English → Latin
“emotion” in Latin
commōtiōmotion, movement; agitation, commotionperturbātiōconfusion; disturbance, disorder; commotionimpetusan attack, an assault, a charge; a rapid motion; impulse, vehemence, ardor, passionvolōto wish, to please; to want; to mean, to intendafficiōto cause someone to experience something; to visit, inflict, bestow; to treat, manage, handle; to influence, have an eff
The English word emotion itself goes back to Latin moveō, through ēmōtus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
emotion
animi motus, commotio, permotio (any emotion of the mind; the last Cic., Acad., 2, 44, 135): animi concitatio, perturbatio (a vehement emotion): animi ardor, impetus (excited vehemence; also in speaking): vis: vis atque incitatio: impetus: cursus incitatior (opposed to moderata ingressio: expression of emotion in a speech): cf., (animi) affectus in the best prose is only “slate of mind;” but in Quint., = πάθος; animi affectio = a (generally temporary) state of mind. For the purpose of exciting emotion, permotionis causa (Cic.): to be carried away by a violent emotion, commoveri magna animi perturbatione: to kindle emotions, animi motus inflammare (opposed to exstinguere): to restrain vehement emotions, animi motus turbatos cohibere: to be labouring under emotion, inflammari; incendi; efferri; incitari; effert me quidam animi motus: to excite emotion, incitare, incendere, inflammare. To speak with emotiont, *cum impetu or vehementius dicere; oratio alicujus incitatius fertur: to speak without any emotion, summisse dicere. Without emotion, lente; placide; sedato animo. Full of emotion, animo commotus: incitatus: fervidus. To utter anything with great emotion and vehement action, pronunciare aliquid ardenti motu gestuque.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for emotion?
- The usual Latin words for “emotion” are commōtiō, perturbātiō, impetus; also volō, afficiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.