Etymology
The study of word origins
Knowing affixes will GREATLY help you
when reading and preform well on your
SAT, ACT, and future GRE tests!
 It will help you understand terms in all of
your core classes AND electives.
 Bonus! You will sound even smarter than
you already are!

Why study Etymology?
English is a blend of words from many other languages
 These words made their way into the English language in many ways

oOccupation by other countries/cultures
oEnglish occupation of other countries/cultures
oBrought by immigrants
oCultural trends and fashions
GREEK and LATIN have had the biggest
influence on the English language!
Where do words come from?

There are 3 parts to
Eymology:
◦ Base word & Root Word
 Base word can stand alone (dial, just, able)
 Root word cannot stand alone (spec, urb, tempor)
◦ Prefix (Pre-before, fix- to attach)
 Parts of words that appear before root words
 (un-, re-, dis-)
◦ Suffix
◦ 1. change the tense of the word
 Example: (-s, -es, -ed, “cows”, “speeches”, “cooked”)
◦ 2. can change the part of speech
 Example: (-ure, -ly, -able)
Please to pleasure (noun), pleasant (adjective) to pleasantly (adverb)
◦ 3. extend the basic meaning of the word.
 Example: suffix –ology (study of) added to bio(life)= biology (the
study of life)
Prefix- Parts of words that appear before root words
 Let’s
take the prefix “pre-”
 What
words have “pre-” to begin them?
 What
could it mean?

Re-

Un-
Other Common Prefixes
Root/Base Words
Base word can stand alone (dial, just, able)
Root word cannot stand alone (spec, urb, tempor)

Look at the base word “dial”?
◦ What does it mean?
◦ What prefix could you add to it?

Look at the root word “tempor”
◦ Where have you seen it before?
◦ What does it usually mean?
◦ 1. change the tense of the word
 Example: (-s, -es, -ed, “cows”, “speeches”, “cooked”)
◦ 2. can change the part of speech
 Example: (-ure, -ly, -able)
Please to pleasure (noun), pleasant (adjective) to pleasantly
(adverb)
◦ 3. extend the basic meaning of the word.
 Example: suffix –ology (study of) added to bio(life)=
biology (the study of life)
Suffixes

What words can you think of that end
with “-ology”?
◦ What would “ology” mean?

What about “-ed”
Common Suffixes

Each week we will add new affixes to your
vocabulary and word bank!
Weekly etymology