A Selection of Latin Roots and Greek Roots, Combining Forms, Words, and Prefixes

an etymological means of acquiring an adequate vocabulary Strathnaver Books

1994

Copyright©1994 by Tammy McQuoid

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the author.

IntroductionWhy I compiled this list: When in high school, I took a vocabulary class based on Greek and Latin roots. Upon reaching college and being enrolled in a Freshman composition class, I started taking the weekly vocabulary tests. I found, much to my amazement and delight, that I didn't have to study for those tests that were based on Greek and Latin roots. For me, that showed the value of my high school course. Now that our family is homeschooling, I feel that our children would benefit from learning this information. What I wanted was a very thorough alphabetical list (not a workbook) of combining forms, roots, and prefixes that differentiated between Greek and Latin all in one book. I wanted to be able to decide which combining forms would be introduced and integrated into our curriculum. I also wanted to be able to choose when their introduction would be most beneficial. However, when I went to find a book containing the desired information in the desired form, I couldn't find any. So I decided to compile a list of my own to use. Possibly you can put this list to work for you also.

What will this list do for you: That's totally up to you and your students. I can make no claims concerning the results you may get if you use this list, whether they be positive or negative. Author and friend of C. S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, claims, "[Latin] is the key to the vocabulary and structure of all the Romance languages ... as well as to the technical vocabulary of all the sciences and to the literature of the entire Mediterranean civilisation...."1 She, however, feels that students should learn the Latin language and its grammar, not just a few hundred combining forms. Sayers goes on to inform us, "... even a rudimentary knowledge of Latin cuts down the labour and pains of learning almost any other subject by at least fifty per cent."2 Douglas Wilson, founder of Logos School and author of numerous educational books, states, "About 80 percent of our English vocabulary comes to us from Latin and Greek."3 It seems that some form of knowledge of Latin and Greek will be of great benefit to most English-speaking people, especially if vocabulary enhancement is the objective. This list is not a Latin or Greek language course. It is a lengthy list of combining forms to learn. Once learned, many English words of Latin or Greek derivation will be understandable. It could almost be described as putting a jigsaw puzzle together. And after years of working on it, all the pieces finally fit. Take a peek farther back in this book for examples.

How the list is organized: On the left margin is the prefix, combining form, word, or root. There is not a lot of consistency here. Sometimes an infinitive is used, sometimes a root. This should not cause any problems since we are not using this list to learn Latin or Greek or how to conjugate foreign verbs. In the center column is the meaning or meanings of the combining form/prefix. On the right is a list of examples that utilize the combining forms/prefixes. The number of examples

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was kept small to keep the list from becoming too cumbersome. Also, part of acquiring a good vocabulary is achieved by using the dictionary and the mind to discover words that utilize the combining forms--not by having all the English words that utilize Latin and Greek combining forms easily available to the student.

Ways you may choose to use this list: One way is a five-day plan. Arbitrarily choose ten combining forms and/or prefixes. Give them to your student(s). The student(s) will then be required to look up the meanings of the combining forms and/or prefixes and make a 3x5 card for each, putting the definition on the back. On the next day the meanings can be reviewed. Two English words that incorporate the combining forms/prefixes can then be found for each combining form/prefix and used in a sentence. (Two English words for each combining form/prefix.) On the third day, the instructor can review the assignment from the day before and choose 20 of the English words found by the student(s) or add a few of her/his own to make up 20 words for a vocabulary test. On the next day the student(s) can study the 20 English words. On the last day, the test can be given. The word should be given verbally to the student(s). It should be spelled correctly by the student(s). Then the definition should be written by the student and the word should also be used properly in a sentence.

Day 1: Ten (10) combining forms/prefixes are given to the student. Example: colare, deus, fabula, filia, hospes, manus, somnus, sanguis, terra, verus

Put these on 3x5 cards. Look up the definitions and write them on the back. These meanings should be memorized.

Day 2: Review the meanings of the combining forms/prefixes. The student can find, using the dictionary, 2 English words for each combining form/prefix. Then an original sentence can be constructed. (NOTE: On occasion finding two examples will be very difficult.)

Example: (colare: portcullis, colander)

portcullis: an iron gate suspended and raised and lowered by a chain, castles often utilized them. The knight quickly lowered the portcullis when he saw the raiders approaching.

colander: a container with holes in the bottom that is used to facilitate cleaning or draining of vegetables or pasta. My mom's colander was used most often for draining spaghetti noodles.

The student will have 20 English words, 20 definitions, and 20 sentences when this assignment is completed.

Day 3: The instructor can give a test to see if the meanings of the combining forms/prefixes are sufficiently memorized. The instructor can choose 20 words from yesterday's assignment that will be on the test on Day 5. If the instructor has more than one student, the selection of 20 words will be easier since the instructor will have more to choose from. The instructor should choose words that she/he feels will be most beneficial for the student to know. If only one student is involved, the instructor may need to do some extra work and choose some English words of her own to supplement or replace some of the student's list so that the most useful words will be learned. This is a judgment call for the instructor. Possibly the student could be required to find 4 English words rather than just 2.

Day 4: The student should study the 20 words received from the instructor on Day 3.

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Day 5: Test--20 English words. The student(s) must supply the definitions and original sentences. Some instructors may wish to include the combining forms/prefixes and their meanings to the test (if this hasn't already occurred) since memorizing the combining forms/prefixes will help in the future when the student(s) comes upon an unfamiliar word in his studies.

If the above schedule is followed, there are enough combining forms, roots, words, and prefixes to last at least 45 weeks which is nine weeks longer than a usual 180-day school year. The list includes over 450 combining forms, roots, words, and prefixes. To keep track of which combining forms you have covered, you might write the date completed in the margin in a color that has been assigned to that student.

Another possible way to use this list would be to give the student(s) two words from the far right column. Then ask the student(s) to find the root, the meaning, and two more examples of the combining form being used in English. Sentences could be written for each word. (NOTE: On occasion it will be very difficult or impossible to find two more examples.)

A benefit of having a comprehensive list of Latin and Greek combining forms is its adaptability to many learning styles. Those of you who are using the unit study method may choose words that go along with the unit being studied. Some instructors may want to choose the most prevalent combining forms and cover them all in one semester. My high school offered a class in Latin and Greek roots; it fulfilled the English requirement for one semester. However, in my Freshman composition class at college, Latin and Greek roots were covered in about a month. If your child(ren) are younger and there is no hurry, this list could last many years. Of course, you may only want to introduce one new combining form a week. There are probably as many ways to use this list to help students learn as there are instructors who will use the book. Experiment, and then if you have time, let me know what works for you.

The shortcomings (or what may be perceived as shortcomings): There are many. 1) Suffixes are purposely not included because their meanings seem too abstract for memorization by students who are below the secondary level. 2) There are errors in this list. This list was gone over quite extensively to eradicate mistakes and typographical errors. Some mistakes crept in because at times it seemed like deciphering etymologies was more of an art that an exact science. The convoluted path that some words have taken to get into the English language is sometimes amazing. Perhaps the errors will be caught if this list is revised. 3) This list is incomplete. There are many more combining forms that could be listed; however, the line had to be drawn somewhere. Although this list is incomplete, it includes more than enough entries to help a diligent student develop an entirely adequate vocabulary of words derived from Latin and Greek combining forms. 4) Medical terms are not included, but they can be found in any good medical dictionary such as Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. 5) There is no money-back guarantee if you don't like this list. 6) This is not a workbook. The student has to find the vocabulary words with the use of a dictionary, without the help of a list already plotted out for them. The instructor has to choose which words would be best to learn. The student alone must write sentences out that use the vocabulary words; sentences are not already written out with a place to fill in the vocabulary word. This is just a list, not a workbook. 7) There are no grade-level guidelines included with this list. Instructors will have to adapt this list to fit the learning level, interest level, and learning style of their student(s).

What else is needed: A good dictionary is needed. By "good dictionary," I mean one that gives the etymological information about a word as far back as is known (usually Indo-European--IE). Just because a dictionary has a recent copyright date does not mean that it will be helpful in learning the origins of words. (I know this because I have a flashy 1991 dictionary that is less than helpful etymologically.) If you don't have a good dictionary, you will think that many example words have nothing to do with the combining form listed. Also, finding other words derived from the

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combining form/prefix will be difficult. If the dictionary gives scanty etymologies, it will not be easy to ascertain exactly what combining form the word is derived from. Please compare dictionaries before you buy. The dictionary listed in the Bibliography is excellent. . .

Endnotes

l. Sayers, Dorothy L., "The Lost Tools of Learning," in Rosamond Kent Sprague (ed.), A Matter of Eternity, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1973, pp. 121-122.

2. Ibid., p. 121.

3. Wilson, Douglas, Recovering the Lost Tools of Learning: An Approach to Distinctively Christian Education, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, 1991, p. 87.

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LATIN

LATIN PREFIX(ES) DEFINITION(S) EXAMPLES OF PREFIX(ES)ab, a  from, down, away  abstract, aversion, abject ad, ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as, at, a 

to  advent, accent, accelerate, affectation, aggravate 

ambi  both  ambidextrous, ambiance ante  before  antecedent, antebellum bi  two  biennium, bifurcate, bicarbonate circum, circa  around, about  circumnavigate, circumference com, col, con, cor, co  closely along, together,

next to, with collusion, coheir, consort, cooperate, compact 

contra, counter  against  contradict, contraband, counterfeit de  from, down, entirely  deplete, demerit, depress, defrost, decline,

defunct di, dis, dif  away, from, apart  different, disburse, digest duo, du  two  dubious, duet, duplication ex, e, ef, ec, es  from, out of, without  effervescent, exhale, escape, extradition, eclecticextra  beyond  extrapolate, extraordinary in, il, ir, im  in, into, on  infer, induct, incarnate, illuminate, irrigate,

imbibe in, il, ir, im  no, not, without, non  insignificant, illiterate, irresponsible,

impossible, imbecile, inappropriate, inter  among, between  interchange, intervention, intercept intra, intro  within, inside of  intramural, intrastate, intramuscular milli, mille  thousand  millennium, millimeter multi, multus  much, many  multitudinous, multifaceted, multiply non  not  nonresident, nonconformity ob, o, oc, of, op,  against, before, toward, for offer, omit, occur, obscene, oppress omni  all, everywhere  omniscient, omnivorous, omnificent quadri, quadr  four times, four fold  quadriceps, quadrisect, quadrivium per  through, completely  persecute, pilgrim, perfect, pellucid post  after, behind  postdate, postdiluvian pre  before  precedent, precept, preposition pro, pur  before, for  proceed, purport, pursue re  back, again  recompense, refine retro  back, backward  retrograde, retrofit se  apart, aside  seclude, select semi  half  semicircle, semiprivate sub, suc, suf, sug, sum, sup, sur, sus 

under, less than, inferior  suffer, submarine, succumb, suggest 

super, supra  above, superior, surpassing 

soprano, superabundance, superintendent 

trans  across, through  transcontinental, transit tri  three  triangle, triceps, Triassicultra  beyond, on other side of  ultrasound, ultraconservative

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LATIN SUFFIX DEFINITION(S) EXAMPLES OF SUFFIX-itis  inflammation  neuritis, conjunctivitis LATIN ROOT(S) DEFINITION(S) EXAMPLE(S) OF ROOT(S)acerbus, acris, acuere  sharp, to sharpen,

needle, bitter acerbate, acupuncture, acuity, acrimony 

aequare  to make equal, even  equivocate, adequate, equilibrium aevum  age  coeval, medieval ager, agri, agro  field agrestic, agronomy agere, actum, agitare  to act, to do agility, react, agitate alius  other, else  alias, alienate alter  other  altercation, adulterate altus  high  altimeter, exaltation, alto ambulare  to walk, to go  preamble, ambulatory amare, amor, amatum, amicus 

to love, love, friend amateur, amiable, enamored

anima  life, soul, breath, mind 

animosity, inanimate, unanimous 

annus  year  biennial, centennial, annual apparere  to come forth, be

visible apparent, appearance, apparitor 

aptare, aptus, apere  to fit, suitable  aptitude, adaptable, ineptitude aqua  water  aqueous, aquarelle arbiter  judge  arbitration, arbitrary arbor  tree  arboretum, arboreal ardere  to burn arduous, ardorartis  art  artifice, artifact, artisan audire  to hear  audit, audible augere  to increase  augmentation, augur, august avis  bird  avionics, aviation, aviary, avian beatus  blessed, happy  beatific, beatitude bellare, bellum  to wage war, war  rebellious, bellicose bene  well  benevolence, beneficent bonus, bon  good  bonanza, bonny, bon voyage brevis  short, brief  abbreviate, breviary cadere  fall  recidivism, cascade, cadaver, decadent caedere, cide  to cut, kill  incision, pesticide canere, cantare, cantus  to sing  recant, chant, cantata capere, captum, cip, cept  to take, hold, contain  capacious, incipient, intercept participate, capable,

captive, conceive, precept caput, capitis  head  cape, chapter, biceps, capital carnis  flesh  carnal, carnival, incarnate, carnivore cavare, cavus  to make hollow  cavernous, cavity, excavate cedere, cessum  to go, withdraw,

move concession, recede, access 

centrum  center  eccentric, concentric, concentrate centum, centi  hundred, tenth, ten  percent, centimeter, centurion 

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cernere, certus  to see as being different, to sift, distinguish 

discern, secret, certitude

civis, civilis  citizen, community  civic, city, civility clamare, clamor  to shout, cry out

acclaim, clear, to make clear 

reclamation clarare, clarus, clarify, clarity, declaration, claret

claudere, clausum  to shut, close  recluse, cloister, enclosure, conclusionclemens  mild, merciful  clemency, inclement clinare  to lean, slope  clinometer, incline colare  to strain, filter  portcullis, percolate, colander colere, cultus  to till, care, cultivate  cultivation, culture, cult coquere, coctum  to cook, to mature  precocious, concoction, cook cor, cordis  heart  courage, cordial, accord corium  skin, hide  excoriate corona  crown  corona, coronation, coronary corpus  body  corporation, corporeal credere, credens  to believe, trust  credentials, credit, incredible crescere, cretum  to grow  crescendo, concretism, accretion, increasecrimen  crime, offense  criminology, incriminate cruciare, crux, crucis  to torture, cross  excruciating, crusade, cruzeiro culpare  to blame, fault  culpable, exculpate cumulare  to heap up  cumulative, accumulate curare, cura, curatus  to take care of,

concern curate, curious, manicure 

currere, cursus, cour  to run, go  occur, precursor, concur, course dens, dentis  tooth  denture, endodontia, dentifrice deus, dei  god  deify, deity, deism dexter, dextro  right, right hand  ambidextrous, dextrorotation dicere, dictare  to speak, say  abdicate, indictdignus  worthy, fitting,

suitable condign, dignitary 

dirigere, directus  to direct  dirge, dirigible, address-- -- -- -- --see "regere" belowdocere, doctum  to teach  document, docent, doctrine dominus  lord, master  danger, domineer domus  a dwelling, home  domesticity, major-domo donare, do  to give, to forgive  condone, donation, donor dormire, dorm  to sleep  dormouse, dormitory ducere, ductum  to lead, take, bring  abduct, seduction, conducive, duke, education durare, durus  to harden, hard  obdurate, duress errare, erratum  to wander, go astray  aberration, err, erratic fabula  story  confabulate, fable, fabulous facere, factum, fect, fic  to make, to do  manufacture, sufficient, facsimilefallere  to deceive,

disappoint fallacious, infallible, fail 

ferre, latum  to bear, to carry  relate, confer, referendum ferrum  iron  ferrotype, ferric, ferrous fervere  to boil, glow, rage  fervor, effervescent fidere, fidelis, fides  to trust, believe, faith  perfidy, fiduciary, confidant filius, filia  son, daughter filial, affiliation 

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(respectively) finire, finis, fin  to end, to limit  infinity, finite, confinement firmare  to make firm,

strengthen affirm, confirmation, firmament 

figare, fixus  to fasten, attach  fixative, crucifix, suffix flare, flatus  blow  deflate, inflation flectere, flexus  to bend  flexible, deflection, inflection fluere, fluxum, fluctus  to flow  confluence, fluid, effluvium, influx, flumefoedus, fed  league  confederacy, federation fortis  strong  fort, comfort, fortify, force frangere, fractum  to break  fraction, frangible, infringement frater  brother  fraternal, fraternize fugere, fugitum  to flee  centrifugal, fugue fumus  smoke  fumitory, fumarole fundere, fusum  to pour  refund, diffuse, profound generare, genus1 birth, origin, race,

species, kind, to beget, produce

generous, generic, gentle, genre, engender, generation

gerere, gestum  to carry, to bear  belligerent, gesture, digest, gestation glomerare  to form into a ball  conglomeration, glomerulus gnoscere, cognoscere, gnarus, cognitum

to know  incognito, cognition, ignorant, gnostic

gradi, gressus, gradus  to step, to walk, a degree 

progress, graduate, centigrade 

granum, grani  seed, kernel  granary, granulegratia, gratus agreeable, favor,

thankscongratulate, gratitude, grace

gravare, gravis to weigh down, heavy aggravate, gravamen, gravid, griefgrex, gregis, gregar flock, herd, to gather

into a flocksegregate, congregation gregarious

habere, habitum to have, hold habit, inhibithaerere to stick coherence, adhereherba grass, herb herbivorous, herbaceoushilarare, hilaris to gladden, merry hilarious, exhilaratehomo man homicidal, hominizehorrere to shudder, terrible horrendous, abhorhospes guest, host hospice, hostage, hostessire, itum, itineris to go, journey, walk itinerant, transit, initiatejacere, ject, jactum2 to lie, cast oneself

down, to throwreject, adjacent, eject

jicere2 to throw between  interjectionjudex, judicare judge judicious, prejudice, judgejungere, junctum to join conjugal, junction, jointjus, juris, jurare law, right, to swear jurisprudence, abjure, perjury, juror, injury, justifyjuvenis young rejuvenate, juvenescentlaborare to work collaborate, elaborate, laboratorylacto, lact milk lacteal, lactoselapis stone lapis lazuli, lapidatelatus side lateral, bilateral, collaterallaudare, laudatum to praise, glory laudable, allow

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lavare to wash lavender, laver, lavish, lavabolaxare to loosen, widen relax, laxitylegere, lectum3 to read, choose,

gatherelegant, elite, collect, dialect, legend, select, election, neglect

lex, legis, legalis3 law privelege, illegitimate, legislature, lex non scripta, legal

liber book libel, librettoliber free libertine, deliberate, liberalligare to bind allegiance, ally, oblige, ligaturelingua tongue, language linguistics, lingual, languagelittera letter obliterate, literature, letter, literatilocare, locus to place, place dislocate, allocate, localloqui, locutus speak, talk soliloquy, loquacious, circumlocutionlucere, lux, lucis, lumen to shine, light translucent, Lucifer, luminousludere, lusum, ludus to play, to mock illusion, interlude, ludicrousluna moon lunate, lunatic, lunation, lunulamagnus, magna great magnanimous, Magna Cartamalus, mal bad, evil, wrong malevolent, malfeasance, grand malmandare, mando to order, to command mandate, commandment, mandarinmanus, mani, man hand emancipate, manifest, manumitmare sea mariner, aquamarine, maremater mother alma mater, maternitymecari to trade, buy merchant, marketmedius, medio middle medieval, intermediarymens mind mention, mentationmigrare to move from one

place to anothermigratory, emigrant

militare to serve as soldiers demilitarize, militiamille thousand millennium, millivoltminimus, minor least, small minimal, minimize, minutemirare, miror, mirari to look at, to wonder

at miracle, mirage, admiral

mittere, missum to send, let, go emissary, remit, admittance, commissarymonere, monitus to warn monitor, admonitionmorbus disease morbid, morbillimordere, morsun to bite morsel, remorse, mordaciousmoris manners, customs morality, moresmors, mortis, mori deather, to die post-mortem, mortgage, mortmainmovere, motus to move locomotive, motion, motormultus much, many multiply, multimediamutare, mutatum to change molt, mutationnascor, natus to bear, to born native, prenatal, nature, renaissancenegare, negatus to deny negation, abnegatenihil nothing annihilate, nilnocere to harm, injure innocent, innocuous, obnoxiousnominare, nomen, nominis

to name, name nominate, misnomer, nomenclature

norma rule normative, enormitynotare to mark, note notation, notary, connotationnovus new renovate, novice, nova

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nox, noct night equinox, noctuidnullus none annul, nullifidiannumerus number enumerate, supernumerary, numerologynuntiare, nuntius to report, tell,

messengernuncio, renounce

oculus eye monocle, binocularopus, operari work, to work magnum opus, opera, operativeparare, par, pari to make equal, equal disparate, parity, peerpassus, pati suffer patient, passivepater father paternoster, patronizepax, pacis peace pacific, appeasepedis, pes foot expedition, pedicelpellere, pulsus to drive, driven compel, expel, propellant, pulsatependere, pensare, pendulus

to weigh, hang, weight

impending, compendium, appendage, expenditure

petere to rush at, seek impetuous, petulant, petitionplacare, placidus, placere to soother, gentle, to

pleaseplacate, implacable, placebo, please

plaudere, plauseum to clap, applaud plaudit, implodeplenus full plenipotentiary, replenish, plentyplere, pletum to fill expletive, repleteplicare, plicatum, plicit, ply

to fold reply, implicate, complicate, explicate, plait

plus, pluris more pluriaxial, plurality, surplusponere, positum to place position, opposite, depotpopulus people popularity, populaceportare, port to carry portage, exportportio share, portion apportion, proportionpotens, potentis powerful potentate, potentiometerprehendere, prehensum to seize, take hold apprentice, reprehensiblepressus pressed down depress, oppress, impresspretiare, prec to value depreciation, precious, priceprimus, primatis first primordial, prima facieprivare separate, peculiar privilege, depriveprobare, probatum to prove, test probation, proveproximus nearest approximate, proximitypugil, pugnare boxer, to fight repugnant, pugilistpurgare  to clean  purge, purgatory, expurgation putare  to think, estimate  computer, reputationquaerere, quaesitus  to ask, seek  exquisite, inquisition, conquer, quest radius ray radiation, radianradix root radicle, radical, eradicaterapere to seize rapture, surreptitious, usurp, ravishratus fixed by calculation reason, rationregere, rectus4  right, to make straight erect, rectitude, rectusregere, rex, regis4  to rule, king regency, regal, corrigible, regimen, direct, rule,

regularridere, risum to laugh derision, ridiculerogare, rogatum to ask arrogance, rogation, interrogaterotare, rotatus, rota to turn, wheel, turned rotation, rotary, rotor

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rumpere, ruptus to break, broken rupture, interruptsacer, sacrare5 holy, to make holy consecrate, sacrifice, sacrariumsagax, sagacis, sapare wise, to taste, know sage, sagacious, sapientsal salt salimeter, salinesalire, saltum to leap, jump sally, saltatory, resile, resultsalvare to save save, salvation, salvagesanctus5 holy sanctity, sanctuary, sacrosanctsanguis blood sangria, sanguine, consanguinitysanitas, sanatorius health, healthy sanitation, sanitariumsatis, satiare enough, to fill full sated, insatiable, satisfactionscandere to climb ascend, descendant, ascensionscire, sciens to know, knowing omniscient, sciencescribere, script to write, the thing

writtendescribe, subscription, scribe

secare, sect to cut intersection, secateurssedere, sess to sit sediment, sedan, session, presidentseminare, semen to sow, seed seminal, disseminate, seminarysentire, sensum to feel, perceive consent, sensible, sentientsepsis putrefaction, poison septic, septicemia, asepticsequens, sequi to follow, following prosecute, second, sequential, pursue, non sequitursignare, signum to mark out assignation, consignmentsimilare, simulare to make like, to feign similar, facsimile, simulation, assimilatesocius, sociare companion, to join social, society, associationsol sun solar, solsticesolare, solus to make lonely, alone solo, solitarysolvere, solutum to loose solvent, dissolute, solublesomnus sleep somnolent, somniloquysonus sound dissonance, unison, sonoroussors, sortis lot, a share sort, consortiumspecere, spectum, spic to look at, see perspicacity, specify, spectacle, retrospect, prospect,

perspectivespirare to breathe spirit, aspirator, expire, inspiration, respiration, aspirespondere, sponsus to pledge, promise spouse, correspondencestare, stet, stat to stand stable, establish, statue, superstition, distantstellare, stella to shine, star constellation, stelliferousstringere, strictum bind, draw tight astringent, constriction, strictstruere, structus build, arrange, pile up misconstrue, instruct, instrumentsurgere, surrection to rise, risen insurgency, resurrectiontangere, tactus to touch tangent, tactualtegere, tectus to cover, covered integument, detection, protecttemperare, tempus time tense, contemporize, tempertendere, tent to stretch, strain, thin pretentious, tenuous, contend, tend, tensetenere, tain to hold pertain, abstinence, tenacious, tenanttentare, tent to touch, try tentacle, tentativelyterminus limit, end, boundary determine, terminatorterra earth terra firma, terracetorquere, tortum to twist, twisted contortionist, extort, torsion, torquetradere to deliver extradite, tradition, treasontrahere, tract to draw, drawn subtract, tractable, protracttribuere, tributus, tribus to assign, allot, pay tributary, attribute, distribute

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trudere, trusus to thrust, thrust intrusion, protrusiletoxicare, toxicum to smear with poison toxic, toxoplasmosis, toxicologytumere to swell tumescence, tumult, contumeliousturbare, turba to disturb perturb, turbidunus, uni one union, unipetalousurbs, urbanus city exurb, urbanologistvacare, vacuus to be empty, empty vacuity, vacuous, evacuatevagari to wander extravagant, vagariesvalere, validum to be strong, to have

worthvalor, valid, evaluate

velle, volens wish, willing volition, velleityverbum word proverb, verbatimvenire, ventum to come revenue, convention, advent, contravenevertere, versum to turn, change,

inclinevertigo, verse, introvert, versatile, anniversary

verus true verily, verify, veryvestire to dress vestment, divest, investiturevia way pervious, viaticumvidere, visum see, look, provide provident, visible, supervisevincere to overcome, conquer invincible, convince, victorviolare, violatus to violate violation, inviolatevir man triumvirate, viragovita life vitality, vitaminvivere, vita to live, life revive, viviparous, vonvivialvocare, vocatum, vox to call, voice vociferous, convocation, irrevocable, revokevolvere, volutum turn involve, revolt, devolvevorare to devour voracious, carnivore, omnivorous

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GREEK

GREEK PREFIX(ES)

DEFINITION(S) EXAMPLES OF PREFIX(ES)

a, an  not, without  amoral, anarthria amphi  about, around,

both amphibian, amphibolite 

ana  up, against  anapest, anasarca anti  against, opposite  antivivisection, antipodes cata  down  catacomb, catapult dia, di  across, through  dialysis, dialect epi  upon, over  episode, epistle exo  outside, outer part  exoteric, exostosis eu  well  euphemism, euthanasia, eugenics heteros  other  heterodox, heterogeneous homos  same  homonym, homoiothermal hyper  over, extremely  hypergamy, hyperpneahypo  under, in smaller

measure hypocrite, hypocaust 

meta  after, over, between 

metaplasia, metathesis 

para  beside  parable, paradox peri  around, about  perimeter, periphery poly  many, much  polygamy, polyhedron, polyglot pro  before  procrastinate, projectile syn, sym, syl, sys  together, with, by

means of syllable, synapsis, syncretism

GREEK SUFFIX DEFINITION EXAMPLES OF SUFFIXosis  state, condition,

action neurosis, psychosis 

GREEK ROOT(S) DEFINITION(S) EXAMPLE(S) OF ROOT(S)acro  tip, top, apex,

pointed acropolis, acrophobia 

agogos, agein  to lead, to direct, to incite 

demagogue, pedagogic 

agon, agonia  struggle, contest  antagonist, agony agro, agros  field, earth, soil  agronomy, agrostology algia  pain  neuralgia, diaphragmalgia allo, allos  other, departure

from normal allopath, allogamy 

andros, aner, anthropos 

man, stamen  anthropomorphic, androsphinx 

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anemo, anemos  wind  anemometer, anemophilous archaeo, archaios  ancient, old,

original archaeology, archeozoic 

arch, archos  chief, first, rule  monarch, archipelago, archangelaristo, aristos  best  aristocracy, aristocrat astron, aster, astro  star  aster, astral auto, autos  self  autoharp, autoimmune, autochthon baro, baros  pressure, weight  barograph, barometer barys  heavy  barium, hyperbaric biblos, biblion  book, of books  bibliopole, bibliolatry bios  life, living things  biocenosis, bionics, biopsy caco  bad, poor, evil  cacophony, cacoethes chiro, cheir  hand  chiromancy, chiropter chroma, chromato  color  chromomere, chromoprotein chrono, chronos  time  chronograph, chronicle cosmos  world, order  cosmography, cosmic cracy, crat  type of

government theocracy, bureaucrat 

crypto  hide  cryptogam, cryptogenic cyclos  circular, wheel  cyclothymia, cyclorama deca  ten  Decapolis, decaliter demos  people  demographics, endemic, democrat dendron  tree  dendrochronology, dendroid derma  skin  hypodermic, dermoid deutero, deuter  second  Deuteronomy, deuterocanonical didonai, dosis  give  dose, dosage dis, di  twice, doubly  dichotomy, dipody doxo  opinion, praise  heterodox, doxologydynamis  power  dynamo, dyne esthesia  the ability to feel

sensation anesthesia, aesthetics 

ethnos  race, nation  ethnomusicology, ethnocentrism gamos  marriage  monogamy, polygamy gastro  stomach  gastritis, gastrolith, gastric ge, geo  earth  geodesic, geometry gen, geno2 race, kind, descent  Genesisglot, glossa1 tongue, language  glossary, monoglot, glossalalia glyphe  carving  petroglyph, glyphographygon  figure having

angles pentagon, polygon 

gonos  to produce  cosmogony, theogony gramma, gram  something written

or drawn telegram, electrocardiogram 

grapho  write  lithography, graphology gyn, gyneco  woman, women  misogyny, gyniatrics, gynarchy hemo, hema  blood  hemoglobin, hematoma hedron, hedral, hedra  side, base, seat  hexahedral, polyhedron helios  sun, bright  heliotropic, helium, heliograph hemi  half  hemisphere, hemicranial hepta  seven  heptahedron, heptameter 

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hexa  six  hexameter, hexahedronhiero  sacred, holy  hieroglyphic, hierophant hydor, hydro  water  hydroponics, hydrology hypno  sleep  autohypnosis, hypnotoxinicono  image, likeness,

figure iconology, iconostasis 

ideo  idea  ideogram, ideophone isos  equal, alike,

identical isocracy, isometric 

kilo, chilioi  thousand  chiliarch, kilocalorie, kilovolt klastes  breaker, broken  iconoclast, clastic latreia  service, worship  idolatry, demonolatry lithos, lite  stone  chrysolite, lithotomy logos  word, study  logic, logomachy lysis  to loosen  analysis, electrolysis macros, macro  enlarged,

elongated macrocosm, macropterous 

mania  madness  pyromania, kleptomania mega  large, powerful  megapod, megalith megalo  large, great,

enlarged megalocardia, megalomania 

metron  measure  thermometer, metronome micros, micro  small  microcosm, microphone miso, misein  to hate  misogyny, misology, misoneism monos  one, alone  monocle, monosyllable morphe  form  metamorphic, morphallaxis mytho  myth  mythological, mythos naus, nautes3 ship, sailor  naumachia, astronaut, navigationnecro  physical death,

corpse necrology, necrophagia 

neos  new, young  Neoplatonism, neoprene neuron, neuro  nerve  neuritis, neuropteran nomos  law, science,

management nomography, astronomer 

octo  eight  octagonal, octogenarian oligo  few, scant, small  oligarchy, oliguria onoma, onym  name  allonym, homonym opsis, optic, ophthalmo 

view, sight  optical, amblyopia 

ornitho  bird, birds  ornithopter, ornithosis oro  mountain  orogenic, orologyorthos  right, correct  orthography, orthogenesis osteon  bone  osteoporosis, ossify pais, paidos  child  pediatric, pedobaptism paleo  ancient, early,

prehistoric paleontology, paleolithic 

pan  all, every  pandemonium, Pandora pater, patri  father  patronymic, patrician pathos, path  suffering, disease  empathy, pathogen ped, pedo  small child  pediatrics, pedant, pedobaptism 

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penta  five  Pentateuch, pentathlon petros  rock, stone  petrography, petrol phago, phage  eating, destroying  anthropophagite, phagocytephainein  to show, be visible  emphasis, fantasy, fancy philos  loving  philharmonic, philatelyphobia, phobos  fear, dread  photophobia, xenophobiaphone  sound, speak  phonograph, phoneme phos, photo  light  photobiotic, phosgene physis, physio  nature  physiologic, physiocrat plasma  form  plasmodium, deutoplasm pneuma  air, breath, spirit  pneumothorax, pneumococcus podos, pous  foot  octopus, chiropodist, podiatry polis  city  politician, Neopolitan, police polys  many  polynomial, polymer protos  first  proton, protozoa pseudes, pseudo  false, fake  pseudoscience, pseudosalt psycho  soul, mind, breath  psychometry, psychosisptero  feather, wing  pterosaur, pteropod pyr  fire  pyromaniac, pyrography, pyretic, pyrogenrheo, rrhea  flow, current  logorrhea, rheophile schizo  cleave, cut  schizogenesis, schizogony scopos, skopein  spy, watcher, to

see telescope, otoscope 

seismo  earthquake  seismology, seismic sophia wisdom  sophomoric, sophist sphero  sphere, ball, layer

of gas ionosphere, atmosphere, spheroid 

static  causing to stand  hydrostatics, electrostatic taphos  tomb, bury  epitaph techno  art  tectonic, technocrat tele  far, far off  telemetry, telencephalon temno, tomos  cut, that which is

cut off, out appendectomy, lobotomy, tome 

tetra  four  tetrarch, Tetragrammaton thanato  death  thanatopis, thanatology, euthanasia theos  god  monotheism, theophany therapy  to cure, nurse  therapeutics, heliotherapy thermo  heat  thermophile, thermotaxis thesis, tithenai  position  synthesis, thesis topo  place, local  toponym, topographic, topic typos  type, figure, model  typography, typify zoon  animal  zoogenic, zoonosis

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