Blogum Primum

What is the Latin word for blog? Well, you will most certainly not find it in the Oxford Latin Dictionary. It might be blogum. Or blogus. Neutral is better than masculine, though. Other people suggested blogis, but since there is no definitive candidate for the word, I'll stick with blogum. Easier to decline as well, just remember the golden rule of neutrals.


In 2003, the Vatican published a two volume up-to-date Latin-Italian dictionary, with the intent of modernising a language that many consider dead or dusty at best. The Lexicon Recentis Latinitas contains words designating objects or actions the Romans wouldn't have dreamt about in their times. Here are some examples using English translations instead of Italian. It is easily noticeable that "modern" Latin is no longer a synthetic language, being impossible to express certain concepts in just one word.


barman - tabernae potóriae minister

basket-ball - follis canistrīque ludus

best seller - liber maxime divenditus

calculator - machínula calculatória detonator - apparatus displosīvus disco - taberna dischotecaria effervescent - bullans; fervens fifty-fifty - aequíssima partítio full time - munus pleni témporis gangster - gregalis latro gulag - campus captivis custodiendis horn - sonorus autocinēti index hostess - vectorum adiūtrix jazz - iazensis música jeans - bracae línteae caerúleae jeep - autocinētum locis iniquis aptum kamikaze - voluntárius sui interemptor lady - Ánglica múlier conspícua lasagna - láganum megalomania - effrenāta glóriae appeténtia minigolf - pilamálleus minūtus night-club - taberna nocturna nylon - matéria plástica nailonensis piano - clavicýmbalum (-i) picnic - cénula subdivālis pizza - placenta compressa popcorn - máizae grana tosta  pot-pourri - carnes oleraque vária punch - cálida alcohólica pótio radar - radioëléctricum instrumentum detectórium referendum - ad pópulum provocátio rugby - ludus follis ovāti safari - Africana venátio salami - tomáculum pretzel - crústulum sale condītum scotch - víschium Scóticum shampoo - capitilávium cigarette - fístula nicotiāna smog - fumus et nébula spray - liquor nubilógenus taxi - autocinētum meritórium traveller's cheque - mandatum nummárium periegéticum vodka - válida pótio Slávica week-end - éxiens hebdómada

selfishness - nímius amor sui

spaceship - navis sideralis

swimsuit - subligáculum balneare

travel agency - itínerum procuratrix (-trīcis)