innate - in one since birth, inborn: Students would be well advised to discover their innate strengths and to choose courses that build upon these skills. Also: innateness. [innascor, innasci, innatus sum - to be born in] 

nascent - coming into being, beginning to exist or develop: Is it not the duty of the free world to help nascent democracies succeed so that they do not regress into absolutism? Also: nascence, nascency.

renaissance - a revival of activity or interest, especially in art or learning: It seem there is a renaissance of sentence diagramming in the United States. [natalicia, nataliciae, f. - birthday party; natalicius, natalicia, natalicium - pertaining to the time of bith; natalis, natale - of or pertaining to birth, natal; renascor, renasci, renatus sum - to be born again]

naive - 1) unaffectedly simple; not sophisticated; 2) lacking experience, judgment, or knowledge: In high school he was so naive that he believed almost anything said by a priest or a nun. Also: naiveness, naiveté (unaffected simplicity).

natant - swimming; floating: People, ducks, and other natant creatures dotted the lake on a hot summer afternoon. Also: natation, natational, natator, natatorial (having to do with swimming), natatorium (indoor swimming pool), natatory (natatorial). [natatio, natationis, f. - swimming; natator, natatoris, m. - swimmer]

naturalism - in literature, the faithful adherence to nature, without avoiding what may be regarded as repulsive: Naturalism, an extreme form of realism, is represented in France by Émile Zola, in Germany by Gerhart Hauptmann, and in the United States by Theodore Dreiser. Also: naturalistic (of or characterized by naturalism). [naturalis, naturale - natural] 

naturalist - 1) a person who studies nature: A dyed-in-the-wool naturalist, she likes nothing better than camping for weeks in remote mountains or deserts. 2) an advocate of naturalism in literature and art. [naturalis, cf. naturalism] 

naturalize - 1) to confer the rights of citizenship upon: Several of our neighbors are naturalized citizens. 2) to adopt a foreign word, phrase, or custom; 3) to introduce foreign plants or animals and cause them to flourish. Also: naturalization. 

nautical - having to do with sailors, ships, or navigation: A nautical mile, whose length equals one minute of a great circle of the earth, is ca. 6076 ft., i.e., about 796 ft. longer than an ordinary mile. Also: nauticality. [nauticus, nautica, nauticum - pertaining to a sailor, nautical]. 

circumnavigate - to sail around: Magellan, known by schoolchildren as the first person to circumnavigate the earth, actually did not complete the trip; he was killed while fighting in the Philippines. Also: circumnavigable, circumnavigation, circumnavigator, circumnavigatory. [circum (prep. w/ acc.) - around] 

nefarious - extremely wicked, atrocious, heinous: In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Macbeth’s nefarious deeds are, in the end, requited by the aggrieved Macduff. Also: nefariousness. [nefas, indecl. n. - something contrary to divine command, a sin, a crime; nefastus, nefasta, nefastum - forbidden, unholy, sinful] 

abnegation - self-denial; renunciation: Abnegation for its own sake seems silly; should it not be a means to an end? Also: abnegate (to renounce; to relinquish), abnegator. [abnego, abnegare, abnegavi, abnegatus - to refuse; to deny] 

nepotism - favoritism shown to one’s relatives, especially in business and political appointments: To avoid the appearance of nepotism, many businesses do not hire close relatives of current employees. Also: nepotic, nepotist, nepotistic, nepotistical. [neptis, neptis, f. - granddaughter]

nescience - ignorance: In legal matters, voluntary nescience is inexcusable. Also: nescient (not knowing; ignorant). 

neutrality - the quality or state of not taking part in either side of a dispute or of a war: During World Wars I and II, Switzerland maintained the neutrality that it had established in the 16th century. Also: neutralism, neutralist. [neutralis, neutrale - (grammatically) neuter] 

neutralize - 1) to render ineffective by some opposite force: The defense hoped to neutralize the adverse testimony by attacking the credibility of the witness. 2) to make neutral (having no allegiances in time of war). [neutralis, cf. neutrality] 

denigrate - to blacken the reputation of, disparage, defame: To denigrate another person in order to aggrandize oneself is both small-minded and ineffectual. Also: denigration, denigrative (denigrating), denigrator, denigratory (denigrative). [nigro, nigrare, nigravi, nigratus - to be black] 

nihilism - denial of an objective basis for knowledge; rejection of all established laws and traditional beliefs; total disbelief: Pure nihilism cannot exist because its advocates, having no basis for doing or not doing anything, would constantly have as much reason to choose to die as to live. Also: nihilist (one who professes nihilism), nihilistic. 

nival - of or growing in snow: In the spring, small nival flowers, perhaps called gentians, emerge in full bloom from the melting snow of Alpine meadows. Also: niveous (resembling snow, snowlike). [ningo, ningere, ninxi - to snow; ningues, ninguium, f. pl. - snow; nivalis, nivale - snowy; nivatus, nivata, nivatum - cooled with snow; niveus, nivea, niveum - snowy; nivosus, nivosa, nivosum - full of snow]

ignoble - 1) dishonorable; mean; base: Many an ignoble intention has been thwarted by the lack of opportunity. 2) of the common people. Also: ignobility, ignobleness. [ignobilis, ignobile - unknown; of low birth; ignobilitas, ignobilitatis, f. - obscurity; low birth] 

innocuous - 1) harmless; 2) not offensive: She no longer considers fairy tales innocuous; instead she condemns them as purveyors of violence, injustice, and prejudice. Also: innocuousness, innocuity. [innocuus, innocua, innocuum - harmless] 

nocent - harmful, injurious: If every nocent action were punishable by imprisonment, we would all be in jail. [nocens, nocentis - hurtful, harmful, injurious; nocivus, nociva, nocivum - hurtful, injurious]

noxious - harmful physically or morally: The residents complained about noxious fumes emanating from the landfill across the river. Also: noxiousness. [noxius, noxia, noxium - harmful] 

denomination - name of a class of things, e.g., coins, religious groups: Please separate the coins according to denomination, and place them in the appropriate holders. Also: denominate (to give a specific name to), denominational (having to do with religious denominations), denominationalism (a sectarian spirit), denominationalist, nondenominational, undenominational. [nominatio, nominationis, f. - nomination; nomino, nominare, nominavi, nominatus - to gave a name to] 

denominative - word, usually a verb, formed from a noun or adjective: People who are disturbed by recent denominatives like "to access" may scarcely notice older ones like "to eye" or "to center." [nomino, cf. denomination] 

ignominy - 1) loss of reputation; disgrace: Having plunged from the pinnacle of respectability to the depths of ignominy, he resigned his office and went into seclusion. 2) shameful action. Also: ignominious (disgraceful; contemptible), ignominiousness. [ignominia, ignominiae, f. - disgrace, dishonor; ignominiosus, ignominiosa, ignominiosum - disgraced; disgraceful] 

misnomer - a name that describes someone or something incorrectly: "'Green River' is a misnomer if ever I've  heard one," she said; "this water is brown." 

nomenclature - set of names used in a specific discipline: Unfamiliarity with the nomenclature precludes success in a course like biology. [nomenclator, nomenclatoris, m. - one who announces names] 

nominal - 1) in name only: Frank is the nominal head of the society, but his sister Katie is the person everyone looks to for leadership. 2) having to do with a name or names; 3) having to do with a noun or nouns. Also: nominalism (the philosophical doctrine that universal and abstract words do not represent anything real), nominalist, nominalistic. 

nonentity - 1) a person or thing of little or no importance: When her fortune had been squandered away by her ungrateful family, she became a nonentity and longed for a way to leave. 2) something that does not exist or exists only in the mind. Also: entity (something that has real and individual existence; being, existence), entitative. [sum, esse, fui, futurus (pres. act. partic.: ens, entis) - to be]

cognition - 1) the process of knowing; 2) knowledge: To what extent do we humans depend on our five senses for cognition? Also: cognitional, cognitive (having to do with cognition), cognitivity. [cognosco, cognoscere, cognovi, cognitus - learn, recognize; perf.: know, understand] 

cognizant - aware or informed (of something): You can rest assured that the commander is cognizant of the latest enemy deployments and will take steps to neutralize them. Also: cognizance (knowledge; perception), cognizable (able to be known or perceived), cognize (to take cognizance of; perceive), cognoscente (a person who is well informed in some field; connoisseur), incognizant, incognizance. [cognosco, cf. cognition] 

incognito - with true identity disguised: His popularity had become burdensome to him; as a result, he often went into public places incognito. [incognitus, incognita, incognitum - unknown] 

notorious - 1) having a bad reputation; well-known because of something bad: Three failed marriages had been enough to make her notorious in the small town that she called home. 2) well-known. Also: notoriety (the quality or state of being notorious), notoriousness. 

innovate - to bring in new ways of doing something: Her value to this company lies for the most part in her extraordinary ability to innovate. Also: innovation, innovative, innovativeness, innovator, innovatory. [innovo, innovare, innovavi, innovatus - to renew] 

novel - (adj.) new and unusual: Her creativity is particularly evident in her ability to come up with novel approaches to old problems. Also: novelty (the quality of being novel; something novel). [novellus, novella, novellum - fresh, young] 

novice - beginner; amateur: He may be an accomplished mathematician, but in philosophy he is apparently still a novice. Also: novitiate (the period or state of being a beginner), novicelike. [novicius, novicia, novicium - new; newly arrived; newly enslaved] 

noctambulist - sleepwalker, somnambulist: Only a few noctambulists actually walk about; most stay in or near their beds. Also: noctambulant, noctambulation, noctambulous, noctambulistic, noctambulism (sleepwalking, somnambulism). [ambulo, ambulare, ambulavi, ambulatus - to walk, go for a walk] 

noctilucent - shining in the night: It was a perfect summer night: a cool breeze was blowing and a few noctilucent clouds stretched across the western sky. Also: noctilucence. [lux, lucis, f. - light] 

nocturnal - 1) done at night; 2) active during the night: Because of the extreme heat of the day, many desert animals are nocturnal. Also: nocturnality. [nocturnus, nocturna, nocturnum - by night, nocturnal] 

nocturne - a dreamy musical piece appropriate to night: For the piano competition, she played Chopin's "Nocturne in C sharp minor." 2) a painting of a night scene. 

nubile - 1) marriageable (said of a young woman); 2) sexually attractive (said of a young woman): His passion abated but his love for his wife grew stronger as the years passed and her once nubile limbs became wrinkled. Also: nubility, nuptial. [nubo, nubere, nupsi, nuptus - to marry, wed]

nuptial -1) of or pertaining to marriage: Nuptial pleasure is not absolute; it must be tempered by responsibility. 2) of or pertaining to the mating of animals. Also: nubile, nubility. [nubilis, nubile - marriageable]

annul - to render invalid; cancel: The marriage was annulled on the grounds that one of the parties had not intended to enter a binding relationship. Also: annulable, annulment. 

null - 1) without legal force: The judge declared the contract to be null and void. 2) of no value or significance. Also: nullity (nothingness; the state of being null). 

nullify - 1) to make valueless; to bring to nothing: The intolerant outbursts of the leaders nullified the month-long efforts of subordinate officials to reach an amicable settlement. 2) to annul. Also: nullification (a nullifying or being nullified), nullifier. 

numinous - spiritual; supernatural; divine: Some people think that religious apparitions are numinous phenomena, others that they are psychic events akin to hallucinations. Also: numen (a spirit, deity)

numerology - a pseudoscience that claims to be able to predict the future by means of numbers: In desperate times some people turn to astrology and numerology for enlightenment. Also: numerological, numerologist. 

enumerate - 1) to name one by one: Unconvinced that the speaker had researched his topic extensively, someone in the audience asked him to enumerate his principal sources. 2) to determine the number of. Also: enumerable, enumeration, enumerative (having to do with enumeration), enumerator. [enumero, enumerare, enumeravi, enumeratus - to count up, enumerate] 

supernumerary - in theater, a person with a non-speaking part: The famous Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, lasts eight hours and includes hundreds of supernumeraries. [super (adv.; prep. w/ acc.) - over, above] 

nummular - 1) pertaining to coins or money; 2) having the shape of a coin: Shroud of Turin enthusiasts claim that one can see nummular objects over the eyes of the image on the cloth, which upon closer examination reveal themselves to be Roman coins; skeptics accuse them of seeing what they want to see. Also: nummary (of or pertaining to coins or money). [nummarius, nummaria, nummarium - of or pertaining to money; nummatus, nummata, nummatum - rich, wealthy; nummularius, nummulari, m. - money-changer]

Annunciation - the angel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she was to give birth to Jesus: The feast of the Annunciation is celebrated on March 25. [adnuntio, adnuntiare, adnuntiavi, adnuntiatus - to announce] 

denounce - 1) to accuse publicly; 2) to condemn strongly: Several hitherto neutral countries denounced the treaty as inimical to the cause of world peace. Also: denouncement, denouncer, denunciate (denounce), denunciable, denenciation, denunciator, denunciatory (characterized by denunciation), denunciative. [denuntio, denuntiare, denuntiavi, denuntiatus - to announce; to denounce; to threaten; denuntiatio, denuntiationis, f. - announcement; threat] 

renunciation - a giving up the right to a claim, a title, etc.: There was confusion among the royalty following the renunciation of the throne by the crown prince. Also: renounce (to give up the right to), renounceable, renouncement,  renouncer, renunciative, renunciatory. [renuntiatio, renuntiationis, f. - proclamation; renuntio, renuntiare, renuntiavi, renuntiatus - to proclaim; to retract] 

nuncio - prelate assigned by the pope to represent him in a foreign country: The Vatican yesterday withdrew its nuncio in protest of widespread acts of violence towards clerics. 

nutrio, nutrire, nutrivi, nutritus - to nourish, feed; to rear

nutriment - anything ingested by a living organism that serves to sustain it; anything that nourishes; food: The human fetus derives its nutriments from the blood of its mother. Also: nutrimental, nutrition, nutritional, nutritionary, nutritionist, nutritious, nutritiousness, nutritive, nutritiveness. [nutrimen, nutriminis, n. - nourishment; nutrimentum, nutrimenti, n. - nourishment]

Moutoux, Latin Derivatives