Greek and Latin Roots 2
Unus: One
Unit- one part of a series of a whole
Union- act of making one out of many
United- together as one
Unicorn- (cornu- horn) mythical horse with one horn on its head
Duo: Two
Duet- music played or sung by two people
Duplicate- to make a second copy
Dual- two (as in dual purpose- having two purposes)
Duplex- two homes in one building
Tres: Three
Trio- three acting or performing together
Tripod- (podos- foot) a three legged stand for a camera or another instrument
Triangle- (angulus- corner angle) a figure with three straight sides and three corner angles
Triennial- (annus- year) every three years
Quattuor: Four
Quadricycle- (kyclos- wheel) four wheeled vehicle
Quatrain- a stanza or verse of poetry four lines long
Quadrille- square dance for four couples
Quadrilateral- (latus- side) shape having four sides
Quinque: Five
Quinquennial- (annus- year) five year period or celebration
Quinquesyllable- (syllaba- syllable) a word of five syllables
Sex: Six
Sexennial- (annus- year) six year period or celebration
Sexdigital- (digitus- finger, toe) having six fingers or toes
Sexcentenary- (centum- hundred) a 600 year period or celebration
Septem: Seven
September- seventh month in the Roman calendar
Septennial- (annus- year) seven year period or celebration
Septangle- (angulus- corner) a flat figure with seven sides and seven angles
Octo: Eight
October- eighth month in the old Roman calendar
Octopus- (podos- foot) eight footed ocean creature
Octagon- (gonia- angle) figure with eight sides and eight corners or angles
Octennial- (annus- year) eight year period of celebration
Novem: Nine
November- ninth month in the Roman calendar
Novena- devotions for nine days in the Roman Catholic church
Novennial- (annus- year) nine year period or celebration
Decem: Ten
December- tenth month of the old Roman calendar
Decennial- (annus- year) tenth anniversary or celebration
Decemdentate- (dentis- tooth) having ten teeth
Decemfoliate- (folium- leaf) having ten leaves
Centum: hundred
Cent- one hundredth of a dollar
Century- a set of one hundred
Centimeter- (metron- measure) one hundredth of a meter
Percent- (per-through) number of parts in every hundred
Mille: Thousand
Mile- a thousand paces
Mill- one thousandth of a dollar
Millimeter- (metron- measure) one thousandth of a meter
Millipede- (ped, pedis- foot) thousand footed bug
Millennium- (annus- year) thousand year period or anniversary
Digitus: finger, toe, inch
Digit- finger
Digitalis- the “foxglove” plant from which heart medicine is made
Manus: hand
Manufacture- (facio, factum- making) make by hand
Manuscript- (scribe, scriptum- write) writing or written by hand
Manumit- (mitto, missum- send) to send forth or release from one’s hand
Bracchium- arm
Embrace- (em- in, into) to take into one’s arms
Bracelet- ornament for the arm or wrist
Brachiate- to swing by the arms on bars or tree branches
Pes, Pedis: foot
Pedestal- foot of a column
Pedestrian- walker, on foot
Pedal- foot lever
Pedicure- (curo, curatum- care) care for the feet
Pedometer- measures distance walked
Dens, Dentis: tooth
Dent- tooth-like notch in gears, locks, etc.
Dentist- tooth doctor
Dentate- having a toothed edge (leaves)
Dental- pertaining to teeth
Denture- set of teeth (false)
Dentiform- (forma- shape) shaped like a tooth
Kinesis: Movement
Kinetic- relating to movement of bodies
Kinesiology- (logos- study of) study of human movement
Cinema- motion pictures (Greeks had no “c” – they used “k”)
Cinematographer- motion picture photographer
Corpus, Corporis: Body
Corporeal- pertaining to the body
Corps- military division organized as a body
Incorporate- to make into a body
Corporation- legally formed group- a body
Corpse- dead body
Mikros: Small
Microphone- (phone- sound) device for transmitting a small sound over distance
Microbe- (bios- life) tiny form of life
Microcosm- (cosmos- world) a tiny world
Micrometer- (metron- measure) instrument for measuring small things
Megas: great, large, big
Megaphone- (phone- sound) device for making a sound large
Megalith- (lithos- rock) huge rock like the ones at Stonehenge
Megalomania- (mania- craze) crazy person with delusions of greatness or grandeur
Megameter- a million meters
Megatons- a million tons
Magnus: big, large, great
Magnify- (facio, factum- make, do) make larger
Magnifier- One who makes things greater
Magnitude- (tudo- ness) greatness
Magnate- a person of great rank or influence
Tele: far away, distant
Television- (video, visum- see) seeing distant things
Telephone- (phone- sound) sound from far away
Telegraph- (graph- write) writing from a distance
Telepathy- (pathos- feeling) knowing how someone far away is feeling
Bonus: Good
Bonus- something extra good
BonBon (French) – beautifully decorated candy, a goody goody
Bonny (Scottish)- good looking
Bounteous- (ous- full of) plentiful good
Thermos: Heat
Thermal- relating to heat
Thermos bottle- insulated bottle which keeps the contents hot or cold
Thermometer- (metron- measure) device for measuring heat
Thermotropic- (tropos- turn) turning toward heat