mūtor
To say "to change" in the sense of "to become different", Latin uses the passive of mūtō: mūtor, "I change", infinitive mūtārī.
The active mūtō means "to change something", as in sententiam mūtō, "I change my mind". The passive mūtor is used when the thing itself changes.
Meaning: to become something different (verb)
Which one should you use?
cambiō is a late Latin word for "to exchange, barter". It is the ancestor of Italian cambiare, but it is not the ordinary Latin verb for change.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
MOO-tor
Did you know?
- The saying Tempora mūtantur, nōs et mūtāmur in illīs sounds classical, but it is first recorded in the sixteenth century.
- English "mutate" and "mutual" both come from the family of mūtō.
Examples in context
- Cras mutatus eroI will be different tomorrow
- Tempora mūtantur, nōs et mūtāmur in illīs.Times change, and we change with them.
- Caelum subitō mūtātur.The sky suddenly changes.
Example conversation
Two friends meet after many years.
- JuliaMarce, tū nōn mūtātus es!Marcus, you have not changed!
- QuintusEt tū, Lūcia, eadem es.And you, Lucia, are the same.
- JuliaSed urbs multum mūtāta est.But the city has changed a lot.
- QuintusVērum est. Omnia mūtantur.That is true. Everything changes.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “change” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
