1. In linguistics:
* A core part of a word: A stem is the basic form of a word to which prefixes and suffixes can be added. It usually carries the primary meaning of the word. For example, in the Latin word "amāre" (to love), "am-" is the stem.
* A part of a word that can be combined with different suffixes: Latin stems can be combined with various suffixes to create different forms of the same word. For example, "am-" can be combined with "-āre" (to love), "-ātus" (loved), "-ātio" (act of loving), etc.
* A part of a word that can be combined with other words: Latin stems can be combined with other words to form compound words. For example, "am-" can be combined with "ictus" (struck) to form "amictus" (garment).
2. In etymology:
* The source of a word in another language: Many words in English and other European languages have roots in Latin. The Latin stem is the part of the word that is the source of the English word. For example, the Latin stem "am-" is the source of the English word "amable".
3. In grammar:
* The part of a verb that is conjugated: The stem is the part of the verb that changes form to indicate tense, person, and number. For example, the Latin verb "amāre" (to love) has the stem "am-", which can be conjugated to form different forms: "amō" (I love), "amās" (you love), "amant" (they love), etc.
Examples:
* Latin stem "am-": This stem can be used to form words like "amāre" (to love), "amātus" (loved), "amīcus" (friend), "amābilis" (loveable), "amītia" (friendship).
* Latin stem "scrib-": This stem can be used to form words like "scribere" (to write), "scriptum" (written), "scriptor" (writer), "scribāre" (to copy), "scriptūra" (writing).
In summary, a Latin stem is a crucial part of understanding Latin language and etymology. It helps in understanding the meaning of words and their relation to other words.