Building
Vocabulary
from Word
Roots
Lesson 7
Latin Bases
past, pastor, and greg
past, pastor
The Latin base past or pastor
means “shepherd.”
This base does NOT attach to
prefixes.
These bases are often used to
create words central to religious
and civil rights movements; they
create words literally and
figuratively related to shepherds
and flocks.
greg
The Latin base greg means “flock”
or “herd.”
This base attaches to five Latin
prefixes:
•
•
•
•
•
ad- (to, toward, add to)
con- (with, together)
e- (out)
se- (aside, away)
de- (down)
Only one greg word does not attach
to a prefix: gregarious.
past, pastor= “shepherd”
pastor + al (relating to) = pastoral—(“related to”
“shepherd”)
When someone acts in a pastoral manner, they
are acting like a shepherd, whether literally or
figuratively.
pastor (“shepherd”)
The pastor of a church is the leader, acting as a
shepherd to his church followers.
greg= “flock, herd”
con- (with, together) + greg = congregation—(“flock”
“together”)
When you join a congregation of people, you are
becoming part of a group.
ad- (to, toward, add to) + greg= aggregate—(a cluster of
items “added to” a “herd” or mass)
Concrete is a common aggregate, combining several
types of rock particles to create a hard surface.
se- (aside, away) + greg= segregate— (to move
something “aside” or “away” from the “herd”)
When a person or group is experiencing segregation,
he or they are being kept out of a group.
Practice
Use the definitions of the bases, prefixes, and suffixes,
if provided, and the context of the sentence to
determine the meanings of the bolded words.
Seeing the pastor performing the casual service
in the large pasture reminded me of a pastoral
painting I had seen of a young boy and his sheep.
Practice
Seeing the pastor performing the casual service
in the large pasture reminded me of a pastoral
painting I had seen of a young boy and his sheep.
• Pastor- the “shepherd” or leader of a church
• Pasture- the grassy area where shepherds
graze their sheep
• Pastoral- relating to a pastor or shepherd;
countryside or pastureland
Practice
Use the definitions of the bases, prefixes, and suffixes, if
provided, and the context of the sentence to determine the
meanings of the bolded words.
The congregation of students was shocked by
the egregious discrimination committed when
the group of girls was segregated from the
dodgeball tournament. (the prefix con- means
“with”, the prefix e- means “out”, the prefix semeans “aside, away”)
Practice
The congregation of students was shocked by the
egregious discrimination committed when the
group of girls was segregated from the dodgeball
tournament. (the prefix con- means “with”, the
prefix e- means “out”, the prefix se- means “aside,
away”)
• Congregation- to “flock” or come together as a
group; a group of people
• Egregious- standing “out” from the “flock” for
negative reasons; something outstandingly bad
• Segregated-moved “away” from the “flock”;
separated from the group
Test Prep
Greg—this base means _________, _________
Shelly is such a gregarious person that she is known
to nearly every student in the school. She smiles,
waves, and talks to everyone she meets, and she is
always surrounded by a group of people.
• Define the word gregarious using a definition of
the base
Test Prep
Greg—this base means flock, herd
Shelly is such a gregarious person that she is known
to nearly every student in the school. She smiles,
waves, and talks to everyone she meets, and she is
always surrounded by a group of people.
• Define the word gregarious using a definition of
the base
• Having the quality of liking groups of people;
sociable
Test Prep
Past, pastor—these bases mean _________
The new preacher was slightly amazed at the
large number of pastoral duties he was expected
to complete: leading the services, counseling
members of the church, studying the readings,
visiting the sick, and so much more.
• Define the word pastoral using a definition of
the base
Test Prep
Past, pastor—these bases mean shepherd
The new preacher was slightly amazed at the large
number of pastoral duties he was expected to
complete: leading the services, counseling members
of the church, studying the readings, visiting the
sick, and so much more.
• Define the word pastoral using a definition of the
base
• Relating to the “shepherd” or leader of a church