CollectionThe Wide World of Word OriginsWhere in the World Did These Words Come From?
Explore Collection
- 18 WordsEnglish Food and Drink Words Derived from Arabic
- 22 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Arabic
- 15 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Hindi
- 15 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Yiddish
- 15 WordsMore English Words Derived from Yiddish
- 15 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Gaelic
- 10 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Old Norse
- 15 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Indigenous Languages of the Americas
- 15 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Quechua
- 15 WordsEnglish Words Derived from Nahuatl
CollectionPower SuffixesFlex Your Vocab Muscles with These Essential Word Endings
Explore Collection
- 25 Words-able
- 18 Words-acy
- 14 Words-arian
- 12 Words-escence
- 18 Words-ette
- 15 Words-ful
- 13 Words-fy
- 40 Words-ism
- 15 Words-less
- 20 Words-ology
- 10 Words-scope
CollectionPower PrefixesBoost Your Word Knowledge with These Essential Affixes
Explore Collection
- 10 Wordsanti-
- 10 Wordscon-
- 15 Wordsdis-
- 10 Wordsex-
- 10 Wordsfore-
- 10 Wordsinter-
- 10 Wordsmis-
- 10 Wordspre-
- 10 Wordspro-
- 25 Wordsre-
- 10 Wordssub-
- 10 Wordssuper-
- 10 Wordstrans-
- 20 Wordsun-
- 10 Wordsuni-
Morphology & Roots Vocabulary Lists:
English Words Derived from Indigenous Languages of the Americas
Here are 15 common English words whose roots come from indigenous languages of the Americas. The fate of the people who spoke these languages varies greatly, from tribes lost to history (that we only know about through records of other tribes) to the Guarani, whose language at last count had over 4 million speakers in Paraguay. All of these peoples, whatever their current status, have contributed their ideas and their perspectives through the English words below. Many of these terms have to do with animals and foods to be found in nature, but the Algonquian roots of «tuxedo» may come as a surprise! Read on below for tales of many more English words from indigenous sources.
15 Words
Perfect Ten: Dec, Cent, Mille
These words derive from the Latin roots dec («ten»), cent («hundred»), and mille («thousand»). Start a practice session and see if you can score 100 percent!
14 Words
Power Suffix: -scope
Have a close look at this list of words that include the suffix -scope, meaning «an instrument for observing.» The Latinized scopium derives from the Greek skopein, «to look, to examine.»
10 Words
English Words Derived from Arabic
All of the English words on this lists have Arabic origins. While some, like caliph and imam, clearly come from Arabic sources, you might be surprised to discover that algebra, chemistry, and zero are also derived from Arabic. Learn these words that contribute to the richness and variety of the English language.
22 Words
Power Suffix: -acy
Derived from Latin, the English suffix -acy in English means «the state of» or «the quality or condition of.»
18 Words
More English Words Derived from Yiddish
English has borrowed many words from Yiddish, which is itself an amalgam of German, Russian, Hebrew and many other languages. Here are 15 more English words that derive from Yiddish — some of which are very common, and some of which might be less familiar to you. Looking for more Yiddish-derived words? Check out our original list of English Words Derived from Yiddish.
15 Words
Body Parts: Neur («Nerve»)
You’ve got a lot of nerve — so learn this list of words that derive the Latin word neuron, meaning «nerve.» Want to dissect more English words related to anatomy? Here are links to our complete set of Body Language lists: Corp («Body») / Capit, Capt («Head») / Or, Os («Mouth») / Dent, Dont («Tooth») / Gastr, Gastro («Stomach») / Neur («Nerve») / Man («Hand») / Ped, Pod («Foot») / Derm («Skin») / Carn («Flesh») / Os, Osteo («Bone») / Cor, Cord, Cardio («Heart») / Psych («Mind»)
12 Words
Speak Your Mind: Anim
Learn these words derived from the Latin root anim, which has many meanings, including «breath,» «mind,» «spirit,» and «courage.»
16 Words
Words to Live By: Bio
Are you ready to learn the facts of life? Then review these words from the Greek root bio, meaning «life» or «way of living.»
21 Words
Case Closed: Clud, Clus
Open your mind and practice this list of words derived from the Latin roots clud and clus, meaning «shut, enclose, or confine.»
29 Words
Break It Down: Cata
Learn these words derived from the Greek root kata-, which has a range of meanings including «down,» «through,» «against» «across,» «along with,» and «wrongly.»
15 Words
Power Prefix: dis-
Meaning «not» or «opposite of,» this common prefix is used in words like disagree («to be of different or conflicting opinions») and disgust («a strong feeling of dislike»). Learn these words that contain the prefix dis-. Want to increase your prefix power? Learn our complete set of Power Prefix lists: anti-, con-, dis-, ex-, fore-, inter-, mis-, pre-, pro-, sub-, super-, trans-, uni-
15 Words
Power Suffix: -ful
The suffix -ful means «characterized by» or «full of.» For example, a joyful song is characterized by joy or happiness. Learn these words that include the suffix -ful.
15 Words
Power Suffix: -less
The suffix -less, meaning «without,» is added to nouns and verbs to form adjectives. For example, a hopeless situation is a situation without hope. Learn these words that use the suffix less.
15 Words
accelerate — to increase the speed of; accessible — easily entered, approached, or obtained; admittance — allowing into;
acrobat — a «high walker»; acronym — a word formed from the first (capital) letters of a word; acrophobia — fear of height
Greek
again, throughout
Greek
aster
perceive — to take notice of something; captivating — taking hold of
completely, intensive,
according to
caut
Greek
cauterize — to burn with a hot instrument; caustic — capable of burning or eating away; holocaust — total devastation, especially by fire
ceed,
cess
exceed — to go beyond the limits; recede — to go back; accessible — easily entered, approached, or obtained;
circle
deka
not, to the opposite
apart, across
Greek
among, at, after,
to, outside
fleur
the meaning of a word)
genesis
formation, kind
Greek
Greek
homeo
Greek
excessive, beyond
Greek
Greek
in, ir
intro
/mat
leuc/o
lith/o
excessive desire
marina — a harbor for pleasure boats; maritime — relating to the sea; submarine — an undersea boat; aquamarine — color of sea water.
matr/i
mers
Greek
metr/y
Greek
to hate
nunc
surpasses, exceeds
assistant
patr/i
Greek
peps
/e/y
forming cells
for, forward
Latin
pung
radix
/oea/ag
Greek
script
spic
inferior to
or quantity
/n/l/s
third
Latin
vert
next in rank
vic
vit
vour
A root (or root word) is the core of a word that is irreducible into more meaningful elements.[1] In morphology, a root is a morphologically simple unit which can be left bare or to which a prefix or a suffix can attach.[2][3] The root word is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family (this root is then called the base word), which carries aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents.
Content words in nearly all languages contain, and may consist only of, root morphemes. However, sometimes the term «root» is also used to describe the word without its inflectional endings, but with its lexical endings in place. For example, chatters has the inflectional root or lemma chatter, but the lexical root chat. Inflectional roots are often called stems, and a root in the stricter sense, a root morpheme, may be thought of as a monomorphemic stem.
The traditional definition allows roots to be either free morphemes or bound morphemes. Root morphemes are the building blocks for affixation and compounds. However, in polysynthetic languages with very high levels of inflectional morphology, the term «root» is generally synonymous with «free morpheme». Many such languages have a very restricted number of morphemes that can stand alone as a word: Yup’ik, for instance, has no more than two thousand.
The root is conventionally indicated using the mathematical symbol √; for instance, the Sanskrit root «√bhū-» means the root «bhū-«.
ExamplesEdit
The root of a word is a unit of meaning (morpheme) and, as such, it is an abstraction, though it can usually be represented alphabetically as a word. For example, it can be said that the root of the English verb form running is run, or the root of the Spanish superlative adjective amplísimo is ampli-, since those words are derived from the root forms by simple suffixes that do not alter the roots in any way. In particular, English has very little inflection and a tendency to have words that are identical to their roots. But more complicated inflection, as well as other processes, can obscure the root; for example, the root of mice is mouse (still a valid word), and the root of interrupt is, arguably, rupt, which is not a word in English and only appears in derivational forms (such as disrupt, corrupt, rupture, etc.). The root rupt can be written as if it were a word, but it is not.
This distinction between the word as a unit of speech and the root as a unit of meaning is even more important in the case of languages where roots have many different forms when used in actual words, as is the case in Semitic languages. In these, roots (semitic roots) are formed by consonants alone, and speakers elaborate different words (belonging potentially to different parts of speech) from the root by inserting different vowels. For example, in Hebrew, the root ג-ד-ל g-d-l represents the idea of largeness, and from it we have gadol and gdola (masculine and feminine forms of the adjective «big»), gadal «he grew», higdil «he magnified» and magdelet «magnifier», along with many other words such as godel «size» and migdal «tower».
Roots and reconstructed roots can become the tools of etymology.[4]
Secondary rootsEdit
Secondary roots are roots with changes in them, producing a new word with a slightly different meaning. In English, a rough equivalent would be to see conductor as a secondary root formed from the root to conduct. In abjad languages, the most familiar of which are Arabic and Hebrew, in which families of secondary roots are fundamental to the language, secondary roots are created by changes in the roots’ vowels, by adding or removing the long vowels a, i, u, e and o. (Notice that Arabic does not have the vowels e and o.) In addition, secondary roots can be created by prefixing (m−, t−), infixing (−t−), or suffixing (−i, and several others). There is no rule in these languages on how many secondary roots can be derived from a single root; some roots have few, but other roots have many, not all of which are necessarily in current use.
Consider the Arabic language:
- مركز [mrkz] or [markaza] meaning ‘centralized (masculine, singular)’, from [markaz] ‘centre’, from [rakaza] ‘plant into the earth, stick up (a lance)’ ( ر-ك-ز | r-k-z). This in turn has derived words مركزي [markaziy], meaning ‘central’, مركزية [markaziy:ah], meaning ‘centralism’ or ‘centralization’, and لامركزية, [la:markaziy:ah] ‘decentralization’[5]
- أرجح [rjh] or [ta’arjaħa] meaning ‘oscillated (masculine, singular)’, from [‘urju:ħa] ‘swing (n)’, from [rajaħa] ‘weighed down, preponderated (masculine, singular)’ ( ر-ج-ح | r-j-ħ).
- محور [mhwr] or [tamaħwara] meaning ‘centred, focused (masculine, singular)’, from [mihwar] meaning ‘axis’, from [ħa:ra] ‘turned (masculine, singular)’ (ح-و-ر | h-w-r).
- مسخر [msxr], تمسخر [tamasxara] meaning ‘mocked, made fun (masculine, singular)’, from مسخرة [masxara] meaning ‘mockery’, from سخر [saxira] ‘mocked (masculine, singular)’ (derived from س-خ-ر[s-x-r]).»[6] Similar cases may be found in other Semitic languages such as Hebrew, Syriac, Aramaic, Maltese language and to a lesser extent Amharic.
Similar cases occur in Hebrew, for example Israeli Hebrew מ-ק-מ √m-q-m ‘locate’, which derives from Biblical Hebrew מקום måqom ‘place’, whose root is ק-ו-מ √q-w-m ‘stand’. A recent example introduced by the Academy of the Hebrew Language is מדרוג midrúg ‘rating’, from מדרג midrág, whose root is ד-ר-ג √d-r-g ‘grade’.»[6]
According to Ghil’ad Zuckermann, «this process is morphologically similar to the production of frequentative (iterative) verbs in Latin, for example:
- iactito ‘to toss about’ derives from iacto ‘to boast of, keep bringing up, harass, disturb, throw, cast, fling away’, which in turn derives from iacio ‘to throw, cast’ (from its past participle iactum).[6]
Consider also Rabbinic Hebrew ת-ר-מ √t-r-m ‘donate, contribute’ (Mishnah: T’rumoth 1:2: ‘separate priestly dues’), which derives from Biblical Hebrew תרומה t’rūmå ‘contribution’, whose root is ר-ו-מ √r-w-m ‘raise’; cf. Rabbinic Hebrew ת-ר-ע √t-r-‘ ‘sound the trumpet, blow the horn’, from Biblical Hebrew תרועה t’rū`å ‘shout, cry, loud sound, trumpet-call’, in turn from ר-ו-ע √r-w-`.»[6]
and it describes the suffix.
Category-neutral rootsEdit
Decompositional generative frameworks suggest that roots hold little grammatical information and can be considered «category-neutral».[7] Category-neutral roots are roots without any inherent lexical category but with some conceptual content that becomes evident depending on the syntactic environment.[7] The ways in which these roots gain lexical category are discussed in Distributed Morphology and the Exoskeletal Model.
Theories adopting a category-neutral approach have not, as of 2020, reached a consensus about whether these roots contain a semantic type but no argument structure,[8] neither semantic type nor argument structure,[9] or both semantic type and argument structure.[10]
In support of the category-neutral approach, data from English indicates that the same underlying root appears as a noun and a verb — with or without overt morphology.[7]
-
English Examples — Overt[7]
Root Noun Verb advertise an advertisement to advertise character a character to characterize employ an employment to employ alphabet an alphabet to alphabetize -
English Examples — Covert[7]
Root Noun Verb dance a dance to dance walk a walk to walk chair a chair to chair wardrobe a wardrobe to wardrobe
In Hebrew, the majority of roots consist of segmental consonants √CCC. Arad (2003) describes that the consonantal root is turned into a word due to pattern morphology. Thereby, the root is turned into a verb when put into a verbal environment where the head bears the «v» feature (the pattern).[11]
Consider the root √š-m-n (ש-מ-נ).
Pattern | Pronounced word | Gloss |
---|---|---|
CeCeC (n) | šemen | oil, grease |
CaCCeCet (n) | šamenet | cream |
CuCaC (n) | šuman | fat |
CaCeC (adj) | šamen | fat |
hiCCiC (v) | hišmin | grow fat/fatten |
CiCCeC (n) | šimen | grease |
Although all words vary semantically, the general meaning of a greasy, fatty material can be attributed to the root.
Furthermore, Arad states that there are two types of languages in terms of root interpretation. In languages like English, the root is assigned one interpretation whereas in languages like Hebrew, the root can form multiple interpretations depending on its environment. This occurrence suggests a difference in language acquisition between these two languages. English speakers would need to learn two roots in order to understand two different words whereas Hebrew speakers would learn one root for two or more words.[11]
English Root | English Word | Hebrew Root | Hebrew Word | Gloss |
---|---|---|---|---|
√CREAM | cream | √š-m-n ש-מ-נ | šamenet | ‘cream’ |
√FAT | fat | √š-m-n ש-מ-נ | šuman | ‘fat’ |
Alexiadou and Lohndal (2017) advance the claim that languages have a typological scale when it comes to roots and their meanings and state that Greek lies in between Hebrew and English.[12]
See alsoEdit
- Lemma (morphology)
- Lexeme
- Morphological typology
- Morphology (linguistics)
- Phono-semantic matching
- Principal parts
- Proto-Indo-European root
- Radical (Chinese character) (this is more based upon a writing system than a spoken language)
- Semitic root
- Word family
- Word stem
ReferencesEdit
- ^ Katamba, Francis (2006). Morphology (2nd ed.). Houndsmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 42. ISBN 9781403916440.
- ^ «Root». Glossary of Linguistic Terms. 3 December 2015.
- ^ Kemmer, Suzanne. «Words in English: Structure». Words in English. Retrieved 26 December 2018.
- ^
Compare:
Durkin, Philip (2009). «8: Semantic change». The Oxford Guide to Etymology. Oxford: Oxford University Press (published 2011). p. xciv. ISBN 9780191618789. Retrieved 2017-11-10.In etymological reconstruction at the level of proto-languages, it is customary to reconstruct roots, which are assigned glosses, reflecting what is taken to be the common meaning shown by the words derived from this root.
- ^ Wehr, Hans (1976). Cowan, J Milton (ed.). Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic (PDF) (3rd ed.). Ithaca, N.Y.: Spoken Language Services. p. 358. ISBN 0-87950-001-8. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
- ^ a b c d Zuckermann, Ghil’ad 2003, Language Contact and Lexical Enrichment in Israeli Hebrew, Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-1723-X. pp 65–66.
- ^ a b c d e f Lohndal, Terje (28 February 2020). «Syntactic Categorization of Roots». Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Linguistics. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199384655.013.257. ISBN 978-0-19-938465-5.
- ^ Levinson, Lisa (27 November 2014). «The ontology of roots and verbs». The Syntax of Roots and the Roots of Syntax: 208–229. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199665266.003.0010. ISBN 978-0199665273.
- ^ Acquaviva, Paolo (May 2009). «Roots and Lexicality in Distributed Morphology». York Papers in Linguistics. University of York. Department of Language and Linguistic Science. 2 (10). hdl:10197/4148.
- ^ Coon, Jessica (1 February 2019). «Building verbs in Chuj: Consequences for the nature of roots». Journal of Linguistics. 55 (1): 35–81. doi:10.1017/S0022226718000087. S2CID 149423392.
- ^ a b c Arad, Maya (2003). «Locality Constraints on the Interpretation of Roots: The Case of Hebrew Denominal Verbs». Natural Language and Linguistic Theory. 21 (4): 737–778. doi:10.1023/A:1025533719905. S2CID 35715020.
- ^ Alexiadou, Artemis; Lohndal, Terje (18 May 2017). «On the division of labor between roots and functional structure». The Verbal Domain. 1. doi:10.1093/oso/9780198767886.003.0004. hdl:10037/19837.
External linksEdit
- Virtual Salt Root words and prefixes
- Espindle — Greek and Latin Root Words
By
Last updated:
April 2, 2023
How do you feel about shortcuts?
By learning short and simple pieces of English words, also known as word roots, you can unlock an understanding of thousands of words and boost your English vocabulary!
In this post, we’re going to share 30 English word roots from Latin and Greek to help you improve your comprehension of English by providing a shortcut to learning.
Contents
- What is a Root?
- 30 Common English Word Roots from Greek and Latin
-
- Roots of Greek Origin
- Roots of Latin Origin
- How to Use Roots to Form and Understand English Words
-
- The Top 10 Suffixes You’ll See with Roots
- The Top 10 Prefixes You’ll See with Roots
- The Matching Game for Practicing English Roots, Suffixes and Prefixes
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
What is a Root?
First, we should talk about what “root” means.
A root is the basic unit of a word.
Linguists, scientists who study language, refer to the root as the base or foundation of a word. If you really think about it, the name “root” makes sense. A real, literal root is the base of a tree, connecting the tree to the ground. The root of a word connects that word to some meaning.
To learn about other parts of words and their relationships with roots, check out this informative page.
30 Common English Word Roots from Greek and Latin
If you aren’t sure that you want to memorize hundreds of roots, then memorize just these 30 roots. These are some of the most useful and common roots that you’ll learn!
You’ll see these popping up everywhere in words you both know and don’t know. If you wouldn’t have had any idea what they meant before you had learned the roots, then you’ll see the value of learning roots.
Roots of Greek Origin
Greek Root | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Psych | Mind | Psychology (the study of the mind) |
Phil | Love | Cinephile (movie lover) |
Mega | Great, large | Megaphone (a large device which makes your voice louder) |
Mono | Single | Monochromatic (having only one color) |
Chron | Time | Chronological (organized by time of occurrence) |
Bio | Life | Biology (the study of living things) |
Theo | God | Theology (the study of religion) |
Phone | Sound | Telephone (a device used to talk with other people) |
Auto | Self | Automatic (happens on its own) |
Poly | Many | Polyglot (person who can speak many languages) |
Roots of Latin Origin
Latin Root | Meaning | Example |
---|---|---|
Struc | Build | Structure (parts or pieces built into something complex) |
Vac | Empty | Vacuous (having an empty mind, not thinking) |
Ver | True | Veritable (real, true, authentic) |
Scrib/Scrip | Write | Prescription (a written note signed by a doctor which provides instructions for medicine or treatment) |
Luc | Light | Lucid (bright, clear) |
Mal | Bad | Malevolent (wanting to do bad or evil things) |
Mar | Sea | Marina (a port or harbor for boats and ships) |
Manu/Mani | Hand | Manicure (a treatment to make your hands look clean, neat and polished) |
Min | Small | Miniscule (very small in size) |
Fort | Strong | Fortitude (strength) |
Mort | Death | Mortician (someone who prepares dead bodies to be buried) |
Nas/Nat | Birth | Nascent (coming into existence, something just recently created) |
Trans | Across | Transatlantic (something which crosses the Atlantic Ocean) |
Voc/Vos | Voice | Vociferous (loud, someone who speaks loudly or talks a lot) |
Aqua | Water | Aquarium (a tank of water where fish are kept as pets) |
Bene | Good | Benevolent (wanting good things for people, generous, kind) |
Omni | All | Omniscient (knowing everything) |
Sens/Sent | Feel | Sentimental (emotional, attaching emotional value to things) |
Terr | Earth | Terrarium (a container for land animals kept as pets, often containing rocks, dirt or sand) |
Vid/Vis | See | Visible (able to be seen) |
How to Use Roots to Form and Understand English Words
Now that you have a list of great roots to memorize, you’ll need a list of the most common prefixes and suffixes to go with it.
Why?
Prefixes and suffixes are two things that can be attached to roots to form words.
Suffixes can be attached at the ends of roots to change either the definition or the part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.) of the word. So, suffixes can change verbs into nouns, nouns into adjectives and so on.
To create words you put a root together with either a suffix or prefix. Examples:
photo (root for light) + graph (suffix for written) = photograph (light that is written)
re (prefix for again) + flect (root for bend) = reflect (to bend again)
Now you might think these are funny ways to define the words “photograph” and “reflect.” This is because using Latin to define words means that you’re using very direct, literal translations.
However funny these translations might sound, there’s always a clue there that shows what the true meaning is in English.
The Top 10 Suffixes You’ll See with Roots
Top Greek Suffixes
Greek Suffix | Meaning |
---|---|
phil/phile | fear, fearing |
chrome | color |
logy | study of |
ism | act, practice or result of |
some | body |
meter | a measurement |
nomy | systematized knowledge of |
Top Latin Suffixes
Latin Suffix | Meaning |
---|---|
able | is, can be |
act | state, quality |
cidal/cide | killer, a killing |
The Top 10 Prefixes You’ll See with Roots
Top Greek Prefixes
Greek Prefix | Meaning |
---|---|
amphi | both, about, around |
andro | man, male |
anti | against, opposed |
mono | one, single, alone |
Top Latin Prefixes
Latin Prefix | Meaning |
---|---|
ad | to, attached to |
semi | half |
non | not |
pre | before |
inter | between |
co | with, together |
As you can see, learning roots, suffixes and prefixes is a quick shortcut to learn and understand words in English.
Immersing yourself in the language and seeing how it’s used by native speakers is a great way to learn vocabulary and see word roots. There are many great TV shows in English that you could watch, or you could even try a language-learning program like FluentU.
FluentU features an array of bite-sized authentic English videos, like inspiring talks and movie trailers, each with interactive subtitles that you can hover over to see more information about the words used. The subtitles will help you identify new vocabulary that you can add to your personalized flashcard decks to practice.
By immersing yourself in native media, not only will you be able to expand your vocabulary by identifying roots and common trends, but you’ll also get to see them used in context!
The Matching Game for Practicing English Roots, Suffixes and Prefixes
As you know, practice makes perfect, and this also applies when learning roots, suffixes and prefixes.
Play this with a partner to see who can win the most points!
a. Make flashcards of the roots, suffixes and prefixes you want to memorize. You’ll also need a dictionary.
b. Mix up the flashcards into two groups, keeping suffixes and prefixes together in one group with the roots in another separate group.
c. Place the two groups in two separate piles face down in their separate groups. You’ll now have all the roots on the right side and prefixes/suffixes on the left side.
d. Pick a card from each group and turn both cards face up.
e. Form a word and write down what you think the definition should be according to the meaning of the root and the suffix or prefix you chose. Also write down whether you believe it is or isn’t a real word in the English language.
f. Once you’ve made your two guesses, look the word up in the dictionary to see if it really exists. If it does and the meaning you guessed is correct, then two points for you! If it’s not a real word, but you got the root and prefix/suffix meanings correct, then one point for you.
So there you have it, folks.
You’ve got a great guide to English word roots and how to use them!
Get out there and see how much English you understand now.
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Learning about the building blocks of words can help you make sense of unfamiliar words.
Search roots…
Only show roots with rootcasts
Only show common roots
abil
handy
-able
handy, capable of
abol
destroy, get rid of
abs-
away, from
ab-
away, from
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
acerb
bitter, sharp, tart
-acious
inclined to, abounding in
-acity
characteristics of
acr
sharp, keen, fierce
act
drive, do
This root has an audio rootcast.
-acy
state of being something
ac
sharp, keen, point
ac-
to, towards
add
attach to, add, give to
-ade
thing or person made by a certain process
-ado
possessing a quality
ad-
to, towards
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
aesthet
feel, perceive
affect
influenced, strongly moved
af-
to, towards
-age
to do something
-age
state
agog
leading, drawing forth
agon
struggle, contest, conflict
agr
field, country
ag
do, act, drive
This root has an audio rootcast.
ag-
to, towards
alg
pain
all-
other, different
alter
another
alt
high
-al
action, process
al
cause to grow, feed
-al
of or relating to
al-
to, towards
ambi-
both
ambul
walk, go around
amb-
both, around
ami
friend
ampl
large
am
love
This root has an audio rootcast.
ana-
back
-ance
state or condition
-ancy
state
-and
to be …ed
-ane
of or pertaining to
ang
distress
anim
mind, spirit
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
ann
year
This root has an audio rootcast.
ante-
before
This root has an audio rootcast.
anthrop
human
This root has an audio rootcast.
antiqu
old
anti-
opposite, against
This root has an audio rootcast.
-ant
being in a state or condition
ant-
opposite, against
anxi
worried
an-
not, without
-an
relating to
an-
to, towards
apo-
away, from
apt
suitable, fit
ap-
to, towards
arbitr
think, judge
arbor
tree
arch
ancient
arch-
chief, principal
arch
rule
This root has an audio rootcast.
arc
chest, coffer
ard
burn, be on fire
-arian
pertaining to
articul
to divide into small joints; speak clearly
art
skill, craft
-ary
person or thing belonging to
-ary
of or relating to
-ar
pertaining to
ar-
to, towards
asper
rough, harsh, roused to anger
aster
star
as-
to, towards
-ate
possessing a certain quality
-ate
to make have a certain quality
-ation
act of doing something
-ation
state or quality of
-atory
of or belonging to
at-
to, towards
aud
hear, listen to
augur
diviner, seer
auth
author
auto-
self, same
This root has an audio rootcast.
au
bird
av
desire, be eager
a-
away, from
a-
not, without
This root has an audio rootcast.
-a
forms a noun
a-
to, towards, at
This is common root
barr
barrier
bar
barrier
bas
low, short
bas
step
bat
beat, pound
bell
war, fighting
bene-
well
be-
thoroughly
be-
to treat in a certain way
bio
life
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
bi-
twice
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
bol
throw
bon
good
brev
short
burs
purse
but
strike, push
cad
fall
cal
beauty
cal
warm, be hot
cand
be of brilliant whiteness
canon
rule, straight rod, standard
cant
sing
can
dog
capit
head
This root has an audio rootcast.
capt
taken, seized
cap
take, seize
carn
meat
car
wagon, cart
cas
fall
cata-
thoroughly
caud
tail
caust
burnt, red hot
caut
beware of
caval
horse
cav
hollow
ced
go, move
This root has an audio rootcast.
ced
yield
ceed
go, move
ceiv
take
celer
swift, speedy
cel
hide
cens
assessed, judged, rated
centr
center
This root has an audio rootcast.
cent
hundred
This root has an audio rootcast.
cent
sing
cept
taken, seized
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
cern
sift, perceive, decide
cert
compete, strive, contend
cert
sure
cess
go
This root has an audio rootcast.
chart
sheet of paper
chast
pure, without stain
chas
take, seize
chiev
head
chol
bile, gall
chrom
color
chron
time
This root has an audio rootcast.
-cide
killing
cid
fall
ciph
zero
cip
take
This root has an audio rootcast.
circum-
around, about
This root has an audio rootcast.
circ
ring
cis
cut
This root has an audio rootcast.
cit
moved, stirred up
This is common root
civ
citizen
clair
clear, bright
clam
shout
clar
clear, bright
clav
key
clemenc
mercy, mildness, calmness
-cle
little
clim
sloping region; zone of the Earth; ladder
clin
lean
cliv
slope, hill
clud
shut, close
This root has an audio rootcast.
clus
shut, closed
coc
cook, ripen
cogn
learn, know
This root has an audio rootcast.
col-
with, together
commod
suitable, convenient
commun
common, public, general
com
celebration, fun
com-
thoroughly
This is common root
com-
with, together
concil
join, win over
cond
hide, put away
congru
come together, agree
conn
learn, know
contra-
opposite, against
This root has an audio rootcast.
con-
thoroughly
This is common root
con-
with, together
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
cord
heart
cori
leather
corn
horn, point
corp
body
cor-
thoroughly
cosm
universe
counter-
opposite
coup
buffet, cuff, blow
cover
cover
co-
with, together
crat
rule
This root has an audio rootcast.
cred
believe, trust
This root has an audio rootcast.
crep
burst, crack
cresc
grow, arise, increase
cret
grow
cret
separate
cret
sift, discern, separate
crimin
judgment
crit
judge
croc
hook
cruc
cross
crypt
hidden
cry
shout out in complaint
culp
fault, blame, guilt
cult
grow
This root has an audio rootcast.
cumb
lie down
cum
heap, pile
cup
take, seize
curr
run
This root has an audio rootcast.
curs
ran, hurried
cur
worry, anxiety, attention
cuss
strike
custom
become used to
cus
reason
cycl
circle, wheel
This root has an audio rootcast.
cyn
dog
dat
give
deb
owe, ought
decim
tenth
decor
suitable, graceful, proper
del
destroy, wipe out
demn
loss, penalty, injury
demon
spirit, divine power
dem
people
dens
thick
deris
mocked, made fun of
dextr
right
de
god
de-
off, from
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
de-
thoroughly
This is common root
dia-
through, across
This root has an audio rootcast.
dict
say
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
dic
say
This is common root
didact
apt at teaching
dif-
apart, not, away from
dign
worthy, deserving
dis-
apart, not
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
dit
give
divid
separate into parts
divis
separated into parts, divided
di-
apart, not
di
day
di-
thoroughly
di-
two
doc
teach
dol
feel pain, grieve, suffer
domin
master
dom
house
-dom
state of being something
don
gift
dors
back
dot
give
dox
opinion
dracon
dragon, snake, serpent
dramat
play
dress
arrange
dubi
doubt
duct
led
This is common root
duc
lead
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
dur
hard, harsh
This root has an audio rootcast.
du-
two
dyn
power
ec
house
ec-
out of, from
-ed
having a particular state
ed
temple, house
-eer
do
effic
bring about, accomplish
ef-
out of, from
ef-
thoroughly
egor
assembly
ego
I
This root has an audio rootcast.
eg
lead
element
beginning
empt
buy
em-
in, on
-ence
state or condition
-ency
state of being something
-endo
doing something
-end
that which is to be …ed
enn
year
-ent
being in a state or condition
en-
in, on
This is common root
-en
made of, pertaining
-eous
resembling
epi-
upon, over
This root has an audio rootcast.
ep-
around, near
equi-
equal
equ
equal
This root has an audio rootcast.
erg
work
err
wander, make a mistake
This root has an audio rootcast.
-ery
act or practice
-er
to do something
-escent
becoming; beginning to be
-esce
to do something
ess
be
estim
fix the value of
est
be
es
eat
-ette
lessening
-et
little, diminutive
-eur
one who
-eur
state or quality
eu-
well
ev
time
exempl
example
exig
enforce, demand
exo-
outside
expect
wait for
exper
try, test
extra-
outside
This root has an audio rootcast.
extrem
end, edge
ex-
out of, from
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
ex-
thoroughly
This root has an audio rootcast.
e-
out of, from
This is common root
e-
thoroughly
e
used for spelling and pronunciation
fab
talk
facil
easy, easily accomplished
fact
made, done
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
fac
face, surface
fall
trick, deceive, be in error
This root has an audio rootcast.
famil
household, familiar group
fam
reputation
fan
temple
fatig
weary, tire
fatu
foolish, silly, stupid
fat
speak, talk, say
fav
like, support
feas
make, do
feat
made
febr
fever
fect
make
This root has an audio rootcast.
feit
made, done
felic
happy, lucky
fend
ward off
ferv
boil, be hot
fer
carry, bring, bear
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
fer
wild
fest
feast, holidays
fet
pregnancy
fict
pretend, invent
fic
make, do
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
fid
trust, faith
This root has an audio rootcast.
figur
form, shape
fig
shape
fili
daughter, son
fin
end, form a boundary
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
firm
stable
fiss
split
fit
make, do
fix
fastened, nailed, secured
flagr
burn
flam
flame
flat
blow
flect
bent
flict
struck, struck down
flor
flower
This root has an audio rootcast.
flu
flow, stream, glide
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
foc
hearth, fireplace
foli
leaf
form
shape
This root has an audio rootcast.
fortun
luck, chance
fort
strong, vigorous, powerful
This root has an audio rootcast.
for
outside
found
pour, pour out, spread out
fract
broken, crushed
frag
break, crush
frequent
repeated, constant
front
forehead, foremost part
fruit
fruit, enjoyment
fug
flee
fulg
shine, flash
-ful
full of, resembling
funct
perform, complete
fund
bottom, depths, basis
fur
rage, be mad
fus
pour
This root has an audio rootcast.
fut
check, restrain
-fy
make, do
geist
spirit
gel
freeze
geni
innate quality, inborn talent
gent
family
gen
born, produced
This is common root
gen
kind, type, class
germ
bud, embryo
ger
bear, bring, carry
gest
bear carry
ge
earth
This root has an audio rootcast.
gigant
giant
glomerat
gathered into a ball-shaped mass
glori
praise
gloss
tongue, language
glut
swallow, gulp down
gnost
know
gorg
throat
grad
step
This root has an audio rootcast.
gram
line, stroke of a pen, letter
grand
great, lofty, powerful
gran
grain
graph
write
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
grat
pleasing, welcome
grav
heavy, serious, burdened
greg
flock
This root has an audio rootcast.
gress
step
This is common root
gubern
steer a ship
gyn
woman
hab
have
herit
successor
her
stick, cling, hold fast
This root has an audio rootcast.
hes
stick
hetero-
other
hibit
hold
hier
holy
hilar
cheerful, merry
hind
back
hod
road, way
homo-
same
hom
human being, man
hort
urge, encourage
hor-
boundary
hor
tremble, dread, shudder
hospit
host, guest
human
of mankind
hum
ground
hyper-
over, above
This root has an audio rootcast.
hypo-
under, below
This root has an audio rootcast.
-iac
of or connected with
-ian
characteristic of
-ia
belonging to
-ia
place
-ible
handy, capable of
-ice
act of
-ice
period
icon
image, statue
-ic
like,of
-ic
one relating to
idio-
own, personal, private
idol
image, likeness, shape
This is common root
-id
of or relating to
id
same
-ier
that which does something
-ify
make
ign
produce, bring forth
ig
do, act
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
ig-
not
-ile
tending to do or be something
il-
in, on
il-
not
imag
likeness, idea
imit
copy, resemble
imper
command, provide leadership
impet
impulse, attack
im-
in, on
This is common root
im-
not
This is common root
indic
one who shows, forefinger
-ine
of or relating to
ingenu
honest
-ing
a or of a continuous action
insul
island
integr
whole, entire
intellig
understand
inter-
between, within, among
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
intro-
within
invid
be envious of
in-
against
in-
in, on, into
This is common root
in-
not
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
-ion
act, state
-ior
more
-ious
of the nature of
ir
become angry
ir-
not
-ise
to make have a certain quality
-ish
to do something
-ish
of
-ish
verging upon, somewhat
-ism
action or process of doing something
-ism
set of beliefs
-ism
condition
-ism
distinctive trait of language
-ism
name of a certain system
-istic
characterized by
-ist
one who performs an action; believer
-is
forms a noun
-ite
to do something
-ite
of the nature of
itiner
journey
-itious
of the nature of
-itude
state or quality of
-ity
state or quality
it
go
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
-ive
of or that which does something
-ize
make or treat in a certain way
-i-
connective
i
go
ject
thrown
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
jet
throw, cast
joc
joke
join
join, attach, form a link
journ
pertaining to the day, daily
judic
judge
jug
yoke
junct
joined, attached
jur
swear, take an oath, law
juven
young, young man
juxta-
next to, beside
kine
moving
labor
work
This root has an audio rootcast.
langu
be sluggish, wilt, lack vigor
later
side
lat
carry
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
lat
wide
laud
praise
lav
wash
lax
loosen, take one’s ease
lect
gathered, chosen
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
lect
speak, read
leg
bind, choose
leg
gather, read
leg
law
-less
lacking
letter
letter of the alphabet; document
lev
light, of little weight
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
lex
of words
liber
free
lict
left behind, abandoned
lic
it is permitted, one may
lid
strike, harm
lieu
place
lig
tie, bind
This root has an audio rootcast.
limin
doorway, threshold
limit
boundary
-ling
small
lin
line, string, thread
This is common root
lion
lion
lips
leave
liqu
flow, be liquid
liter
letter of the alphabet
lith
stone
lit
lawsuit
li
tie, bind, link
This is common root
locut
having spoken
loc
place
This root has an audio rootcast.
-logy
study, science, theory
log
word, study, reason
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
long
long
loqu
talk, speak
This root has an audio rootcast.
loy
tie, bind, link
luct
struggle, fight against
luc
light, brightness, clarity
lud
play, trick
This root has an audio rootcast.
lumin
light, glow
lustr
illumine, brighten
lus
play, trick
lut
wash
luv
wash, bathe
luxur
excess
-ly
in a particular way or manner
ly
untie
machin
plan, trick, artifice
maci
thin
macro-
large, long
magist
ruler, leader
magn
large, great
This root has an audio rootcast.
major
greater, larger
mal
bad, evil
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
mand
order
mania
madness, frenzy
mant
cloak
man
hand
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
man
stay, remain
mass
lump
math
learn, understand
matr
mother
This root has an audio rootcast.
matur
make ripe
maxim
largest
medi
middle, in the middle, in half
This root has an audio rootcast.
medl
blend, mingle, mix
mega-
great, large
This root has an audio rootcast.
melior
better
mel
blend, mingle, mix
mel
song
memor
remembering
mend
fault, defect, lying
mens
act of measuring
ment
mind
-ment
quality, condition
men
threat
merc
trade
merg
plunge
merit
earned, gained, deserved
mers
plunge
meta-
beyond, change
metr
measure
This root has an audio rootcast.
metr
mother
me
pass, proceed
micro-
small
This root has an audio rootcast.
migr
move
mill-
one thousand
mim
imitator, mimic
ministr
serve
min
lean forward, threaten
min
lessen, make smaller
misc
mix
miser
wretched
miss
sent
This is common root
mis-
hatred
mis
send
mis-
wrong, wrongly
mit
send
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
mnes
remember
mobil
active, quick
mod
measure, method, manner
This is common root
moll
soft
mol
grind in a mill
moment
movement
-monious
of or resembling
mono-
one, single
This root has an audio rootcast.
monstrat
showed, pointed out
mon
warn, advise, remind
morph
shape, form
This root has an audio rootcast.
mors
bite
mort
death
This root has an audio rootcast.
mor
custom, habit, manner
mor
die, decay, death
mot
move
This root has an audio rootcast.
mount
mountain
mov
move
multi-
many
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
mun
gift, public service
mur
delay, stay behind
mur
wall
mut
change, alter
narc
numbness, deadness
narrat
tell
nasc
be born
nat
born
nect
tie, bind
neg
deny, say not
neo-
new
nerv
vigor, determination
-ness
state, quality, condition
neur
nerve
nex
tied, bound
nic
harm, injure
nihil
nothing
nobl
well known, famous
noc
harm
nom
law, custom
nom
name
This root has an audio rootcast.
non-
not
This root has an audio rootcast.
norm
carpenter’s square, pattern
not
gotten to know, found out
not
mark, sign
nounc
messenger, message, report
nov
new
This root has an audio rootcast.
null
none
numer
number
This root has an audio rootcast.
nunc
messenger, report
nutr
nourish
obliv
forget
ob-
against, in the way
This root has an audio rootcast.
ob-
thoroughly
This root has an audio rootcast.
ob-
to, toward
oc
eye
oc-
thoroughly
od
song
offic
duty
oint
smear with oil
ol
smell
omin
sign, omen
omni-
all
oner
burden, load
onym
name
This root has an audio rootcast.
-on
forms a noun
oper
work
opin
think, suppose
opt
wish, choose
op
eye
op-
to, towards, against
op
wealth, abundance
oram
sight, view
orb
circle
ord
order, row, series
organ
furnished with organs
orn
decorate
ortho-
right
-ory
place
-ory
of or relating to
-or
one who does something
or
rise, begin
or
speak
-or
state
-ose
full of, having
-osis
state; process; condition
-os
forms a noun
oti
leisure
-ous
full of, having
-ous
possessing the nature of
overt
opened
over-
over, above
oxy
sharp, keen
-o-
connective
pact
fasten, drive in
pac
peace
pall
be pale
palp
stroke, caress, touch
pan-
all
pan
bread
para-
beside, alongside
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
parl
talk, speak
part
part
This is common root
par
come to sight
par
equal
par
make, prepare
pass
step, pace
This is common root
pass
suffer, endure
past
dough, paste
past
feed
path
feeling, disease
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
patr
father
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
pecc
stumble, sin
pecuni
money
ped
child
ped
foot
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
pel
push
pend
hang, weigh
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
pens
hang, weigh
This is common root
pen-
almost, nearly
pen
penalty
peri-
around, near, about
person
character
per-
thoroughly
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
per-
through
This root has an audio rootcast.
pet
seek, attack, go for
phan
cause to appear, show
phas
show
phem
saying, speech
phil
love
This root has an audio rootcast.
phon
voice, sound
This root has an audio rootcast.
phor
a carrying
phras
explain
phyt
plant
pict
paint, portray
pil
pile, pillar
pin
feather
piqu
pierce, prick
pir
attempt, attack
pith
pit, kernel
pit
pity, right conduct
pi
cleanse, make honest
plac
please, suit, be acceptable
plaint
mourn for, beat
plais
please
plant
plant, sprout
plas
form, mold
plat
flat, broad
plaud
applaud, clap
plaus
applaud, strike
plen
full
plet
fill
plex
weave
This root has an audio rootcast.
ple
fill
plic
fold
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
pli
fold, bend
This is common root
plor
weep over
ploy
fold
plumb
lead
plus
more
pod
foot
point
point
polit
citizen
poly-
many
This root has an audio rootcast.
pol
axis
pol
smooth, refine, polish
ponder
weigh, consider
pon
put, place
portion
part, share, division
port
carry
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
port
harbor, port
por
passage
posit
placed, put
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
possess
have or take control of
postulat
demand
post-
after
This root has an audio rootcast.
pos
pause, temporary halt
pos
put, place
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
potent
capable, powerful
pot
drink
pound
specify, place
pover
poor
pract
do
preci
worth, price
prec
having prayed or entreated
pred
plunder
pregn
seize hold of
prehend
seize
prehens
seized hold of
press
press
pre-
before, in front
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
prim
first
This root has an audio rootcast.
prim
press
princip
chief
prior
previous, in front
pris
seize hold of
priv
without, individual
proach
near
prob
prove, test, approve
prol
offspring
prompt
ready
propiti
pleasingly inclined
prop
proper, fitting, one’s own
This root has an audio rootcast.
prot-
first
proxim
next, nearest
pro-
before
pro-
forward
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
prud
foresee
pseud-
false
publ
people
pud
be ashamed
pugn
fight
puls
pushed
punct
pointed, stabbed, pierced
This is common root
pung
point, pierce, prick
pun
punish
purg
make clean
pur-
thoroughly
putr
rotten, stinking, decaying
put
think, consider
This is common root
quaint
know, learn
qual
of what kind?
quant
how much
quer
complain, protest
quest
ask, seek
quiesc
rest
quiet
rested, stilled, calmed
quir
seek, strive for
quisit
seek, ask
This is common root
quit
rest, be still, stay calm
qu
who, what, which
radic
root
rad
ray
ranc
be rotten, stink
rap
snatch, grab, seize
rar
loose-knit, spaced thinly
ras
scrape, scratch
rat
think
rav
snatch, grab, seize
rect
ruled, guided, put right
This is common root
red-
back, again
reg
rule, guide, direct
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
remedi
cure
rest
stay put, stand still
retro-
backward
re-
back, again
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
re
thing
re-
thoroughly
This root has an audio rootcast.
rid
laugh at
rig
stiffness
-rium
place for; thing used for
riv
stream
robor
oak, strength
rod
chew, eat away
rog
ask, request
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
ros
chew, eat away
rotund
round
rub
red
rud
unskilled, untaught
rupt
burst
This root has an audio rootcast.
rus
reject
-ry
act or practice
sacchar
sugar
sacr
sacred, holy
sag
perceive keenly
sal
health, safety
sal
leap, spring forward, jump
sanct
holy
sanguin
blood
sap
in good taste, wise
sat
enough
sav
in good taste, wise
scend
climb, mount
scen
stage
schem
form, shape, manner
sch
split, division
sci
know
scop
see
scrib
write
This root has an audio rootcast.
script
written
This is common root
scrut
probe, examine
search
ring, circle
secr
sacred, holy
sect
cut
This root has an audio rootcast.
secut
follow
sed
sit, settle, rest
seem
fitting
sembl
copy
semin
seed
sem
sign
sens
felt, sensed, perceived
This is common root
sent
be
sent
feel, sense, perceive
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
sen
old man, elder, old
sequ
follow
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
seren
clear, untroubled
sert
join
serv
keep, guard, save
serv
wait on, serve
sever
strict, grave
se-
apart
This root has an audio rootcast.
sibil
hiss, whistle
sider
star
sid
sit
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
sign
mark, seal, sign
This is common root
simil
like
simul
pretend, copy, imitate
sim
once
sin
curve, fold, hollow
sist
stand
This root has an audio rootcast.
situ
positioned
skept
examine, consider
solut
loosened
solv
loosen
This root has an audio rootcast.
sol
alone
sol
comfort
sol
be in the habit of
sol
sun
sol
whole, firm
somat
body
-some
having a certain quality
somn
sleep
son
sound
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
soph
wise, clever
sorb
soak up
sort
lot
sourc
rise
spat
distance, area
spect
see, observe, look, watch over
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
spec
kind, form
spec
see, look at, observe
spers
scatter, besprinkle
sper
hope
spic
see, observe, look, watch over
spir
breathe
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
spit
see, observe, look, watch over
splend
bright, shining
spond
pledge, promise
spor
seed, a sowing, a scattering
spous
pledged, promised
stant
stand, stand still
stas
standing, standing still
stat
stands
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
stereo-
solid
stig
mark, brand, tattoo-mark
still
drop
stitut
set up, decided
stor
renew
strat
covering, spread
strict
drawn tight, confined
string
draw tight, tighten, confine
struct
built
This root has an audio rootcast.
stru
build, construct
This is common root
stup
become dazed, be amazed
suad
make sweet, urge
suav
sweet
sublim
uplifted
sub-
under, from below
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
suc-
under
suf-
under, from below
sull
soil
sult
leap, spring forward, jump
summ
highest, topmost
sumpt
taken up, put on
sum
take up, put on
super-
over, above
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
sup-
under
surg
rise
surrect
rise
sur-
over, above
sur-
under
sus-
under
su
follow
sym-
with, together
syn-
with, together
This root has an audio rootcast.
tabl
board, plank
tact
touched
tac
silent, quiet
tail
a cutting
taint
stained, dyed
tain
have, hold
tang
touch, affect
taph
tomb
tax
arrange, put in order
techn
skill, art, craft
tedi
weariness
teg
cover, shield, protect
temper
regulate, modify
tempt
try
temp
time
This root has an audio rootcast.
tend
stretch
tens
stretch, stretch out
tent
stretched, stretched out
tenu
thin
ten
hold
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
termin
boundary, end, limit
terr
earth, land
This root has an audio rootcast.
terr
frighten
test
witness, proof, indicator
text
weave
them
proposition, idea put forth
therm
heat
thes
put, place
the
god
-tic
relating to a process or state
tim
fear, be afraid
tinct
prick, quench
ting
touch, reach, affect
tin
hold
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
titul
label, title, description
tol
raise, endure
tom
cut
ton
sound
top
place
torp
be stiff, be numb
torr
burn
tort
twisted, wound, wrapped
tot
whole, entire
tour
circle
toxic
poison
tract
drag, pull
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
trans-
across, through
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
treat
drawn
trem
shake, tremble
trepid
alarmed, fearful
tribut
divided, granted, given credit
tric
entangle, make difficulties
trit
rubbed, worn away
tri-
three
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
troph
nourishment, food
trop
turn, change
trud
thrust, push
trunc
trunk, removed by chopping
trus
thrusted, pushed
tum
swell,disturbance, uproar
turb
confusion, turmoil, disorder
turg
be swollen
tus
beat, blunt, deaden the senses
tut
protect, catch sight of
typ
blow, impression, form
-ty
state; quality
-uble
handy, capable of
-ulent
rich in, full of
ult
beyond
-ul-
little
-ul-
repeated activity
umbr
shadow, shade
-um
forms a noun
und
wave
uni-
one
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
un-
not, opposite of
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
-uous
of the nature of
urb
of a city
-ure
shows actions or results
-urnal
active during a given period
-us
forms a noun
us
use
util
useful, practical
vac
be empty
vad
go
vag
wander, roam, rove
val
be strong, be of value
This is common root
vant
from before
van
empty, illusory
vap
steam, spoiled, flat
vari
different, diverse
var
bent
vast
huge
vas
go, proceed, advance
This root has an audio rootcast.
vect
carried
veh
carry, bring
vel
curtain
vener
worship, revere, honor
veng
get even, revenge
vent
come
This is common root
ven
come
This root has an audio rootcast.
ven
sale
verb
word
This root has an audio rootcast.
verd
green
verg
move
vers
turned
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
vert
turn
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
ver
fear
ver
truth
This root has an audio rootcast.
vestig
footprint
vest
clothing, garments
veter
old, long-standing
vex
annoy
vey
see, look at
vibr
shake, quickly move to and fro
vic
instead of, change
vid
see, take care
view
see, perceive
vig
act, be lively
vil
mean, base
vinc
conquer, win
vindic
avenger, defender, revenge
vin
wine
virt
excellence of character
vir
poison
viscer
entrails, internal organs
visc
birdlime
vis
see, look at, observe
This root has an audio rootcast.
This is common root
vit
flaw, defect
vit
life
viv
live
vi
road, way, journey
This is common root
vocat
called, called upon
voc
call
This root has an audio rootcast.
void
empty
vok
call, call upon
volat
fly, move swiftly, speed
volum
book
volut
rolled, wrapped up
volv
roll, wrap up, turn round
This root has an audio rootcast.
vol
wish, want
vor
eat
vot
promise, pledge
vouch
call, call upon
vulg
make common, publish
vuls
pluck, tear up
wan
lessen
-ward
towards a place
wast
desolate, laid waste
writ
write
-y
activity
-y
state or condition
zeal
eager rivalry, fierceness
Differentiated vocabulary for your students is just a click away.
WORD STRUCTURE IN MODERN ENGLISH
I. The morphological structure of a word. Morphemes. Types of morphemes. Allomorphs.
II. Structural types of words.
III. Principles of morphemic analysis.
IV. Derivational level of analysis. Stems. Types of stems. Derivational types of words.
I. The morphological structure of a word. Morphemes. Types of Morphemes. Allomorphs.
There are two levels of approach to the study of word- structure: the level of morphemic analysis and the level of derivational or word-formation analysis.
Word is the principal and basic unit of the language system, the largest on the morphologic and the smallest on the syntactic plane of linguistic analysis.
It has been universally acknowledged that a great many words have a composite nature and are made up of morphemes, the basic units on the morphemic level, which are defined as the smallest indivisible two-facet language units.
The term morpheme is derived from Greek morphe “form ”+ -eme. The Greek suffix –eme has been adopted by linguistic to denote the smallest unit or the minimum distinctive feature.
The morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit of form. A form in these cases a recurring discrete unit of speech. Morphemes occur in speech only as constituent parts of words, not independently, although a word may consist of single morpheme. Even a cursory examination of the morphemic structure of English words reveals that they are composed of morphemes of different types: root-morphemes and affixational morphemes. Words that consist of a root and an affix are called derived words or derivatives and are produced by the process of word building known as affixation (or derivation).
The root-morpheme is the lexical nucleus of the word; it has a very general and abstract lexical meaning common to a set of semantically related words constituting one word-cluster, e.g. (to) teach, teacher, teaching. Besides the lexical meaning root-morphemes possess all other types of meaning proper to morphemes except the part-of-speech meaning which is not found in roots.
Affixational morphemes include inflectional affixes or inflections and derivational affixes. Inflections carry only grammatical meaning and are thus relevant only for the formation of word-forms. Derivational affixes are relevant for building various types of words. They are lexically always dependent on the root which they modify. They possess the same types of meaning as found in roots, but unlike root-morphemes most of them have the part-of-speech meaning which makes them structurally the important part of the word as they condition the lexico-grammatical class the word belongs to. Due to this component of their meaning the derivational affixes are classified into affixes building different parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs.
Roots and derivational affixes are generally easily distinguished and the difference between them is clearly felt as, e.g., in the words helpless, handy, blackness, Londoner, refill, etc.: the root-morphemes help-, hand-, black-, London-, fill-, are understood as the lexical centers of the words, and –less, -y, -ness, -er, re- are felt as morphemes dependent on these roots.
Distinction is also made of free and bound morphemes.
Free morphemes coincide with word-forms of independently functioning words. It is obvious that free morphemes can be found only among roots, so the morpheme boy- in the word boy is a free morpheme; in the word undesirable there is only one free morpheme desire-; the word pen-holder has two free morphemes pen- and hold-. It follows that bound morphemes are those that do not coincide with separate word- forms, consequently all derivational morphemes, such as –ness, -able, -er are bound. Root-morphemes may be both free and bound. The morphemes theor- in the words theory, theoretical, or horr- in the words horror, horrible, horrify; Angl- in Anglo-Saxon; Afr- in Afro-Asian are all bound roots as there are no identical word-forms.
It should also be noted that morphemes may have different phonemic shapes. In the word-cluster please , pleasing , pleasure , pleasant the phonemic shapes of the word stand in complementary distribution or in alternation with each other. All the representations of the given morpheme, that manifest alternation are called allomorphs/or morphemic variants/ of that morpheme.
The combining form allo- from Greek allos “other” is used in linguistic terminology to denote elements of a group whose members together consistute a structural unit of the language (allophones, allomorphs). Thus, for example, -ion/ -tion/ -sion/ -ation are the positional variants of the same suffix, they do not differ in meaning or function but show a slight difference in sound form depending on the final phoneme of the preceding stem. They are considered as variants of one and the same morpheme and called its allomorphs.
Allomorph is defined as a positional variant of a morpheme occurring in a specific environment and so characterized by complementary description.
Complementary distribution is said to take place, when two linguistic variants cannot appear in the same environment.
Different morphemes are characterized by contrastive distribution, i.e. if they occur in the same environment they signal different meanings. The suffixes –able and –ed, for instance, are different morphemes, not allomorphs, because adjectives in –able mean “ capable of beings”.
Allomorphs will also occur among prefixes. Their form then depends on the initials of the stem with which they will assimilate.
Two or more sound forms of a stem existing under conditions of complementary distribution may also be regarded as allomorphs, as, for instance, in long a: length n.
II. Structural types of words.
The morphological analysis of word- structure on the morphemic level aims at splitting the word into its constituent morphemes – the basic units at this level of analysis – and at determining their number and types. The four types (root words, derived words, compound, shortenings) represent the main structural types of Modern English words, and conversion, derivation and composition the most productive ways of word building.
According to the number of morphemes words can be classified into monomorphic and polymorphic. Monomorphic or root-words consist of only one root-morpheme, e.g. small, dog, make, give, etc. All polymorphic word fall into two subgroups: derived words and compound words – according to the number of root-morphemes they have. Derived words are composed of one root-morpheme and one or more derivational morphemes, e.g. acceptable, outdo, disagreeable, etc. Compound words are those which contain at least two root-morphemes, the number of derivational morphemes being insignificant. There can be both root- and derivational morphemes in compounds as in pen-holder, light-mindedness, or only root-morphemes as in lamp-shade, eye-ball, etc.
These structural types are not of equal importance. The clue to the correct understanding of their comparative value lies in a careful consideration of: 1)the importance of each type in the existing wordstock, and 2) their frequency value in actual speech. Frequency is by far the most important factor. According to the available word counts made in different parts of speech, we find that derived words numerically constitute the largest class of words in the existing wordstock; derived nouns comprise approximately 67% of the total number, adjectives about 86%, whereas compound nouns make about 15% and adjectives about 4%. Root words come to 18% in nouns, i.e. a trifle more than the number of compound words; adjectives root words come to approximately 12%.
But we cannot fail to perceive that root-words occupy a predominant place. In English, according to the recent frequency counts, about 60% of the total number of nouns and 62% of the total number of adjectives in current use are root-words. Of the total number of adjectives and nouns, derived words comprise about 38% and 37% respectively while compound words comprise an insignificant 2% in nouns and 0.2% in adjectives. Thus it is the root-words that constitute the foundation and the backbone of the vocabulary and that are of paramount importance in speech. It should also be mentioned that root words are characterized by a high degree of collocability and a complex variety of meanings in contrast with words of other structural types whose semantic structures are much poorer. Root- words also serve as parent forms for all types of derived and compound words.
III. Principles of morphemic analysis.
In most cases the morphemic structure of words is transparent enough and individual morphemes clearly stand out within the word. The segmentation of words is generally carried out according to the method of Immediate and Ultimate Constituents. This method is based on the binary principle, i.e. each stage of the procedure involves two components the word immediately breaks into. At each stage these two components are referred to as the Immediate Constituents. Each Immediate Constituent at the next stage of analysis is in turn broken into smaller meaningful elements. The analysis is completed when we arrive at constituents incapable of further division, i.e. morphemes. These are referred to Ultimate Constituents.
A synchronic morphological analysis is most effectively accomplished by the procedure known as the analysis into Immediate Constituents. ICs are the two meaningful parts forming a large linguistic unity.
The method is based on the fact that a word characterized by morphological divisibility is involved in certain structural correlations. To sum up: as we break the word we obtain at any level only ICs one of which is the stem of the given word. All the time the analysis is based on the patterns characteristic of the English vocabulary. As a pattern showing the interdependence of all the constituents segregated at various stages, we obtain the following formula:
un+ { [ ( gent- + -le ) + -man ] + -ly}
Breaking a word into its Immediate Constituents we observe in each cut the structural order of the constituents.
A diagram presenting the four cuts described looks as follows:
1. un- / gentlemanly
2. un- / gentleman / — ly
3. un- / gentle / — man / — ly
4. un- / gentl / — e / — man / — ly
A similar analysis on the word-formation level showing not only the morphemic constituents of the word but also the structural pattern on which it is built.
The analysis of word-structure at the morphemic level must proceed to the stage of Ultimate Constituents. For example, the noun friendliness is first segmented into the ICs: [frendlı-] recurring in the adjectives friendly-looking and friendly and [-nıs] found in a countless number of nouns, such as unhappiness, blackness, sameness, etc. the IC [-nıs] is at the same time an UC of the word, as it cannot be broken into any smaller elements possessing both sound-form and meaning. Any further division of –ness would give individual speech-sounds which denote nothing by themselves. The IC [frendlı-] is next broken into the ICs [-lı] and [frend-] which are both UCs of the word.
Morphemic analysis under the method of Ultimate Constituents may be carried out on the basis of two principles: the so-called root-principle and affix principle.
According to the affix principle the splitting of the word into its constituent morphemes is based on the identification of the affix within a set of words, e.g. the identification of the suffix –er leads to the segmentation of words singer, teacher, swimmer into the derivational morpheme – er and the roots teach- , sing-, drive-.
According to the root-principle, the segmentation of the word is based on the identification of the root-morpheme in a word-cluster, for example the identification of the root-morpheme agree- in the words agreeable, agreement, disagree.
As a rule, the application of these principles is sufficient for the morphemic segmentation of words.
However, the morphemic structure of words in a number of cases defies such analysis, as it is not always so transparent and simple as in the cases mentioned above. Sometimes not only the segmentation of words into morphemes, but the recognition of certain sound-clusters as morphemes become doubtful which naturally affects the classification of words. In words like retain, detain, contain or receive, deceive, conceive, perceive the sound-clusters [rı-], [dı-] seem to be singled quite easily, on the other hand, they undoubtedly have nothing in common with the phonetically identical prefixes re-, de- as found in words re-write, re-organize, de-organize, de-code. Moreover, neither the sound-cluster [rı-] or [dı-], nor the [-teın] or [-sı:v] possess any lexical or functional meaning of their own. Yet, these sound-clusters are felt as having a certain meaning because [rı-] distinguishes retain from detain and [-teın] distinguishes retain from receive.
It follows that all these sound-clusters have a differential and a certain distributional meaning as their order arrangement point to the affixal status of re-, de-, con-, per- and makes one understand —tain and –ceive as roots. The differential and distributional meanings seem to give sufficient ground to recognize these sound-clusters as morphemes, but as they lack lexical meaning of their own, they are set apart from all other types of morphemes and are known in linguistic literature as pseudo- morphemes. Pseudo- morphemes of the same kind are also encountered in words like rusty-fusty.
IV. Derivational level of analysis. Stems. Types of Stems. Derivational types of word.
The morphemic analysis of words only defines the constituent morphemes, determining their types and their meaning but does not reveal the hierarchy of the morphemes comprising the word. Words are no mere sum totals of morpheme, the latter reveal a definite, sometimes very complex interrelation. Morphemes are arranged according to certain rules, the arrangement differing in various types of words and particular groups within the same types. The pattern of morpheme arrangement underlies the classification of words into different types and enables one to understand how new words appear in the language. These relations within the word and the interrelations between different types and classes of words are known as derivative or word- formation relations.
The analysis of derivative relations aims at establishing a correlation between different types and the structural patterns words are built on. The basic unit at the derivational level is the stem.
The stem is defined as that part of the word which remains unchanged throughout its paradigm, thus the stem which appears in the paradigm (to) ask ( ), asks, asked, asking is ask-; thestem of the word singer ( ), singer’s, singers, singers’ is singer-. It is the stem of the word that takes the inflections which shape the word grammatically as one or another part of speech.
The structure of stems should be described in terms of IC’s analysis, which at this level aims at establishing the patterns of typical derivative relations within the stem and the derivative correlation between stems of different types.
There are three types of stems: simple, derived and compound.
Simple stems are semantically non-motivated and do not constitute a pattern on analogy with which new stems may be modeled. Simple stems are generally monomorphic and phonetically identical with the root morpheme. The derivational structure of stems does not always coincide with the result of morphemic analysis. Comparison proves that not all morphemes relevant at the morphemic level are relevant at the derivational level of analysis. It follows that bound morphemes and all types of pseudo- morphemes are irrelevant to the derivational structure of stems as they do not meet requirements of double opposition and derivative interrelations. So the stem of such words as retain, receive, horrible, pocket, motion, etc. should be regarded as simple, non- motivated stems.
Derived stems are built on stems of various structures though which they are motivated, i.e. derived stems are understood on the basis of the derivative relations between their IC’s and the correlated stems. The derived stems are mostly polymorphic in which case the segmentation results only in one IC that is itself a stem, the other IC being necessarily a derivational affix.
Derived stems are not necessarily polymorphic.
Compound stems are made up of two IC’s, both of which are themselves stems, for example match-box, driving-suit, pen-holder, etc. It is built by joining of two stems, one of which is simple, the other derived.
In more complex cases the result of the analysis at the two levels sometimes seems even to contracted one another.
The derivational types of words are classified according to the structure of their stems into simple, derived and compound words.
Derived words are those composed of one root- morpheme and one or more derivational morpheme.
Compound words contain at least two root- morphemes, the number of derivational morphemes being insignificant.
Derivational compound is a word formed by a simultaneous process of composition and derivational.
Compound words proper are formed by joining together stems of word already available in the language.
Теги:
Word structure in modern english
Реферат
Английский
Просмотров: 27705
Найти в Wikkipedia статьи с фразой: Word structure in modern english
Word roots, along with
prefixes and
suffixes, are a useful way to
build vocabulary. This page explains
what word roots are and gives examples of some
common roots. At the end there are some
exercises to help you practise.
As noted in the section on
vocabulary building, word roots are the base of the word
which gives the word its main meaning. Prefixes and suffixes can be added, respectively, to the beginning and end of the root.
Many words in English are based on words from ancient Greek and Latin. For example, the root phon, from Greek, means sound,
and can combine with prefixes tele- (distant, from Greek) and micro- (small, from Latin) to make the words
telephone and microphone. Likewise, the root vis or vid, from Latin, means see, and leads to words like
vision (sight) and video (visual media with moving images). This Latin root can also combine with the Greek prefix
tele- to make television.
The following table shows some common roots, along with their meaning and some example words. There are fifty roots in total.
The majority of these are of Latin or Greek origin. They are colour-coded according to language of origin:
Greek roots in green, Latin roots
in red, other roots in black.
The following checklist summarises the information on this page. Use it to check your understanding.
In English grammar, a root is a word or portion of a word from which other words grow, usually through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. By learning root words, you can decipher unfamiliar words, expand your vocabulary, and become a better English speaker.
The Roots of Words
Most words in the English language are based on words from ancient Greek and Latin. The root of the word «vocabulary,» for example, is voc, a Latin root meaning «word» or «name.» This root also appears in such words as «advocacy,» «convocation,» «evocative,» «vocal,» and «vowel.» By dissecting words such as these, etymologists can study how a word has evolved over time and tell us about the cultures they came from.
In some cases, root words might be slightly transformed en route to becoming part of words that we’re familiar with. In the above example, «vowel» is a word that’s clearly related to the voc root and its family of derivative words, and yet the «c» in «voc» is not present. There are several reasons for this sort of pattern, and the changes often depend on what language each individual word comes from, but it serves as a reminder that not every word with the same root will look exactly the same.
Root words are also useful for creating new words, especially in technology and medicine, where new innovations occur frequently. Think of the Greek root word tele, which means «far,» and inventions that traverse long distances, such as the telegraph, telephone, and television. The word «technology» itself is a combination of two other Greek root words, techne, meaning «skill» or «art,» and logos, or «study.»
Because several modern languages share some of the same ancestor languages, it’s not entirely uncommon for several related languages to share root words. For instance, the Latin root voc, described above, is shared by several Romance languages. Connections between languages can be found in the shared roots between them, although one always has to be wary of false cognates — that is, words that sound like they have the same roots (and thus related meanings) but actually don’t.
Greek Root Words
The table below defines and illustrates 25 of the most common Greek roots.
Root | Meaning | Examples |
anti | against | antibacterial, antidote, antithesis |
ast(er) | star | asteroid, astronomy, astronaut |
auto | self | automatic, automate, autobiograph |
biblio | book | bibliography, bibliophile |
bio | life | biography, biology, biodegradable |
chrome | color | monochromatic, phytochrome |
chrono | time | chronic, synchronize, chronicle |
dyna | power | dynasty, dynamic, dynamite |
geo | earth | geography, geology, geometry |
gno | to know | agnostic, acknowledge |
graph | write | autograph, graphic, demographic |
hydr | water | dehydrate, hydrant, hydropower |
kinesis | movement | kinetic, photokinesis |
log | thought | logic, apologize, analogy |
logos | word, study | astrology, biology, theologian |
narc | sleep | narcotic, narcolepsy |
path | feel | empathy, pathetic, apathy |
phil | love | philosophy, bibliophile, philanthropy |
phon | sound | microphone, phonograph, telephone |
photo | light | photograph, photocopy, photon |
schem | plan | scheme, schematic |
syn | together, with | synthetic, photosynthesis |
tele | far | telescope, telepathy, television |
tropos | turning | heliotrope, tropical |
Latin Root Words
The table below defines and illustrates 25 of the most common Latin roots.
Root | Meaning | Examples |
ab | to move away | abstract, abstain, aversion |
acer, acri | bitter | acrid, acrimony, exacerbate |
aqu | water | aquarium, aquatic, aqualung |
audi | hear | audible, audience, auditorium |
bene | good | benefit, benign, benefactor |
brev | short | abbreviate, brief |
circ | round | circus, circulate |
dict | say | dictate, edict, dictionary |
doc | teach | document, docile, doctrinal |
duc | lead, make | deduce, produce, educate |
fund | bottom | founder, foundation, funding |
gen | to birth | gene, generate, generous |
hab | to have | ability, exhibit, inhabit |
jur | law | jury, justice, justify |
lev | to lift | levitate, elevate, leverage |
luc, lum | light | lucid, illuminate, translucent |
manu | hand | manual, manicure, manipulate |
mis, mit | send | missile, transmit, permit |
omni | all | omnivorous, omnipotent, omniscent |
pac | peace | pacify, pacific, pacifist |
port | carry | export, import, important |
quit | silent, restive | tranquil, requiem, acquit |
scrib, script | to write | script, proscribe, describe |
sens | to feel | sensitive, sentient, resent |
terr | earth | terrain, territory, extraterrestrial |
tim | to fear | timid, timorous |
vac | empty | vacuum, vacate, evacuate |
vid, vis | to see | video, vivid, invisible |
Understanding the meanings of the common word roots can help us deduce the meanings of new words that we encounter. But be careful: root words can have more than one meaning as well as various shades of meaning. In addition, words that look similar may derive from different roots.
In addition, a handful of root words can stand on their own as whole words in and of themselves. This list includes words such as photo, kinesis, chrome, port, and script. Words like this tend to have related meanings on their own, then can also act as roots for longer, more complex words.
Sources
- Bryant, Alice, and Robbins, Jill. «Grow Your Vocabulary by Learning Root Words.» VOANews.com, 28 November 2017.
- Grammarly staff. «Why You Should Learn Roots.» Grammarly.com, 6 February 2016.
- McCammon, Ellen. «50 GRE Words You Should Know.» PrepScholar.com, 8 February 2017.