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Catholic Trivia:
Latin LingoLatin in the traditional language of the Catholic Church ... so it stands to reason that a lot of religious words we use come from Latin. Some examples:
Pagan: From paganus, the Latin word for "peasant," a tiller of the soil. (Peasants, who lived out in the countryside, were among the last classes of people to convert to Christianity.) Mass: The name is believed to come from the phrase that ended the Latin Mass: Ite, missa est, which means, "Go, you are dismissed." Profanity: From pro and fanum, which mean "outside the temple," or "unholy." Fanatic: Also from the Latin word fanum; originally meant "inspired by God." Infidel: From infidelis, which means "having no faith." Sacred: From sacer, the Latin word for "set apart." ("Sacrifice" has the same root.) Crucify: From crux and figo, the Latin words for "cross" and "affix." Cloister: From claustrum, which means "enclosed space." ("Claustrophobia" has the same root.) Genuflect: From the Latin words genu, meaning "knee," and flectere, "to bend." Morals: From mores, the Latin word for "customs." Nun: From nonna, the word for "child's nurse." Rosary: From rosarium, which means "rose garden." Pulpit: From pulpitum, the Latin word for "platform." Friar: From frater, the Latin word for "brother."
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