Sunday, June 14, 2009

Roots

A

  • act, ag: do, act, drive
    • Latin, agere: to drive, lead, act, do
    • active (adjective): moving about
  • anim: mind, life, spirit, anger
    • Latin, animus: spirit
    • animal (noun): a living creature
  • auc, aug, aut: to originate, to increase
    • Latin, augere: to originate, increase
    • augment (verb): to increase, to add to

 

B

  • 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

 

C

  • chron: time
    • Greek, khronos: time
    • chronological (adjective): arranged in order of time or sequence
  • corp: body
    • Latin, corpus: body
    • corporate (adjective): formed into a body or association, united in one group
  • cred: trust, believe
    • Latin, credere: to believe
    • incredible (adjective): unbelievable

 

D

  • 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

 

E

  • ev, et: time, age
    • Latin, aevum: lifetime
    • medieval (adjective): related to the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)

 

F

  • 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

 

G

  • 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
  • graph, graf: write, draw
    • Greek, graphein: write, scratch, carve
    • graphic (adjective): written, drawn, vividly shown

 

H

 

J

  • jac, ject, jet: to throw
    • Latin, jacere: to throw, to lie
    • reject (verb): to throw out, unwilling to accept

 

L

  • 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

 

M

  • 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

 

N

  • nov: new
    • latin, novus: new
    • novice (noun): a beginner or newcomer

 

O

  • oper: work
    • Latin, opus: work
    • operate (verb): to work, to perform

 

P

  • 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
  • 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

 

Q

 

R

  • rupt: break
    • Latin, rumpere: break
    • rupture (verb): to break or burst

 

S

  • 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
  • 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
  • stab, stat: stand
    • Latin, stare: to stand
    • stature (noun) - height of a standing body, importance of position

 

T

  • 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
  • term: end, boundary, limit
    • Latin, terminusm: limit, boundary
    • exterminate (verb): to kill off, to get rid of
  • 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

 

U

  • uni: one
    • Latin, unus: one
    • unite (verb): to make one, to join together

 

V

  • 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
  • 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

 

 

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