English → Latin
“period” in Latin
tempusa time (a portion or period of time); time; the kairos, right time, due season, due time, proper time, appointed time, oaetāsthe period of a life: lifetime, lifespan; time of life, period or stage of life, age; an undefined, relatively long peritempestāsportion, point, or space of time; time, season, period; weather (good or bad); storm, tempest, galeperiodusa complete sentence; period; the circuit of the four Grecian gamesverbumword; proverb, saying; verbcomplexiōcombination, connection, association; dilemma; complexion, constitutionambitusa going around, walking around; circuit; orbit, revolution, cyclecomprehēnsiōa seizing, taking hold of, catching; arrest, apprehension; a comprehension, perception, idea, understanding; an expressicōnstrūctiōThe act of putting, placing or joining together.; A building, construction.; A grammatical connection; construction.
The English word period itself goes back to Latin periodus.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
period
Space of time, spatium temporis; tempus, (plur.) tempora; aetas (age): tempestas (a space of time with its characteristic distinctions, a period marked by its history): ☞ aera in this sense is very low Latin; periodus is without authority: no period of my life, nullum aetatis meae tempus.
End, Vid:
Sentence, orbis orationis or verborum; circuitus orationis; verborum circuitus, complexio, ambitus, comprehensio; (The words are found in this connection and order.) comprehensio et ambitus verborum; verborum continuatio, constructio; conversio orationis (Cic.), or simply, ambitus, circuitus, comprehensio, circumscriptio, continuatio (Vid: Cic., Brut., 44, 162; id. Or., 61, 204; ☞ periodus in this sense is not strictly a Latin word; Cic. gives ambitus, circuitio, etc., adding once quem Graeci περίοδον, etc. in Greek characters, once si sic periodum appellari placet; and so Quint., Inst., 9, 4, 14; but it has been commonly employed in this sense by modern writers; and sometimes, for perspicuity, it may be necessary to adopt it): well-constructed periods, arguti, certique et circumscripti verborum ambitus (Cic., Or., 12, 138): a complete period, comprehensio plena (ib.): a short period, brevis comprehensio et ambitus verborum (Cic., Brut., 44, 162): too long a period, nimis longa sententiarum continuatio (Cic., De Or., 3, 13, 49): avoid long periods, fugere oportet longam verborum continuationem (Auct., ad Her., 4, 12, 18): a neat and well-rounded period, apta et quasi rotunda verborum constructio (Cic., Brut., 78, 272); forma concinnitasque verborum facit orbem suum (Cic., Or., 44, 149; the period is well rounded).
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for period?
- The usual Latin words for “period” are tempus, aetās, tempestās; also periodus, verbum, complexiō. 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.