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the vocabulary workshop
Vocabulary: Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes
Most words used in the English language today were not originally English. These words were borrowed (taken) from other languages. The majority of English words have Latin or Greek origin. It may be possible to guess the meaning of an unknown word when one knows the meaning of its root. Knowing prefixes and suffixes can also assist in the process. An English word can consist of three parts: the root, a prefix and a suffix. The root is the part of the word that contains the basic meaning (definition) of the word. The root is the base element of the word. A prefix is a word element that is placed in front of a root. A prefix changes the word's meaning or makes a new word. A suffix is a word element that is placed after the root. The suffix changes the word's meaning as well as its function (use). Prefixes and suffixes are called affixes because they are attached to a root. Example: Root: act root (act): means "do" or "perform" act (root): "do" definition: verb; to perform, behave noun; a performance, a thing done sentence: You act like a child. Prefix: re- Prefix (re-): means "back" or "again" react (prefix + root): "do back" definition: verb; to act in response to something, to act in opposition to something sentence: How will she react when she hears the news? Suffix: -ion Suffix (-ion): indicates that the word has become a noun reaction (prefix + root + suffix): something done back definition: noun; a response to something, an opposing action sentence: Her reaction to the news was childish. Roots Following is a list of roots for English vocabulary. The list is formatted so that the root with its definition is shown first, then the source of the root (Latin, Greek, etc.) with the source word's definition, and then last is an example of the root as used in a word and the word's definition. The sample words are linked to additional words with the same root. act, ag: do, act, drive Latin, agere: to drive, lead, act, do active (adjective): moving about am, ami: love, like Latin, amare: to love amorous (adjective): loving anim: mind, life, spirit, anger Latin, animus: spirit animal (noun): a living creature annu, enni: yearly Latin, annuus: yearly annual (adjective): yearly auc, aug, aut: to originate, to increase Latin, augere: to originate, increase augment (verb): to increase, to add to aud, audit, aur: hear Latin, audire: to hear audible (adjective): can be heard bene, ben: good, well, gentle Latin, bene: good benign (adjective): harmless, mild, gentle bio, bi: life Greek, bios: life biography (noun): a book written about a person's life bibli, biblio: book Greek, biblion: book bibliophile (noun): a person who likes or collects books brev: short Latin, brevis: short abbreviate (verb): to shorten cad, cap, cas, ceiv, cept, cid: to take, to seize, to hold Latin, capere: to seize receive (verb): to take in, to acquire ceas, cede, ceed, cess: go, yield Latin, cedere: to go exceed (verb): to go beyond a limit, to be greater than chron: time Greek, khronos: time chronological (adjective): arranged in order of time or sequence clam, claim: shout Latin, clamare: to call out, shout clamor (verb): to make noise cogn, gnos: know to know Latin, cognoscere: to know recognize (verb): to know, to identify corp: body Latin, corpus: body corporate (adjective): formed into a body or association, united in one group cre, cresc, cret: grow Latin, crescere: to grow create (verb): to originate, to produce through imagination cred: trust, believe Latin, credere: to believe incredible (adjective): unbelievable cour, cur, curr, curs: run, course Latin, currere: run occur (verb): to happen, to come to mind dic, dict, dit: say, speak Latin, dicere: to say indicate (verb): to show, to point out doc, doct: teach, prove Latin, docere: to teach docile (adjective): obedient, easily taught dog, dox: thought, idea Greek, dokein: seem, think dogma (noun): an established opinion dec, dign: suitable Latin, decere: to be suitable decent (adjective): conforming to standards, suitable, good duc, duct**: lead Latin, ducere: to draw or lead conduct (verb): to lead or guide (noun) - a person's behavior ** ducere is one of the most prolific sources of English words ev, et: time, age Latin, aevum: lifetime medieval (adjective): related to the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) fac, fact, fec, fic, fas, fea: make do, do Latin, facere - make, do difficult (noun): hard to do, troublesome fer: bear, carry Latin, ferre: bear, carry infer (verb): to come to a conclusion from looking at facts, to guess fict, feign, fain: shape, make, fashion Latin, fingere: shape, make fiction (noun): something produced from imagination, an invented story fid: belief, faith Latin, fidere: to trust confide (verb): to trust, to trust another person with a secret fig: shape, form Latin, figura: form, shape, figure figurem (noun): shape, pattern, drawing (verb) - decide, plan, decipher flu, fluct, flux: flow Latin, fluere: to flow fluid (adjective): capable of flowing, a smooth easy style (noun) - a liquid form: shape Latin, forma: beauty, shape, form format (noun): the shape and size of something fract, frag, frai: break Latin, frangere: to break frail (adjective): easily broken, not strong, weak gen, gin: to give birth, kind Greek, genus: birth generate (verb): to produce, to create geo: earth Greek, ge: earth geography (noun): a science that describes the earth's surface gor: to gather, to bring together Greek, ageirin: to gather category (noun): a class or set in which a thing is placed grad, gress, gree: step, go, move Latin, gradus: step degree (noun): a step or stage in a process graph, graf: write, draw Greek, graphein: write, scratch, carve graphic (adjective): written, drawn, vividly shown her, hes: to stick Latin, haerere: to stick adhere (verb): to stick jac, ject, jet: to throw Latin, jacere: to throw, to lie reject (verb): to throw out, unwilling to accept jug, junct, just: to join Latin, jungere: to join junction (noun): a place at which two things join lex, leag, leg: law Latin, lex: law legal (adjective): based on law lect, leg, lig: choose, gather, select, read Latin, legere: to choose collect (verb): to gather, to bring together loc: place, area Latin, locare: to place location (noun): a place, a position occupied log: say, speech, word, reason, study Greek, logos: speech, word, reason logic (noun): the study of reason, reasoning luc, lum, lust: light Latin, lucare: shine Latin, lumen: light Latin, lustrare: light-up translucent (adjective): permitting some light to come through man: hand, make, do Latin, manus: hand manage (verb): to handle with skill, to be able to do mem: recall, remember Latin, memor: mindful memory (noun): the ability to recall or to bring to mind ment: mind Latin, mens: mind mental (adjective): related to the mind min: little, small Latin, minuere: to lessen minor (adjective): less important, lesser mit, miss: send Latin, mittere: put, send admit (verb): to accept, to allow entry mob, mov, mot: move Latin, movere: move motion (noun): act of moving, action nasc, nat, gnant, nai: to be born Latin, nasci to be born nascent (adjective) - just born nom, nym: name Latin, nomen: name nominate (verb): to name for office nov: new latin, novus: new novice (noun): a beginner or newcomer oper: work Latin, opus: work operate (verb): to work, to perform pat, pass: feel, suffer Latin, pati: suffer passion (noun): a strong feeling or emotion path: feel Greek, pathos: feeling sympathy (noun): sharing another person's feelings ped: foot Latin, pes: foot impede (verb): to hinder, to slow down pod: foot Greek, pous: foot podium (noun): a platform, an area raised above the surrounding ground pel, puls: drive, push Latin, pellere: to drive, push, beat repel (verb): to drive away or push back pend, pond: to hang, weigh Latin, pendere: to hang, to weigh append (verb): to add or correct phan, phas, phen, fan, phant, fant: show, make visible Greek, phainein: show phantom (noun): something seen but having no physical existence, a ghost phil: love Greek, philos: loving philosopher (noun): a person who seeks (loves) wisdom phon: sound Greek, phone: voice, sound phonetic (adjective): related to speech sounds pict: paint, show, draw Latin, pingere: to paint picture (verb): to paint or draw port: carry Latin, portare: carry import (verb): to bring in from a foreign country pli, ply: fold Latin, plicare: fold reply (verb): to respond, to answer pon, pos: put, place Latin, ponere: to lay down, put, place postpone (verb): to put off to a later time psych: mind Greek, psukhe: soul, spirit psychology (noun): study of how the mind works quir, quis, quest, quer: seek, ask Latin, quaerere: seek, ask query (verb): to ask questions rupt: break Latin, rumpere: break rupture (verb): to break or burst sci, scio: to know Latin, scire: to know conscious (adjective): aware, having knowledge of oneself scrib, scrip: write Latin, scribere: to write script (noun): handwriting, something written sent, sens: feel, think Latin, sentire: feel sentiment (noun): a thought prompted by feeling sequ, secut, sue: follow Latin, sequi: to follow sequence (noun): a continuous series sist: to withstand, make up Latin, sistere: to make a stand insist (verb): to be firm about something needed, to demand soci: to join, companions Latin, sociare, socius: to join, a companion sociable (adjective): inclined to seek friendship, companionship sol: alone Latin, solus: alone, single solitary (adjective): being alone solv, solu, solut: loosen, explain Latin, solvere: too loosen, release solve (verb): to find an answer spec, spi, spic, spect: look Latin, specere: look, look at spectator (noun): a person who watches spir: breath, soul Latin, spirare: breathe respiration (noun): breathing stab, stat: stand Latin, stare: to stand stature (noun) - height of a standing body, importance of position strain, strict, string, stige: bind, pull Latin, stringere: to bind or pull tight constrict (verb) - to squeeze, to make narrow stru, struct, stroy: build Latin, struere: to build destroy (verb): to ruin, to pull down tact, tang, tig, ting: touch Latin, tangere: to touch tactile (adjective): related to the sense of touch tele: far away Greek, telos: end telepathy (noun): communication from one mind to another without verbal or written communication tend, tens: stretch Latin, tendere: to stretch contend (verb): to strive or reach for, to argue tain, ten, tent, tin: hold, keep, have Latin, tenere: to hold retain (verb): to keep, to hold in place term: end, boundary, limit Latin, terminusm: limit, boundary exterminate (verb): to kill off, to get rid of terr: earth Latin, terra: earth territory (noun): area of land test: see, witness Latin, testis: witness attest (verb): to provide proof, to say something is true therm: heat Greek, therme: heat thermometer (noun): a device for measuring heat tor, tors, tort: twist Latin, torquere: twist torsion (noun): twisting of the body tract, trai, treat: pull, draw Latin, trahere: pull attract (verb): to draw toward, to arouse interest uni: one Latin, unus: one unite (verb): to make one, to join together vac: empty Latin, vacare: to be empty vacant (adjective): empty, not occupied ven, vent: come Latin, venire: to come convene (verb): to assemble, to come together ver: true Latin, venus: true verify (verb): to confirm that something is true verb, verv: word Latin, verbum: word verbalize (verb): to express in words, to put into words vers, vert: turn,change Latin, versare: to turn versatile (adjective): capable of changing or adapting, useful vid, vie, vis: see Latin, videre: to see; Latin, videre: to separate visible (adjective): able to be seen divide (verb): to separate vit, viv: live Latin, vivere: to live vital (adjective) - necessary for life voc, voke: call Latin, vocare: call, voice vocal (adjective): spoken or uttered by the voice volv, volt, vol: roll, turn Latin, volvere: to roll, turn revolve (verb): to turn around ( to be continued) |
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Prefixes
Prefixes and suffixes were originally words themselves but they are now groups of letters added to words or to roots to create new words. Prefixes [pre (before) + fix (fasten) = fasten before] are groups of letters placed before words or roots. Prefixes modify or extend the meanings of words and roots. Following is a list of commonly used prefixes and sample vocabulary. a-, ac-, ad-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, as-, at- to, toward, near, in addition to aside (adverb): to or toward the side a + side accompany (verb): to go with someone as a companion ac + com + pan + y adjust (verb): to correct, to move closer to a correct position ad + just affix (verb): to attach to something, to fasten af + fix aggression (noun): hostile behavior towards someone or something ag + gress + ion allocate (verb): to distribute to specific people or for specific purposes al + loc + ate annihilate (verb): to destroy an + nihil + ate associate (verb): to join with as + soci + ate attend (verb): to look after, to go to at + tend a-, an- not, without apolitical (adjective): without interest in politics a + polit + ic + al anemia (noun): the condition (disease) of not having enough red blood cells an + em + ia ab-, abs- away from, off abrupt (adjective): unexpected change ab + rupt absolve (verb): to be set free from one's actions or obligations ab + solve ante- before anterior (adjective): before or near the front ante + rior anti- against antipathy (noun): dislike, opposite feeling anti + path + y auto- self automotive (adjective): related to self-propelled machines auto + mot + ive bi- two biped (noun): a two-footed animal bi + ped biennial (adjective): happening every two years bi + enni + al cat-, cata-, cath- down, with category (noun): a class or set to which a thing belongs cate + gor + y catalogue (noun): a book or pamphlet that lists and describes cata + log + ue catheter (noun): a medical device used to tranfer fluids cath +eter circum- around circumvent (verb): to manage to get around a situation circum + vent co-, cog-, col-, com-, con-, cor together, with cohesiveness (noun): the ability to stick together co + hes + ive + ness cognate (adjective): related, similar in nature cog + nate collaborate (verb): to work together col + lab + or + ate commitment (noun): to entrust, to put into a place com + mit + ment convenient (adjective): handy, nearby con + veni + ent correct (verb): to set right, to be right cor + rect contra- against, opposite contradict (verb) to state the opposite contra + dict de- to do the opposite, to take away from decrease (verb): to grow smaller, to become less de + cre + ase di-, dif-, dis- apart, separate, two, opposite, not divide (verb): to separate into two or more parts di + vide differ (verb): to be unlike dif + fer dis- not, opposite of, exclude distrust (verb): to have no confidence or trust dis + trust e-, ex- out, out of, from emit (verb) to send out e + mit expel (verb): to force out ex + pel en-, em- put into enamor (verb): to cause to love, to "put" someone "into" love en + am + + or empower (verb): to give power, to put into power em + pow + er epi-, upon, beside, over epilogue (noun): the concluding section of a play or literary work epi + logue extra- beyond extraordinary (adjective): going beyond normal extra + ordin + ary il-, im-, in-, ir, not, in illegible (adjective): cannot be read il + leg + ible imposter (noun): someone who poses as someone else im + post + er inaction (noun): lack of motion, idle in + act + ion irresolute (adjective): uncertain about hot to act, undecided, not having a solution ir + re + solute in-, im-, il- in, into instead (adverb): in place of, an alternative in + stead import (verb): to bring into a country from another country im + port inter- between, among interject (verb): to throw something (usually a comment) between other things inter + ject intro- into introspection (noun): to look into one's own thoughts and feelings intro + spect + ion mal- bad malfunction (noun): when something does not work properly mal + funct + ion mis- wrong misconduct (noun): wrong doing, bad behavior mis + con + duct mono- one monologue (noun): a dramatic performance or speech given by one actor mono + logue multi- many multiply (verb): to increase in number multi + ply non- not, no nonsense (noun): something that has no meaning or makes no sense non + sense ob-, oc-, of-, op- toward, against, in the way obtain (verb): to gain or get, to get a hold of ob + tain occur (verb): to happen, to come to mind oc + cur offer (verb): to attempt to give, to propose, to try to hand out of + fer oppose (verb): to be against, to stand in the way of something op + pose over- excessive, above overwork (verb): to have too much work over + work para- beside paradox (noun): a statement that seems true and contradictory at the same time para + dox per- through persecute (verb): to go after, to pursue per + secute post- after postpone (verb): to put off to a later time, to delay post + pone pre- before precede (verb): to go before, to come in front of pre + cede pro- for, foward propel (verb): to push forward pro + pel re- back, again readmit (verb): to allow in again re + ad + mit retro- backward retrospect (noun) to look back at past events retro + spect se- apart, move away from secede (verb): to withdraw from an organization se + cede semi- half semiannual (adjective): occurring twice a year semi + annu + al sub-, suc-, suf-, sup-, sur-, sus under, beneath, near, from below, secretly, above, up submarine (adjective): underwater sub + mar + ine succeed (verb): to do well, to come after suc + ceed suffice (verb): to be enough suf + fice support (verb): to hold up, too keep up sup + port survive (verb): to live, to live through something, to exist sur + vive sustain (verb): to keep up, to hold up, sus + tain super- over, above superimpose (verb): to place something on top of something else super + im + pose syn-, sym- together, at the same time synchronous (adjective): happening at the same time syn + chron + ous sympathy (noun): sharing another person's feelings, compassion sym + path + y trans- across, beyond, change transform (verb): to change shape trans + form tri- three tripod (noun): a three-legged stand tri + pod un- not, against, opposite unceasing (adjective): never ending, continuous un + ceas + ing uni- one uniform (adjective): having the same form or consistancy uni + form
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our struggles will not end but ,certainly,life. Last edited by marwatone; Friday, August 20, 2010 at 01:56 PM. Reason: Avoid using red color,please. |
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suffixes
-acy, -cy Noun: state or quality privacy: the state of being alone priv + acy infancy: the state of being a baby or young child in + fan + cy -age Noun: activity, or result of action courage : having the spirit to overcome fear cour + age -al Noun: action, result of action referral : the action of directing a person to another place, person or thing re + ferr + al -an Noun: person artisan : a craftsperson arti + san -ance, -ence Noun: action, state, quality or process resistance : the action of opposing something re + sist + ance independence: the state of not being under the control of others, free, self-governing in + de + pend + ence -ancy, -ency Noun: state, quality or capacity vacancy : an empty room or position vac + ancy agency: the capacity to exert power or influence, a position or person that performs a function ag + ency -ant, -ent Noun: an agent, something that performs the action disinfectant : an agent that destroys germs, somthing that cleans dis + in + fect + ant dependent: a thing supported by another, a thing determined by another de + pend + ent -ate Noun: state, office, fuction candidate : a person nominated for an office or position candid + ate -ation Noun: action, resulting state specialization : the result of being distinguished by one quality or ability spec + ial + iz + ation -dom Noun: place, state of being wisdom : possessing knowledge wis + dom -er, -or Noun: person or thing that does something porter : a person who carries things port + er collector: a person who collects or gathers things col + lect + or -ful Noun: an amount or quanity that fills mouthful : an amount that fills the mouth mouth + ful -ian, an Noun: related to, one that is pedestrian : a person who walks ped + estr + ian human: a person hum + an -ia Noun: names, diseases phobia : an illogical fear of something phob + ia -iatry Noun: art of healing psychiatry : branch of medicine that deals with the mind and emotions psych + iatry -ic, ics Noun: related to the arts and sciences arithmetic : a branch of math that usually deals with non-negative numbers arithm + et + ic economics: the social science related to studying business eco + nom + ics -ice Noun: act malice : the desire to do evil mal + ice -ing Noun: material made for, activity, result of an activity flooring : a material made for floors floor + ing swimming: the activity of swimming or moving through water swim(m) + ing building: the result of making a structure build + ing -ion Noun: condition or action abduction : the action of carrying someone away by force ab + duct + ion -ism Noun: doctrine, belief, action or conduct formalism : a belief in sticking to prescribed forms or artistic styles form + al + ism -ist Noun: person or member podiatrist : a foot doctor pod + iatr + ist -ite Noun: product or part graphite : a black material used in making pencils graph + ite -ity, ty Noun: state or quality lucidity : clear thinking luc + id + ity novelty: something new or unusual nov + el + ty -ive Noun: condition native : a person born in a specific place nat + ive -ment Noun: condition or result document : an official paper usually showinf proof or evidence of something docu + ment -ness Noun: state, condition, quality kindness : the quality of being kind or nice kind + ness -or Noun: condition or activity valor : bravery, courage val + or -ory Noun: place for, serves for territory : an area around a place territ + ory -ship Noun: status, condition relationship : the state of being related or connected to something or someone re + lat + ion + ship -ure Noun: act, condition, process, function exposure : the condition of being exposed or unprotected pos + ure -y Noun: state, condition, result of an activity society : companionship soci + et + y victory: the result of winning something vict + or + y
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our struggles will not end but ,certainly,life. Last edited by marwatone; Friday, August 20, 2010 at 01:56 PM. Reason: Avoid using red color,please. |
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