Q 01/05

The word 'trivia' goes back to the Latin 'trivium', a public place where three of what met?

A) Rivers

B) Walls

C) Roads

D) Markets

Answer · why

C) Roads

Roads met at a trivium, from 'tri' (three) and 'via' (road). Because a crossroads was an open public place, the related word 'trivial' came to mean co...

Q 02/05

The English word 'muscle' comes from the Latin 'musculus', which literally means a little what?

A) Mouse

B) Frog

C) Fish

D) Snake

Answer · why

A) Mouse

Mouse is the root: 'musculus' is the diminutive of 'mus', because a flexed biceps was thought to resemble one. The shellfish 'mussel' takes its name f...

Q 03/05

Which tiny European state has bank cash machines that offer on-screen instructions in Latin?

A) San Marino

B) Liechtenstein

C) Andorra

D) Vatican City

Answer · why

D) Vatican City

Vatican City has them, at the Vatican Bank. The Holy See still issues most of its official documents with the authoritative version in Latin, while th...

Q 04/05

Which European carmaker's name is Latin for 'I roll', first registered in 1911 for ball bearings?

A) Audi

B) Volvo

C) Fiat

D) Skoda

Answer · why

B) Volvo

Volvo is the first-person form of the Latin verb 'volvere', to roll. The bearing maker SKF registered the name in 1911, and the first car to carry it ...

Q 05/05

The word 'salary' comes from 'salarium', a Roman allowance named in Latin after which commodity?

A) Salt

B) Grain

C) Silver

D) Wine

Answer · why

A) Salt

Salt, 'sal' in Latin, lies behind 'salarium'. The popular story that Roman legions were paid in it has no ancient support, but the same root did give ...