Latin & Greek
Root Words
Dr. T. Robyn Wilson
ROOT WORDS
What are root words?
Words originating from Latin (ancient Rome) and
Greek.
Why is it important to learn root words?
Almost every word in English has root words, so this
makes it easier to understand a new word and
remember how to spell them.
Roots are word parts.
1. photo
2. graph
3. tele
4. meter
5. tropic
Build more words with root words.
GREEK DERIVATIVES
• English has built largely on the old Greek roots
and still continues to utilize them as
foundations upon which to construct new
terms.
• In the following table are some words which
were derived from the old-time Greek roots
Greek Roots:
ROOT
DEFINITION
DERIVATIVE
aer
agon
allos
angelos
anthos
anthropos
air
contest
another
messenger
flower
man
aerostat
antagonist
allegory
evangelist
anthology
anthropology
GREEK:
arche
aristos
aster
atmos
autos
ballo
bapto
rule
best
star
vapor
self
throw
dip
monarch
aristocracy
asteroid
atmosphere
automobile
symbol
baptism
GREEK ROOTS:
biblos
bios
cheir
chronos
daklulos
deka
demos
book
life
hand
time
finger
ten
people
bibliomania
amphibious
chirography
chronicle
dactylic
decade
epidemic
Greek and Latin Words from Harry Potter
by J. K. Rowling
arma – weapons, armour
dens – a tooth
dormio – I sleep
lumen – light
ludo – I play
nox – night, darkness
nunquam (or numquam) – never
patronus – a protector or sponsor
Sirius Black
Sirius is the Latin name for
the bright dog star and the
title of the Cornhusker
tunnel walk song.
Draco Malfoy
Draco is the Latin
word for dragon.
Greek letters are still used
in math and science today.
th, ph, ch, and ps
stand for Greek letters
not in our alphabet.
ad
to
adhesive, adapt, addition
Root word aer-, aeroOrigin
Greek
Meaning
Air, atmosphere
Example
Aeronautics
al
action
removal, referral, disposal
Root word agriOrigin
Greek and Latin
Meaning
Field
Example
Agriculture
Root word animaOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Breathe
Example
Animal
Root word annOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Year, yearly
Example
Annual
ante
before
antecedent, antebellum
Root word aquOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Water
Example
Aquarium
Root word astroOrigin
Greek
Meaning
Star
Example
Astronomy
astro
star
astronomy, astrology, asteroid
Root word aud
Origin
Latin
Meaning
Hearing, listening, sound
Example
Auditorium
audi
hear
auditory, audience
To hear or listen
• Audio
• Audition
• auditorium
Root word auto
Origin
Greek
Meaning
Self
Example
Automobile
Root word aviOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Bird
Example
Aviation
bene
good
benefit, beneficial
Root word biOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Two
Example
Bicycle
Root word bi(o)Origin
Greek
Meaning
Life
Example
Biology
Root word capOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Hold, take
Example
Capture
To take, catch, hold, receive.
• Recap
• Receipt
• receive
cede
go
precede, recede
Root word centOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Hundred
Example
Century
chron
time
chronological, synchronize
Root word clarOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Clear
Example
Clarity
Root word conOrigin
Latin
Meaning
with
Example
connect
To Believe
• Credit
• Incredible
• Accredit
To Run Or Go
•
•
•
•
Current
Curricular
Cursive
Cursor
Root word cycl
Origin
Greek
Meaning
Round
Example
Bicycle
Root word deOrigin
Latin
Meaning
From, away from
Example
Delete
de
down
deposit, demolish, deplete
Root word demOrigin
Greek
Meaning
People
Example
Democracy
What is a derivation?
(pronounced: “dir-ah-va-tion”)
• Derivation means drawing off water from a
main stream
From Latin
de: down from, away from
+
rivus: brook, stream
• English words may be derived or drawn off of
mainstream Greek or Latin roots. Roots may
not be spelled the same way all the time.
To Say Or Tell
•
•
•
•
•
Dictionary
Ridiculous
Addiction
Dictator
Prediction
Root word dictOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Say, speak
Example
Dictation
dict
say, speak
dictionary, predict, contradict
Root word digitOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Finger
Example
Digital
Root word dormOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Sleep
Example
Dormitory
To Lead
Conduct
Educate
Produce
Introduction
Root word ecoOrigin
Greek
Meaning
House
Example
Ecology
et cetera
etc.
etc. is a Latin term that
means and so forth
What does this term mean?
To Make Or Do
• Factory
• Fact
• Facility
fec
make-do
factory, benefactor, manufacture
fer
carry
transfer, infer, ferry
To Bear or Yield
• Conference
• Confer
• Difference
flect
band
reflect, deflect
To Bend Or Curve
• Flexible
• Flexibility
• Reflex
flex
band
flexible, circumflex
To Bend Or Curve
• Reflect
• Reflection
• Reflector
Root word formOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Shape
Example
Formation
To Shape
• Formula
• Inform
• Perform
• Uniform
• Transform
Root word frigOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Cold
Example
Frigid
Root word ge(o)Origin
Greek
Meaning
Earth
Example
Geology
graph
• Definition: to write or draw
• Example: autograph
helio
sun
heliocentric, perihelion
hetero
different
heterogeneous, heterodox
Root word hexOrigin
Greek
Meaning
Six
Example
Hexagon
homo
same
bawl or ball
homonym, homophone
Root word hydr(o)Origin
Greek
Meaning
Water
Example
Hydroponic
hydro
water
dehydrate, hydrate, hydrosphere
im
not
impossible, immature, immeasurable
inter
between
international, interlude, interstellar
-ism
doctrine
capitalism, cubism, Marxism
-ize
to make
crystallize, synchronize
ject
throw
eject, projectile
To throw Or lie
• Project
• Reject
• Eject
Root word juvenOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Young
Example
Juvenile
kinesis
Definition: movement
Examples:
kinetic: movement of bodies
cinema: motion pictures (movies)
telekinesis: moving things without physical contact
Root word kil(o)Origin
Greek
Meaning
Thousand
Example
Kilogram
Law
• Legislative
• Legislation
• Legislate
Root word legOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Law
Example
Legal
Root word liberOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Free
Example
Liberation
mal
bad
dismal, malady, malignant
Root word manuOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Hand
Example
Manual
Manu=hand
MAN & MANU mean BY HAND
Manual :
relating to the hand; manual
labor
Manicure :
The care of the
hands and nails
Chains for the hands: manacles
metron
• Definition: measure
• Examples: thermometer, meter stick,
geometry
To send
• Dismiss
• Admission
• Dissmissal
neo
new
neonatal, neophyte
Root word novOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Nine
Example
November
Root word numerOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Number
Example
Numeral
Root word octOrigin
Latin and Greek
Meaning
Eight
Example
Octangular
-ous
full of or like
ambidextrous, glorious
paleo
old
Paleolithic, paleomagnetism
pend
hang
pendulum, pendant, impending
Foot
• Peddle
• Pedometer
• Pedicure
To Drive Or Push
• Expel
• Propeller
• Repellent
Root word pentOrigin
Greek
Meaning
Five
Example
Pentagon
To Hang Or Weigh
•
•
•
•
Dispense
Expense
Expensive
Suspense
Philia (“feel-ya”)
Definition: love, friendship
Examples: Philadelphia,
philosopher, Philip, philharmonic,
philanthropist
philia
Philadelphia -- city of brotherly love
Rocky actor
Sylvester Stallone
at the Philadelphia
Museum of Art
Root word phob(ia)Origin
Greek
Meaning
Fear
Example
Hydrophobia
Root word phos-, photOrigin
Greek
Meaning
Light
Example
Photograph
photos
Definition: light
Examples: photograph, photosynthesis
Root word physOrigin
Greek
Meaning
Nature
Example
Physics
phobos
Definition: unusual fear
Examples:
claustrophobia: fear of closed places
acrophobia: fear of heights
arachnophobia: fear of spiders
myctophobia: fear of darkness
suriphobia- fear of mice
testophobia- fear of taking tests
To Fold
• Accomplice
• Complication
• Duplicate
port
carry
transport, import, porter
To Carry
• Airport
• Export
• Portable
• Transport
To Put, Place, or Set.
• Compose
• Pose
• Opposite
Root word preOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Before
Example
Previous
PRIM & PRIME are ROOTWORDS meaning FIRST
First, as in quality
The foremost; the best
Root word pseud(o)Origin
Greek
Meaning
False
Example
Pseudonym
Root word pyr(o)Origin
Greek
Meaning
Heat, fire
Example
Pyrolysis
Root word quadrOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Four
Example
Quadrangle
Root word quintOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Fifth
Example
Quintary
Root word reOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Again, back
Example
Recede
rupt
break
rupture, erupt
To Write
•
•
•
•
Describe
Indescribable
Prescribe
Scribble
semi
half
semicircle, semiannual
Root word septOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Seven
Example
September
Root word servOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Save, protect, serve
Example
Conservation
To Stand
• Assistant
• Status
• Constant
sol
alone
solo, solitude, solitaire
stella
star
stellar, constellation, interstellar
syn
present - gift
together
Examples:
synonyms: words that go together
symphony: sounds that go together
synchronize: do things at the same time
synagogue: to bring people together for Jewish worship
syn
together
symmetry, symphony
To Break or Burst
• Disrupt
• Eruption
• Interrupt
To Write
• Scripture
• Subscription
To see, watch, or observe
•
•
•
•
Aspect
Inspect
Perspective
Suspect
To see, watch, or observe
• Suspicious
• Suspicion
To Build
•
•
•
•
Construct
Destruction
Instruct
Structure
tele
• Definition: far away, distant
• Examples: telephone, telescope
To hold
• Contain
• Container
• Contents
temp
time
temporary, contemporary
tempo
time
temporarily, contemporary
To Stretch Or Strain
• Extend
• Tendency
• Pretend
Root word terrOrigin
Latin
Meaning
Dry land, earth
Example
Terrain
thesis
Definition: put, place, position
-tion
act or state
completion, devastation, production
Root word triOrigin
Latin and Greek
Meaning
Three
Example
Triangle
tri
three
tricycle, triangle
tropos
• Definition: turning toward something such as
the sun
• Examples: Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn,
Tropics
To Turn
•
•
•
•
Advertise
Invert
Convert
Vertical
To see
• Visual
• Visor
• visit
To live
• Survival
• Revive
• Vitamin
voc
voice
vocal, advocate
Using root words
guess what the
meaning of these
words.
“Dynamics” is used in physics to describe the process
of how things work.
Aerodynamics
Air
Hydrodynamics
Water
What does biofuel mean?
Fuel made from living organisms
such as corn, sugar and plants.
What does animation mean?
Cartoon