Table of Contents
- What is the root word of Intensify?
- What word means intensity?
- What does the word intensity mean in science?
- What is another word for exactly the same?
- What’s it called when everyone is the same?
- What do you call someone who thinks everyone is out to get them?
- What do u call someone who fights for justice?
- What I means exactly the same?
- How do you say very true?
- Is it true or is that true?
- Is it OK to say very true?
- What is another word for true story?
- Who says true story?
- What is a personal story called?
- What is the definition of a true story?
- What horror movies are based on true stories?
- What does Based mean?
- What is the meaning of real life situation?
- What are the real life problems?
- What is a real world example?
- What is real example?
Describe is from the Latin word describere which means “to write down.” When you describe something, you’re “da” scribe, the person writing things down!
What is the root word of Intensify?
intensify (v.) 1817 (transitive), from intense + -ify, first attested in Coleridge, in place of intend, which he said no longer was felt as connected with intense. Intransitive sense is from 1845.
What word means intensity?
1 : the quality or state of being intense especially : extreme degree of strength, force, energy, or feeling. 2 : the magnitude of a quantity (such as force or energy) per unit (as of area, charge, mass, or time) 3 : saturation sense 4a.
What does the word intensity mean in science?
In physics, intensity of radiant energy is the power transferred per unit area, where the area is measured on the plane perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the energy. Intensity can be applied to other circumstances where energy is transferred.
What is another word for exactly the same?
What is another word for exactly the same?
identical | indistinguishable |
---|---|
alike | equal |
same | twin |
corresponding | like |
matching | equivalent |
What’s it called when everyone is the same?
An egalitarian is a person who believes in the equality of all people, and an egalitarian society gives everyone equal rights. This is a word that means something close to equality and has to do with fairness. The opposite of an egalitarian system could be a fascist society or dictatorship.
What do you call someone who thinks everyone is out to get them?
Paranoid personality disorder (PPD) is one of a group of conditions called eccentric personality disorders. People with PPD suffer from paranoia, an unrelenting mistrust and suspicion of others, even when there is no reason to be suspicious. Overview. Symptoms and Causes.
What do u call someone who fights for justice?
In recent years people who fight against injustice and for equality have been called social justice warriors. The phrase originated in the late 20th century as a neutral or positive term for people engaged in social justice activism.
What I means exactly the same?
“Exact same” tells the reader or listener that you mean same in its most literal sense and do not mean that the two things are simply very similar but are exact. Ultimately, whether exact in “exact same” is a redundant adjective or an idiomatic adverb is of secondary importance.
How do you say very true?
What can I say instead of ”very true”? “VERY TRUE” : Actual ; Real ; Factual ; Genuine ; Authentic ; Valid ; Truthful ; Honest ; Sincere ; Legitimate ; Rightful ; Proper ; Correct ; Accurate ; Precise ; Exact ; Faithful ; Loyal ; Staunch ; Steadfast ; Trusty ; Trustworthy ; Reliable ; Dependable , Etc.
Is it true or is that true?
Remember the difference between “that is true” and “this is true?” The same rule goes with “it is true,” and “that is true.” You might often hear the words “it is true,” answered the question, “Is that true?” But the correct way to answer would be “that is true.”
Is it OK to say very true?
“Very true” is perfectly acceptable, and it means something somewhat different than simply “true.” It is not used for simple facts. “The sun rose this morning.” This is a true statement, and there are no two ways about it. Saying “very true” in response to this statement would not make sense.
What is another word for true story?
What is another word for true story?
accurate | authentic |
---|---|
factual | honest |
true | truthful |
Who says true story?
Barney Stinson
What is a personal story called?
Personal narrative (PN) is a prose narrative relating personal experience usually told in first person; its content is nontraditional. “Personal” refers to a story from one’s life or experiences.
What is the definition of a true story?
: an account of something that really happened.
What horror movies are based on true stories?
Here are the 25 best horror movies based on true stories.
- 1 of 25. “The Exorcist” (1973)
- 2 of 25. “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” (1974)
- 3 of 25. “Jaws” (1975)
- 4 of 25. “The Town That Dreaded Sundown” (1976 and 2014)
- 5 of 25. “The Hills Have Eyes” (1977)
- 6 of 25. “The Amityville Horror” (1979)
- 7 of 25.
- 8 of 25.
What does Based mean?
Based is a slang term that originally meant to be addicted to crack cocaine (or acting like you were), but was reclaimed by rapper Lil B for being yourself and not caring what others think of you—to carry yourself with swagger.
What is the meaning of real life situation?
: existing or occurring in reality : drawn from or drawing on actual events or situations real-life problems real-life drama.
What are the real life problems?
Examples of real-world problems might include limited water supply, land usage, the coexistence of animals and humans, or the effect of wildfires on a local community.
What is a real world example?
The real world is the place in which one actually must live and the circumstances with which one actually must deal. An example of the real world is the life you are living right now, as opposed to the life you wish to live some day. noun.
What is real example?
The definition of real is something that is true and authentic or something is very important or significant. An example of real is an actual designer purse as opposed to a fake. An example of real is a serious problem. Not to be taken lightly; serious.
Did you know that the English language is made up of many words derived from other languages? In fact, over 60% of English words are derived from Latin, French, and Greek. This article will explore Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes. Not sure what they are? No worries, we will look at a definition of each of these terms, along with some examples and English words that use them.
Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Definition
It’s important to be aware of what roots, prefixes, and suffixes are, as they all help to determine the meaning of words. If you haven’t heard of these terms before, here are some definitions and examples:
Roots Definition
A root (also known as a base) refers to the core form of a word. It has a distinct meaning and can make sense on its own.
An example of a root word is ‘child.’ This word makes sense on its own and has its own definition. Nothing has been added to it.
A root carries most of a word’s meaning. Once you learn the root of a word, you will be able to construct new words. For example, take the verb ‘slow.’ This is a root word. You can add ‘ly’ to the end to turn it into the adverb ‘slowly.’ The ending ‘ly’ is known as a suffix.
Here’s a definition of suffix:
Suffix Definition
A suffix refers to a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word to create a new meaning. Suffixes can be added to a root word for a variety of reasons, such as:
1. To change tense
Take the root word ‘paint‘ (e.g., I paint a picture). To change this to the past tense, you would add the ‘ed‘ suffix, which changes it to ‘painted.’
It is important to be aware that the grammar rules in English are not always consistent, and words are not always ‘regular.’ This means that the suffixes and prefixes added to words will not always be the same or follow the exact same pattern. For example, if you wanted to turn the verb ‘run‘ into the past tense, you would not add an ‘ed‘ suffix, as ‘runned‘ does not make grammatical sense. Instead, you would say ‘ran.’
2. To express plurality (more than one of something)
Take the singular root word ‘cup.’ If you want to make it plural, you would add the suffix ‘s‘ at the end, which changes it to ‘cups.’ This shows there is more than one cup.
The addition of ‘s/es‘ suffixes to create a plural does not always work… Take ‘sheep‘ as an example — the plural of ‘sheep‘ is still ‘sheep.’
3. To change the word class
Take the root word ‘agree’ (verb). To change this to an adjective, you would add the suffix ‘able,’ which changes it to ‘agreeable’ (adjective).
When ‘able‘ is used, sometimes letters from the root words get dropped. For example, adding ‘able‘ to the root ‘adore‘ does not make it ‘adoreable‘ — instead, it’s ‘adorable.’
Prefix Definition
A prefix refers to a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a root word to create a new meaning. Prefixes can be used for a couple of reasons, including:
1. To negate a word (make the meaning negative)
Take the root word ‘legal.’ To make this negative, you would add the prefix ‘il’, changing it to ‘illegal.’
Fig. 1 — Illegal has negative connotations, whereas legal has positive connotations.
Other prefixes used to create a negative meaning are:
-
in- (e.g., incorrect)
-
im- (e.g., impossible)
-
ir- (e.g., irresponsible)
-
un- (e.g., unimpressed)
-
dis- (e.g., disapprove)
2. To show repetition
Adding the ‘re‘ prefix to the root ‘do‘ creates the word ‘redo‘, which means to do something again/more than once.
Sometimes, prefixes can be hyphenated so as to not be misread or mispronounced. This is often the case if the last letter of the prefix and the first letter of the root word are the same. For example, the word ‘re-enter‘ is often written with a hyphen — otherwise, it may be pronounced as ‘reen-ter.’
Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Example
Let’s look at some examples of roots, suffixes, and prefixes derived from Latin. Did you know these words came from Latin?
Latin Roots Examples
Latin Root | Meaning |
Audire | To hear |
Pac | Peace |
Mens | Mind |
Annus | Year/yearly |
Cavus | Hollow |
Densus | Thick |
Frater | Brother |
Lingua | Language |
Solus | Alone/only |
Latin Suffixes Examples
Latin Suffix | Meaning |
able/ible | capable/worthy of (used to form adjectives) |
ation | used to turn verbs into nouns |
ty/ity | used to turn adjectives into nouns |
fy/ify | to cause/make/become (used to form verbs) |
ment | used to turn verbs into nouns |
ic/tic | used to create adjectives |
ion | used to turn verbs into nouns |
arium | A place associated with a specified thing. |
Latin Prefixes Examples
Did you know the ‘pre’ in the word ‘prefix’ is a Latin prefix itself? It derives from the Latin ‘prae‘, which means ‘before/prior to.’
Latin Prefix | Meaning |
co- | together |
inter- | between |
dis- | not/not any |
sub- | under |
pre- | before |
post- | after |
re- | again |
de- | away/off |
non- | not |
Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Words
Now that you know some Latin roots, suffixes and prefixes, let’s take a look at some English words that use them!
We’ll begin with the Latin root words and the English words that use these roots:
Latin Roots and English Words
Latin Root | Used in English words |
Audire (to hear) | audible, auditorium, auditory |
Pac (peace) | pacifism, pacify |
Mens (mind) | mental, mentality |
Annus (year/yearly) | annual, anniversary |
Cavus (hollow) | cave, cavity, excavation |
Densus (thick) | dense, density, condense |
Frater (brother) | fraternal, fraternity |
Lingua (language) | linguistics, bilingual |
Solus (alone/only) | solo, sole, desolate |
Latin Suffixes and English Words
Latin suffix | English words |
able/ible | predictable, accessible |
ation | information, imagination |
ty/ity | equality, loyalty |
fy/ify | intensify, purify |
ment | amazement, statement |
ic/tic | romantic, academic |
ion | collection, invention |
arium | aquarium, planetarium |
Latin Prefixes and English Words
Latin prefix | English words |
co- | co-occur, co-operate |
inter- | international, intertwine |
dis- | discomfort, disbelief |
sub- | subway, submarine |
pre- | preconceive, preview |
post- | post-war, post-natal |
re- | rearrange, remake |
de- | decompress, deactivate |
non- | nonsense, non-verbal |
The Influence of Latin on English
Why does English have so many Latin words? One important term to discuss is…
Loanwords
Loanwords are words that have been taken from one language and integrated into the vocabulary of another. This is often done when two countries/cultures come into close contact, usually due to migration, trade, and/or war between countries.
During the Roman Empire, Latin was the lingua franca in most of Europe — a lingua franca is a common language used between countries that have different native languages. This means it was widely spoken and other European countries were often exposed to Latin vocabulary. Many English words were either directly taken from Latin, or new words were created using Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes.
Below is a pie chart of the languages with the most influence on English. This shows the percentage of words in the English language that derive from each of these languages:
Fig. 2 — Pie chart showing the percentage of words in English that derive from other languages
Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes Review
So, what do we now know about Latin roots, suffixes, and prefixes?
Here are a few key points:
-
A root is the core form of a word. It makes sense on its own.
-
A suffix is added to the end of a root word. This can be done to change the tense, express plurality, or change the word class.
-
A prefix is added to the beginning of a root word. This can be done to negate a word or show repetition.
If you are familiar with Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes, you can use them to help determine the meanings of unfamiliar English words.
For example:
The word ‘indescribable‘ is made up of:
- prefix: in
- root: describe
- suffix: able
From this, we can tell that:
- The root word ‘describe’ means to give a detailed description or account of something.
- But the prefix ‘in’ is used to negate the word — in this case meaning ‘not able to be described.’
- The suffix ‘able’ means that the word is an adjective, so is used to modify a noun.
Latin Roots, Suffixes, and Prefixes — Key Takeaways
- A root refers to the base form of a word.
- Examples of Latin root words include ‘audire’, ‘mens’ and ‘lingua’
- A suffix is a letter/group of letters added to the end of a root word, whereas a prefix is a letter/group of letters added to the beginning of a root word.
- Examples of Latin suffixes include ‘able,’ ‘ify,’ and ‘ment’
- Examples of Latin prefixes include ‘co,’ ‘dis,’ and ‘re’
Plan
- 1 What is root word example?
- 2 What is another name for roots in math?
- 3 What root means time?
- 4 What is the root word for scribble?
- 5 What words have the root word scrib?
- 6 What is the root of describe?
- 7 What is Redescription?
- 8 What is an example of churning?
- 9 What does churning accounts mean?
A root word is a word or word part that can form the basis of new words through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. For example, “egotist” has a root word of “ego” plus the suffix “-ist.” “Acting” has the root word “act”; “-ing” is merely the suffix.
What is another name for roots in math?
Root of a number The root of a number x is another number, which when multiplied by itself a given number of times, equals x. For example the second root of 9 is 3, because 3×3 = 9. The second root is usually called the square root.
What root means time?
The Latin root temp means “time.” This Latin root is the word origin of a fair number of English vocabulary words, including contemporary, temporary, and the Latin phrase tempus fugit.
What is the Greek root for Earth?
#119 ge → earth The Greek root word ge, commonly used in the English prefix geo-, means “earth.” This Greek root is the word origin of a good number of English vocabulary words, including geology, geography, and geometry.
What does Greek word logy mean?
-logy is a suffix in the English language, used with words originally adapted from Ancient Greek ending in -λογία (-logia). The suffix has the sense of “the character or deportment of one who speaks or treats of [a certain subject]”, or more succinctly, “the study of [a certain subject]”.
What is the root word for scribble?
To scribble is to write something quickly and sloppily. The Latin root is scribere, “to write.”
What words have the root word scrib?
-scrib-, root. -scrib- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning “write. ” This meaning is found in such words as: ascribe, circumscribe, describe, indescribable, inscribe, prescribe, proscribe, scribble, scribe, subscribe, transcribe.
What is the root of describe?
To describe is to report details about something either out loud or in writing. “Since we can’t come to Paris with you, please describe it in your letter!” Describe is from the Latin word describere which means “to write down.” When you describe something, you’re “da” scribe, the person writing things down!
What is the root word of interesting?
The word interesting originally meant “of concern”; it was a synonym of important. It comes from the verb interest, which in its original use meant “to induce or persuade to participate or engage.” If you were interested in something, you were not willing to be a bystander; you felt the need to participate or engage.
Which words have a root that means speak?
#153 loqu → talk, speak The Latin root loqu and its variant locut mean “speak.” These roots are the word origins of a fair number of English vocabulary words, including eloquent, loquacious, elocution, and circumlocution.
What is Redescription?
: a new and more complete description especially of a biological taxon.
What is an example of churning?
To churn is defined as to stir or shake milk or cream with intense movements in the process of making butter, to stir up and agitate, or to produce something at a rapid and regular rate. An example of to churn is for a boat to create waves while moving quickly through the water .
What does churning accounts mean?
Churning is a term applied to the practice of a broker conducting excessive trading in a client’s account mainly to generate commissions. Churning is an unethical and illegal practice that violates SEC rules (15c1-7) and securities laws.
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∙ 11y ago
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De because scribe is one to though.
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Continue Learning about Linguistics
Which root word Does not describe a form of clotting?
Coagul/o
Base or root word for condensation?
Con is the root word in that word.
What is the root word for honor?
There is no root word for honor. honor is a root word.
What is the root word for combine?
There is no root.
What is the root word projected?
The root word is ject. This root word means to throw.
Related questions
People also asked
What is the root word of description?
description (n.) and directly from Latin descriptionem (nominative descriptio) “representation, description, copy,” noun of action from past-participle stem of describere “write down, transcribe, copy, sketch,” from de “down” (see de-) + scribere “to write” (from PIE root *skribh- “to cut”).
What is this word describe?
verb (used with object), de·scribed, de·scrib·ing. to tell or depict in written or spoken words; give an account of: He described the accident very carefully. to pronounce, as by a designating term, phrase, or the like; label: There are few people who may be described as geniuses.
What is the short form of describe?
Describe in abbreviations Abbr. Meaning. DPN. Describe the Protocol by Number. Due.
What is another word for describe?
Synonyms & Antonyms of describe
- delineate,
- depict,
- draw,
- image,
- limn,
- paint,
- picture,
- portray,
How do you describe the same?
Some common synonyms of same are equal, equivalent, identical, selfsame, and very. While all these words mean “not different or not differing from one another,” same may imply and selfsame always implies that the things under consideration are one thing and not two or more things.
What is it called when you describe something?
To describe is to report details about something either out loud or in writing. Describe is from the Latin word describere which means “to write down.” When you describe something, you’re “da” scribe, the person writing things down!
What is a stronger word for describe?
delineate (noun) describe (noun) other relevant words (noun) account (verb) characterize (verb)
What is the description?
: a statement that tells you how something or someone looks, sounds, etc. : words that describe something or someone. : type or kind.
What is another word for in Which?
What is another word for in which?
where | whereupon |
---|---|
at which | inside of which |
which is where |
What is the word which?
: what one or ones out of a group. —used to introduce an additional statement about something that has already been mentioned. —used after a preposition to refer again to something that has already been mentioned. See the full definition for which in the English Language Learners Dictionary.
What is another word for include?
include
- carry,
- comprehend,
- contain,
- embrace,
- encompass,
- entail,
- involve,
- number,
What is another word for as well as?
What is another word for as well as?
also | additionally |
---|---|
as well | still |
along with | further |
besides | furthermore |
including | more |
What is as well as?
(Entry 1 of 2) : and in addition : and brave as well as loyal.
What word can I use instead of your?
Replace instances of “you” in your essay either by using “individual” or “one” to refer to a single hypothetical person and using “people” to refer to a large group to whom something you’re saying applies. Replace instances of “your” in your essay by using the possessive forms of “individual,” “one,” and “people.”
What’s another word for myself?
What is another word for myself?
ourself | the author |
---|---|
I | for me |
I myself | personally |
the speaker | me |
yours truly | self |
What is the opposite word of you?
“One science teacher had tried to convince me that his suit was stylish and expensive.”…What is the opposite of you?
me | myself |
---|---|
me, personally | yours truly |
What is all by myself meaning?
(I did it) all by myself: (I did it) on my own, without any help.
What does by myself mean?
1 : without any help from other people I shoveled the driveway by myself. I want you to figure it out by yourself. 2 : with no one or nothing else : alone The grandmother still lives in the house by herself.
What does by my own mean?
So by myself indicates that you were alone by chance and on my own means that it was a decision you made to be alone.”
What is Byself?
BYSELF is a slang term. BYSELF stands for by myself.
How can I have fun alone?
Here are 43 things every woman should do alone at least once in her life:
- Go to a concert.
- Visit a museum.
- Gaze at the stars.
- Teach yourself a new instrument.
- People watch.
- Go kayaking.
- Wake up early to watch the sunrise.
- Learn a new language.
What do you do alone list?
20 Soothing Solo Activities You Can Do At Home
- Pick up a paint brush. You don’t have to be a present-day da Vinci to enjoy painting.
- Bake a batch of cookies.
- Cue the music.
- Write a letter to someone you love.
- Treat yourself to a DIY spa.
- Start a scrapbook.
- Let a celebrity read you a story.
- Rearrange your closet.
How do you spend quality time with yourself?
Here’s how you can spend your alone time:
- Meditate. This is a habit that’s slowly changing my life for the better.
- Write in a journal. I write in my journal once a week.
- Set goals. Take control of your life.
- Reflect on your goals. Spend time in solitude reflecting on your progress.
- Pay attention to your emotions.
How do I discover my self?
There’s no better time for self-exploration than the present, so here are some tips to get you started.
- Start by visualizing your ideal self.
- Explore your passions.
- Try new things.
- Evaluate your skills.
- Identify what you value about yourself.
- Ask yourself questions.
- Learn something new.
- Keep a journal.
Is it healthy to be alone all the time?
The upshot is that while alone time has many physical, emotional and spiritual benefits when enjoyed in moderation, spending too much time alone can damage the mind and body. We function best when there’s a balance, when we spend healthy time alone, and at the same time nurture our close relationships.
Is it healthy to be alone?
Solitude often gets a bad rap. Experts extol the virtues of social connectivity; it’s linked to better immunity, improved stress resilience, and even longer life. Being alone, on the other hand, is all too often equated with loneliness.
Morphemica is one of the most difficult topics for a child. Correctly divide the word into parts can not every schoolboy. Nevertheless, the ability to correctly identify parts of the word is a necessary condition for the assimilation of a number of rules of Russian spelling.
Russian language: what is the root of the word
Morpheme is a significant part of the word. First, with the morphemic analysis, the foundation and the ending are distinguished. The basis is the immutable part of the word, and the ending is the variable and pointing to the form of the word. For example, in the word «cows» cows — this is the basis, and you — this is the ending. The basis of the word includes the following parts of the word (morpheme) — prefix, root, ending. An important morpheme, denoted by an arc, is the root of the word.
What is the root of the word? The root of the word is a common part of the related words. What words are called crocheted? The root of one root is one root, while the other morphemes are different. For example, high — height, leaf — foliage, daddy — daddy, sister — sister.
How to find root words
- There are words with the same roots, but notwhich are crooked. So, in the adjectives «peaceful» and «world» one can single out the root-world, but words will not be single-root, since in the first case the adjective is formed from the word «peace» in the meaning «without war», and in the second — in the meaning » what is around, the universe. » Lexical differences of words can not make words self-root.
- You should not mix root words and forms of one word. For example, the words «carrots» and «carrots» are single-root words, and «carrots» and «carrots» are word forms of the word «carrot».
- Raw words do not necessarily belong toone part of speech. So, if «carrots» and «carrots» are nouns, then «run» and «run» are a noun and a verb, and «fun» and «hilarious» are an adverb and an adjective.
- Do not forget that apart from the root, there is a word in the wordprefixes and suffixes. If you can select them, then finding the root words will be much easier. For example, the word «chin». In it, you can select the prefix of sub-, suffix -ok and root -brod-. So, now you can pick up the root words: bearded, beard, beardless.
- Difficulties can arise because of historicalalternating consonants. Outwardly, the roots are different, but the meaning is preserved. The fact is that earlier the sound of Russian speech was different from what one can hear today. Due to historical changes in the sound structure of the language, the same root in different words may sound different.
Some examples:
- to-h «: hands / a — hand» / k / a
- k-u-h «: n» uh / — n «u / o — n» u «/ n / w
- Ms.: legs / a — knife / c / a
- Mrs.-z: friend / — friends / and / «- friends» / ya
- x-w: yx / o-yw / u
Although the final consonants in the roots differ, the presented pairs of words are single-root.
What is a root orthogram?
Why do we need to highlight the root of the word and look forroot words? The fact is that one of the basic principles of Russian orthography (spelling) is a morphemic principle. It is manifested, for example, in the rule «The Uncorrected Vowel at the Root of the Word» or in the rule «Unpronounceable Consonant in the Root of the Word».
In the first case, it is necessary to find such a single root word, so that the verified vowel is under stress. For example, in_water — water, с_стра — sister, д_ловой — business.
In the second case, it is necessary to find a word such that an unpronounceable consonant is well audible. For example, it’s an honor, a crunch, a crunch.
Not only in these cases is it worth remembering what the root of the word is. Another important rule is based on the ability to allocate a root.
Alternating vowels in the root
Because of the same historical reasons in someroot words are written different vowels. For example, in the roots with alternating vowels e-u (-ber- -bir-, -per-pir-, -mer- — world-, -style -style, -der -dir, etc.), the letter «u «is written only when the root suffix -a- follows, for example: die — die, spread — spread, tear — razdert, shine — shine.
The alternating roots are also:
lag-lodges, kas-kos, floating-pilov, clan-clone, creature creature, mac-mok, har-mountains, zarzor, skach-scoch, equal-level, rastro-rasch.
Read more about this here.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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-«.
Examples[edit]
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 roots[edit]
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 roots[edit]
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 also[edit]
- 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
References[edit]
- ^ 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 links[edit]
- Virtual Salt Root words and prefixes
- Espindle — Greek and Latin Root Words