Unit One
ROOT WORDS
Root Words (Week 1)
• BELL (Latin meaning “war”) Bellona was
the Roman goddess of war and her
husband Mars was the god of war.
1. Antebellum: (noun) Period before a war
(before + war)
2. Bellicose: (adj) Warlike, aggressive
3. Belligerence: (noun) Aggressiveness
4. Rebellion: (noun) Defiance and
opposition
Root Words (Week 1)
• PAC/PEAS (Latin related to “agree” and “peace”)
The Pacific Ocean was named so because to
Magellan is seemed to be peaceful.
1. Pacify: (verb) To sooth anger/aggression
2. Pacifist: (noun) A person opposed to
violence or war
3. Pact: (noun) A treaty or agreement
4. Appease: (verb) To make peaceful and
calm
Root Words (Week 2)
• HOSP or HOST (latin word for hospes
meaning “host” or “guest”)
– Inhospitable: unfriendly
– Hostel: Place for travelers to stay at a low
cost
– Hospice: Place for the terminally ill
Other words you might connect:
– Hospital
– Hostage
ROOT WORDS (WEEK 2)
• AM/IM (Latin word for amare meaning “to
love”)
– Amiable: Friendly
– Amicable: Friendly, Peaceful (more formal than
“amiable”)
– Enamored: Charmed with love; infatuated
– Inimical: Hostile, unfriendly (“in-” negates the
meaning)
– Paramour: A secret love that is not allowed by
law or custom (“par-” means “by or through”)
Think “amigo” in Spanish!
Root Words (Week 3)
• CRIM (Latin for “fault” and “crime”)
1. Decriminalize: (verb) To remove or reduce
the criminal status
2. Incriminate: (verb) To show evidence of
involvement in a crime
3. Criminology: (noun) The study of crime
and law enforcement
Root Words (Week 3)
• PROB (Latin for “prove” and “proof”)
1. Approbation: (noun) A formal act of
approval or praise
2. Probity: (noun) Absolute honesty and
uprightness (pro-be-tea; not to be confused with propriety)
3. Reprobate: (noun) A person of thoroughly
bad character. As a verb, it means to
express disapproval.
Root Words (Week 4)
• LEV (“Levus” meaning “light”)
1. Alleviate: (verb) To relieve, lighten, or
lessen
2. Levity: (noun) Humor or lack of
seriousness
Related Words: Elevate, Levitate,
Leavening, Unleavened Yeast
Root Words (Week 4)
• FIN (Latin for “end”)
1. Affinity: (noun) An interest or
attraction
(it is almost like you want to with it until the end)
2. Finite: (adj) Having definite limits
Related Words: Definite, infinite,
infinitesimal, definitive
UNIT TWO
ROOT WORDS
Root Words (2.1)
• AMBI (Latin for “on both sides”) Ambigere
means “undecided.”
1. Ambiguous: (adjective) Unclear in meaning;
obscure
2. Ambivalent: (adjective) Having two
simultaneous, opposite feelings
3. Ambience: (noun) The atmosphere of a place
4. Ambidextrous: (adjective) Having the ability to
use both hands for tasks
Root Words (2.1)
• JEC (Jacere is Latin for “throw” or
“hurl”)
1. Conjecture: (noun or verb) To guess (“to
throw together”)
2. Dejected: (adjective) Downcast,
depressed (“cast down”)
Related Words: Reject (to push back); Eject (to
throw out); Object (to throw in the way of);
Trajectory (the path of a thrown object)
Root Words (2.2)
• DIS (Latin for “apart”)
1.Dissension: (noun) Disagreement
2.Disseminate: (verb) To spread
widely
3.Dissipate: (verb) To spread out to
the point of vanishing; to
squander
Root Words (2.2)
• CARN (Latin for “flesh”)
1. Carnage: (noun) Slaughter; great
destruction of life
2. Carnal: (adj) Having to do with bodily
or animalistic parts or pleasure
3. Incarnate: (verb) To embody in
human form
Related Words: Carnival, Carnivore
Root Words (2.3)
• CRED (Latin from credere for “to believe”)
1. Credence: (noun) Mental acceptance
of something as true or real; belief
2. Creed: (noun) A statement of the
basic beliefs or principles of a
religious belief.
3. Incredulous: (adj) Unable to believe
something.
Root Words (2.3)
•MAL (Latin for “bad”)
1.Malevolence: (noun) Hatred
2.Malicious: (adj) Desiring to
cause pain or distress
3.Malignant: (adj) Dangerous or
harmful
Root Words (2.4)
• CATA (Greek from Kata for “down”)
1. Cataclysm: (noun) A momentous event
that results in great upheaval; a violent
and massive change in the Earth’s surface.
2. Catalyst: (noun) Someone or something
that brings about a significant change.
3. Catatonic: (adj) Frozen, showing an
unusual lack of movement; State of
schizophrenia
Root Words (2.4)
• SPIC (Latin from spicere for “to look at”)
1. Auspicious: (adj) Promising success,
favorable, fortunate
2. Conspicuous: (adj) Obvious or
noticeable.
3. Inconspicuous: (adj) Not noticeable,
hidden
UNIT THREE
ROOT WORDS
Root Words (3.1)
• VOC/VOK (“Use of the voice”)
1. Unequivocally: (adverb) Clear and
unambiguous
2. Irrevocable: (adjective) Impossible to
call back or retract
3. Vociferous: (adjective) Making noisy
outcries
Root Words (3.1)
• TEND/TENT (Tendere is Latin for
“stretch, extend, spread”)
1. Contentious: (adjective) Quarrelsome or
having a tendency to pick fights
2. Portend: (verb) To give a sign or warning
beforehand; to indicate or signify
3. Portentous: (adjective) Ominous; marvelous
Root Words (3.2)
• PATH (Greek pathos“suffering”)
1.Apathetic: (adjective) Indifferent
2.Empathy: (noun) Share emotions
with others
3.Antipathy: (noun) Dislike;
aversion
Root Words (3.2)
• PEN/PUN (Latin for “penalty” or
“punishment”)
1.Impunity: (noun) Freedom from
punishment
2.Penal: (adjective) Punishable
3.Punitive: (adjective)
Giving/involving punishment
Root Words (3.3)
• CULP (“guilt”)
1. Culpable: (adjective) Deserving
blame
2. Mea Culpa: “It is my fault.”
Related Words: Culprit
Root Words (3.3)
• APT/EPT (“fit”)
1.Aptitude: (noun) Ability or talent
(to learn)
2.Adept: (adjective) Expert or
highly skilled
3.Inept: (adjective) Foolish or
incompetent