In Latin, as in other languages, little words can mean a lot. How can you make a point without being able to say, “I see your point, but . . .?” The short Latin words in the following table provide some crucial transition words:
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| et (eht), atque (uht-kweh), ac (ahk), que (kweh) | and |
| sed (sehd) | but |
| autem (ow-tehm) | however |
| aut (owt) | or |
| sive . . . sive (see-weh, see-weh) | whether . . . or |
| neque (neh-kweh), nec (nehk) | and not |
| ita (ee-tuh), sic (seek), tam (tuhm) | so |
| si (see) | if |
| nisi (nih-sih) | if . . . not |

