found in one textbook, with few
exceptions, were eliminated. Finally, a committee went through the words
that are found in just a couple of textbooks on a word by word basis and
decisions were made about each one. For those interested, the original
bulk list can be also be downloaded from the Certamen section of
www.njcl.org.
Notes: In addition to this list, students should also be aware of the basic
vocabulary from Roman mythology, history, and daily life. This includes
such items as the names of the important gods and goddesses, rooms in
Roman houses and baths, the cursus honōrum, and basic colors.
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 2
Unde? quod (because)
sed
Prepositions ubi
ā, ab Cardinal Numbers
ad (From 1 to 100 & mille)
ante
apud ūnus
Pronouns circum duo
contrā trēs
Ego, mihi cum quattuor
tū dē quīnque
nōs ē, ex sex
vōs extrā septem
suī, sibi, sē, sē in octo
hic, haec, hoc inter novem
ille, illa, illud intrā decem
ipse, ipsa, ipsum iuxtā undecim
is, ea, id per duodecim
quī, quae, quod post tredecim
prō quattuordecim
Interjections prope quīndecim
sine sēdecim
Ecce! sub septendecim
Ēheu! super duodēvīgintī
Etiam! suprā undēvīgintī
Euge! trāns vīgintī
Ita (vērō)! vīgintī et ūnus
Minimē! Conjunctions vīgintī et duo
… centum
Interrogatives atque / ac mīlle
aut
Cūr? autem Ordinal Numbers
-ne (enclitic) cum (when)
Nōnne? dum prīmus
Num? enim secundus
Quālis? et (et…et) tertius
Quandō? igitur quārtus
Quid? nam quīntus
Quis? neque / nec sextus
Quō? (to where) neque…neque septimus
Quōmodo? postquam octāvus
Quot? quamquam nōnus
Quotus? -que (enclitic) decimus
Ubi?
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 3
dūcō servō
excitō significō
faciō (quid significat?)
festīnō spectō
fugiō stō
gerō sum
habeō sūmō
Primary Basic superō
habitō
Verbs surgō
(Players will be expected iaceō
to thoroughly know iaciō tangō
these.) temptō
inquit
intellegō teneō
accidō terreō
intrō
accūsō timeō
iubeō
adiuvō trahō
labōrō
aedificō Valē! Valēte!
lacrimō
agō veniō
laudō
ambulō videō
lavō
amō vincō
legō
aperiō vīvō
līberō
audiō vocō
lūdō
bibō vulnerō
maneō
cadō
mittō
cantō
moveō
capiō
nārrō
cēlō
nāvigō
cēnō
nōlō
clāmō
(nōlī, -īte)
claudō
ostendō
cognōscō
parō
cōnspiciō
petō
cōnstituō
pōnō
cōnsūmō
portō
coquō
possum
cupiō
pugnō
cūrō
relinquō
currō
respondeō
dēbeō
rīdeō
dēlectō
rogō
(dē)mōnstrō
salūtō
dēscendō
Salvē! Salvēte!
dīcō
sciō
discēdō
scrībō
dō
sedeō
doceō
sentiō
dormiō
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 4
familia nauta terra
fēmina nāvis toga
fīlia negōtium urbs
fīlius nēmō uxor
fīnis nihil verbum
flūmen nōmen via
fortūna nox victor
Primary Basic
forum numerus victōria
Nouns
(Players will be expected frāter nūntius vīlla
to thoroughly know gaudium oculus vīnum
these.)
gladius oppidum vir
ager grātiae (pl.) ōrātiō vīs
agricola homō ordō vīta
amīcus hōra parēns vōx
animal hostis pars vulnus
animus imperātor pater
annus imperium patria
aqua inimīcus pāx
arbor īnsula pecūnia
arma, -ōrum iter perīculum
ars labor pēs
ātrium leō pictūra
auxilium lēx poēta
bellum liber pōns
caelum līberī, -ōrum porta
canis lībertās praemium
caput lingua praesidium
castra, -ōrum littera prīnceps
causa locus proelium
cēna lūdus puella
cibus lupus puer
cīvis lūx pugna
cīvitās magister rēgīna
clāmor magistra rēs
cognōmen manus rēx
cōnsilium mare saxum
corpus marītus schola
dea māter signum
deus medicus silva
diēs memoria somnus
discipulus mīles soror
domus mōns statua
dux mors stola
epistula mulier taberna
equus multitudō templum
fābula mūrus tempus
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 5
hauriō vēndō
iaciō (compounds) veniō (compounds)
incipiō verberō
incitō vertō (+ compounds)
induō vexō
īnspiciō vīsitō
Secondary
interficiō vituperō
Basic Verbs
lātrō vocō (compounds)
licet volō, velle
Age! Agite!
mittō (compounds) (nōlō & mālō)
appellō, -āre
moneō volō, -āre
appropinquō
moveō (compounds)
ardeō
mūtō
ascendō
necō
cadō (compounds)
neglegō
canō
nesciō
capiō (compounds)
numerō
caveō
nūntiō
cēdō (+ compounds)
occurrō
celebrō
opprimō
cōgō
parō (compounds)
colō
pellō (+ compounds)
comparō
pereō
cōnsīdō
persuādeō
contendō
placeō
crēdō
plaudō
custodiō
pōnō (compounds)
dēfendō
pulsō
dēleō
pūniō
(dē)vorō
putō
dīcō (compounds)
quaerō
discō
rapiō
dō (compounds)
recitō
doleō
regō
dūcō (compounds)
saliō
emō
soleō
eō (+ compounds)
spectō (compounds)
errō
spērō
exerceō
spīrō
explicō
studeō
faciō (compounds)
sum (compounds)
faveō
sūmō (compounds)
ferō
taceō
fluō
teneō (compounds)
frangō
tollō
fugiō (compounds)
valeō
haereō
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 6
dictātor nēmō tunica
digitus nūbēs turba
dīligentia ōrātor umbra
dōnum odium unda
elephantus ōtium ventus
eques pānis vēr
exemplum patrōnus vestis
exercitus persōna viātor
Secondary
fāma pōculum virgō
Basic Nouns
ferrum poena virtūs
flamma pompa
aedificium
flōs pontifex
aestās
frūmentum populus
amīcitia
fuga portus
amor
fūmus potestās
amphitheātrum
fūr pretium
aquaeductus
gēns prōvincia
architectus
genus prūdentia
arcus
gladiātor rēgnum
arēna
glōria rēs pūblica
argentum
herba sacrificium
athlēta
hiems salūs
audācia
honor sanguis
aurīga
hortus sapientia
aurum
hospes scientia
autumnus
impetus sella
barbarus
iānua senātor
beneficium
ignis senātus
campus
incendium senex
carmen
īnfāns sententia
casa
initium sepulcrum
castra (-ōrum)
iniūria socius
celeritās
īra sōl
certāmen
iūdex somnium
cēra
iūs sonus
cliēns
iuvenis spectāculum
copia / copiae
lacrima spectātor
coquus
laetitia spēs
cornū
lectus stēlla
corōna
lūna stilus
cubiculum
mēnsa tablīnum
culīna
mēnsis tabula
cupiditās
mercātor tempestās
cūra
merīdiēs theātrum
currus
modus timor
custōs
nātūra tumultus
dēnārius
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 7
lentus vīvus
levis
līber
longus
magnificus
magnus
malus
Primary Basic
medius
Adjectives Secondary
meus
Basic
miser
ācer Adjectives
mortuus
aeger
multus
aequus albus
necesse
alius angustus
nōbilis
alter ānxius
noster
altus āter
nōtus
amīcus audāx
novus
antīquus aureus
nūllus
attonitus candidus
omnis
barbarus cēterī (pl. only)
parātus
benignus clārus
parvus
bonus commodus
paucī (pl. only)
brevis dissimilis
pauper
cārus frāctus
(per)territus
celer immortālis
plēnus
certus incertus
potēns
commōtus īnsānus
pulcher
crūdēlis intentus
reliquus
(dē)fessus mīrābilis
rūsticus
dexter pār
sacer
difficilis perīculōsus
satis
dīligēns plūs (pl. plūrēs)
senex
dīves prūdēns
similis
dulcis
sinister sānus
facilis
sollicitus scelestus
fēlīx
sōlus sevērus
ferōx
sordidus superbus
fortis
stultus tacitus
fortūnātus
suus tantus
gravis
timidus tardus
ignāvus
tōtus terribilis
īnfēlīx
tuus trīstis
ingēns
ūllus uter
invītus
vehemēns vacuus
īrātus
vērus
laetus
vester
lātus
NJCL Certamen – Core Basic Vocabulary – page 8
semper
statim
subitō
tamen
tandem
tantum
tum
Core Basic Core Basic Core Basic
ubi
Adverbs Animals Body Parts
ubīque
umquam
anteā agnus auris
unde
bene ariēs bracchium
valdē
clam asinus capillus
vix
cotīdiē avis caput
crās bōs cerebrum
deinde canis collum
dēnique cervus cor
diū cunīculus crūs
etiam delphīnus cutis
fortasse elephantus dēns
frūstrā equus digitus
heri fēlēs faciēs
hīc gallus frōns
hodie leō gena
iam lepus genū
ibi lupa lingua
intereā lupus manus
interim mūlus mēns
ita mūs nāsus
itaque orca oculus
iterum ovis ōs, ōris
māne piscis os, ossis
mox porcus pēs
nōn pullus pollex
numquam serpēns pulmō
nunc taurus sanguis
ōlim testūdō supercilium
paene tigris tergum
paulisper ursa truncus
posteā ursus umerus
postrīdiē vacca unguis
prīmum vēna
prope
quam (how)
quam (than)
quoque
saepe
