+pingo+ +pictum+ _picture_ suggests _to paint_. +caveo+ +cautum+ _caution_ „ „ _beware_. +colo+ +cultum+ _culture_ „ „ _till_. +fallo+ +falsum+ _false_ „ „ _deceive_.
+5. Through French Derivatives.+--Sometimes, when you cannot think of an English derivative, a French word that you know will help you to the meaning of the Latin.
_L._ _F._ +pontem+ +pont+ suggests _bridge_. +gustum+ +goût+ „ _taste_. +prātum+ +pré+ „ _meadow_. +tālem+ +tel+ „ _such_. +bĭbĕre+ +boire+ „ _to drink_.
But, in order to make French derivatives a real help to you, you must know something of the origin of the French language and of the chief rules that govern the pronunciation (and therefore the spelling) of French. Without going too much into detail, it may help you to remember that--
(1) +French+ has taken many words from +colloquial Latin+, which in the days of Cicero was very different from classical Latin.
_Literary Latin._ _Popular Latin._ _French._
+equus+ +caballus+ +cheval+ _horse_. +pugna+ +batalia+ +bataille+ _battle_. +os+ +bucca+ +bouche+ _mouth_.
(2) +Unaccented+ syllables are usually dropped.
+cérv-um+ +cerf+ _stag_. +bonitátem+ +bonté+ _goodness_.
(3) The general tendency of French is towards smoothness and contraction.
_L._ _F._ +bestiam+ +bête+ _beast_. +fact-um+ +fait+ _deed_. +spiss-um+ +épais+ _thick_. +coll-um+ +cou+ _neck_.
In fact, bearing in mind the caution given you, it is an excellent rule to try to think out the meaning of the Latin by the help of English and French derivatives.
+6. Compound Words.+--When you come to a word which you cannot translate, and in regard to which English and French derivatives do not help you, +break up the word+, if a compound, into its simple elements of +Prefix+, +Stem+, +Suffix+. Then from the meaning of its root or stem and from the force of the prefix and suffix, and by the help of the context, try to arrive at an English word to suit the sense.
In order to be able to do this you should have some knowledge of--
(1) A few simple rules for the +vowel changes of verbs in composition+. Thus:
+a+ before two consonants (except +ng+) often changes to +e+.
_E.g._ s{ a}cr-o, con-s{ e}cr-o; d{ a}mn-o, con-d{ e}mn-o.
+a+ before one consonant and before +ng+ often changes to +i+.