GREEK AND LATIN ROOTS
1. aer Greek
Definition: of the air
Examples: aeronautics
2. cor Latin
Definition: heart (has morphed to cour (French) – courage, encourage)
Examples: core
3. ecto Greek
Definition: outside/exterior
Examples: ectoplasm
4. derm Greek
Definition: skin
Examples: dermatologist
5. hemo Latin
Definition: blood
Examples: hemorrhage
6. hydro/hydra/hydr Greek
Definition: water
Examples: hydration
7. mania Greek
Definition: mental illness/ madness
Examples: maniac
8. morph Greek
Definition: to form
Examples: metamorphosis
9. mem Latin
Definition: remember
Examples: memory
10. mob Latin
Definition: move
Examples: mobile
11. nym Greek
Definition: of/ relating to name
Examples: synonym, pseudonym,
12. path Greek
Definition: of /relating to emotion
Examples: pathos, empathy
13. pel/pols Latin
Definition: drive, force
Examples: compel
14. pens Latin
Definition: hang, weigh, pay
Examples: pension, expensive
15. phil
Greek
Definition: love
Examples: philosophy
16. phobia Greek
Definition: fear
Examples: arachnophobia
17. psych Greek
Definition: of the mind
Examples: psychology
18. sist
Latin
Definition: to stand, place
Examples: persist
19. spir/spire Latin
Examples: inspire
Definition: breath
20. ten
Latin
Definition: hold
Example: detention
21. theo Greek
Definition: god
Example: theology
22. val
Latin
Definition: be strong/ be worth)
Example: valid
23. veri
Latin
Definition: true
Example: verdict
24. voc
Latin
Definition: voice
Example: vocalize
25. uni
Latin
Definition: one, single
Example: unique
Prefixes to know:
26.
ambi
Definition: both
Examples: ambidextrous
27.
bi
Defintion: two
Examples: bicycle
28.circum
Definition: around
Examples: cirumference
29.em/en
Definition: put into, make, provide with, surround with
Examples: emblazoned, encourage
30.
post
Definition: after, behind
Examples: post-operation
31. tri
Definition: three
Examples: triceps
Suffixes to know:
32.
–ory/ary
Definition: place for, serves for (appearing in nouns)
Examples: library, mercenary
33. –dom
Definition: state of being (appearing in nouns)
Examples: boredom
34. –ling
Definition: one connected with or young, small (appearing in nouns-
duckling- and adverbs-flatling)
Examples: duckling, dumpling
35. –wise
Examples: clockwise, edgewise
Definition: in the manner of, regard to (appearing in adverbs- clockwise)
Foreign words to know:
1. ad nauseam – Latin meaning to an extreme or annoying extent; to a sickening or excessive degree
(adverb) (Example: He played the song ad nauseam – the “ad” means “to”).
2. blasé – French meaning indifferent to or bored with life; unimpressed as if from an excess of worldly
pleasures (adjective)
3. bona fide – Latin meaning made in good faith without fraud or deceit (adjective)
4. cliché – French meaning a trite, stereotyped expression, expressing a common thought or idea and
that has lost its originality; a reproduction made in a like manner (noun)
5. e pluribus unum – Latin meaning “out of many, one” and “one from many” (E Pluribus Unum is
Latin for "out of many, one." Sometimes it is translated more loosely as "one from many." E Pluribus Unum refers
to the fact that the United States was formed as a cohesive single nation as the result of the thirteen smaller
colonies joining together.
The motto E Pluribus Unum was first proposed by the U.S. Continental Congress in 1782, for use on the Great Seal
of the United States. The immediate inspiration for the use of this term is generally believed to be Gentlemen's
Magazine, which was an important men's magazine published in England beginning in the early 18th century. It
was a very influential magazine among the intellectual elite. Every year, Gentlemen's Magazine would do a special
issue, comprised of the best of the year's articles, and the Latin term "E Pluribus Unum" appeared on the title page
as a way of explaining that this issue of the magazine became "one issue from many previous issues."
http://coins.about.com/od/uscoins/f/e_pluribus_unum.htm).
6. habeas corpus – Latin for “You have the body”; A writ (court order) that commands an individual or
a government official who has restrained another to produce the prisoner at a designated time and place
so that the court can determine the legality of custody and decide whether to order the prisoner's
release.
7. nemesis –– Latin and plural is nemeses; something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc.; in
mythology, the goddess Nemesis of divine retribution; an agent or act of retribution (noun)
Example Questions
1. If cyte means cell, what is a hemocyte?
2. What does it mean to have hydrophobia?