List of common Latin inchoative verbs

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I. From adjectives or states

Inchoative Verb	Root / Adjective	Meaning	Literal Sense
arescō, arescere, aruī	areō (“be dry”)	to wither, dry up	begin to be dry
calescō, calescere, caluī	caleō (“be warm”)	to grow warm	begin to be warm
frigesco, frigesco, friguī	frigeō (“be cold”)	to grow cold	begin to be cold
albescō, albescere, albuī	albeō (“be white”)	to whiten, grow white	begin to be white
nigrescō, nigrescere, nigrī	niger (“black”)	to blacken	begin to be black
senescō, senescere, senuī	senex (“old”)	to grow old	begin to be old
liquescō, liquescere, liquī	liquēō (“be fluid”)	to melt, become fluid	begin to melt

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II. From action verbs

Inchoative Verb	Root Verb	Meaning	Literal Sense
obdormiscō, obdormiscere, obdormīvī	dormiō (“sleep”)	to fall asleep	begin to sleep
cognoscō, cognoscere, cognovī, cognitum	noscō (“know”)	to get to know	begin to know
incalescō, incalescere, incaluī	caleō (“be warm”)	to become hot, burn	begin to be hot
efflorescō, efflorescere, effloruī	flōreō (“bloom”)	to blossom out	begin to bloom
obdormiscō	(from dormio)	to fall asleep	begin to sleep
obdormiscō (appears often in Psalms)	same	to fall asleep	“begin to sleep”

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III. From other concrete or figurative ideas

Inchoative Verb	Root	Meaning	Example of Use
splendescō, splendescere	splendeō (“shine”)	to begin to shine	dies splendescit — “the day brightens”
tabescō, tabescere, tabuī	tabō (“melt, decay”)	to waste away	tabescit amore — “he wastes away with love”
inebrescō, inebrescere	ebrius (“drunk”)	to become drunk	inebrescere vino — “to grow drunk with wine”
stupescō, stupescere, stupuī	stupēō (“be amazed”)	to be astonished	“become stupefied”

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IV. Notes on Grammar

• Inchoatives are usually 3rd conjugation verbs (–ere).
• They often lack a perfect passive participle (since they’re intransitive).
• Their perfect tense is usually formed with –uī (e.g. calescō → caluī).
• Over time, the “begin to” sense sometimes faded into simple state (e.g. florescō “to flourish,” not just “begin to bloom”).

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Mnemonic

Latin verbs ending in –sco often mean “begin to” or “come to be.”

Calescō — grow warm,
Senescō — grow old,
Arescō — grow dry,
Obdormiscō — fall asleep.

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