April 27 Latin into English. Preamble to US constitution. Homework April 26
There are 22 Latin roots in the preamble to the US Constitution. They are printed in italics below. Chose five of these words and look up their derivation (etymology online or good English dictionary), Bring your results to class.
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
1. people [< L populus, people]
2. united [< L unire, to unite < unus, one]
3. state [< L status, state < sisto, set up]
4. order [< L ordo, order]
5. form [< L forma, form]
6. perfect [< L perficere, to accomplish]
7. union [< L unus, one ]
8. establish [< L stabilire, to make firm <stabilis,firm < stare, to stand]
9. justice [< L iustitia, justictice <iuistus, just <ius, right]
10. insure [sure< L securus, carefree]
11. domestic [< L domesticus, domestic < domus, home]
12. tranquility [< L tranquillitas, a calm]
13. provide [< L providere, to foresee]
14. common [< L communis, shared]
15. defense [< L defendere, to defend]
16. promote [< L promovere, to move forward
17. general [< L generalis, general< genus, class]
18. secure [< L securus, carefree]
19. liberty [< L libertas, freedom]
20. posterity [< L posterus, future]
21. ordain [< L ordinare, set in order]
22. establish [See above, no. 8.]
23. constitution [< L constituere, to establish]
24. united [See above, no. 2 .]
25. states [See above, no. 3.]
