Word roots from latin

The English language uses many Greek and Latin roots, stems, and prefixes. These roots are listed alphabetically on three pages:

  • Greek and Latin roots from A to G
  • Greek and Latin roots from H to O
  • Greek and Latin roots from P to Z.

Some of those used in medicine and medical technology are listed in the List of medical roots, suffixes and prefixes.

See alsoEdit

  • Classical compound
  • English words of Greek origin
  • English prefixes
  • Greek language
  • Hybrid word
  • Interlingua
  • International scientific vocabulary
  • Latin
  • Latin influence in English
  • Lexicon Mediae et Infimae Latinitatis Polonorum
  • List of Greek phrases
  • List of Latin abbreviations
  • List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names
  • List of Latin legal terms
  • List of Latin phrases
  • List of Latin words with English derivatives
  • List of Latinised names
  • Romanization (cultural)
  • Help:IPA/Latin

External linksEdit

  • List of Latin Derivatives
  • Index of Latin and Greek Roots from the University of Alberta

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.

This article may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links at no extra cost to you. For more information, please read my disclosure.

The English language contains over one million words, most of which the average speaker will never even know. Stacker identified the 50 most important Latin roots to help English speakers better comprehend the extensive English lexicon.

Latin 0

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Anyone who has ever studied a stack of GRE vocabulary words or invested in a word-a-day calendar to try to expand their lexicon can attest to the fact that the English language is incredibly expansive. Data has shown that the average adult knows somewhere around 40,000 words in total, and that includes active (i.e., regularly used) and passive (i.e., familiar, but not utilized) vocabulary. Put that number up against the more than one million total words in the English language, and it becomes clear that the percentage of terms in English speakers’ everyday rotation is only a small fraction of the English language as a whole.

Looking at the sheer volume of the English vocabulary, one thing that helps make sense of the words is the notable patterns that emerge in light of its etymological roots; particularly, its Latin roots. Though Latin itself has often been referred to as a dead language, it is very much alive in the 80% of English terms that are borrowed directly from the ancient language and the over 60% of English words that have roots in Latin and Greek. In the same way that a new reader may try to sound out a word phonetically, looking at English through the lens of Latin etymology allows us to obtain a new grasp on the language, such that we can more actively deduce the meanings of unfamiliar words. This is the secret behind amazing spellers at the Bee!

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To identify key linguistic elements from Latin that appear throughout the English language today, Stacker sorted through educational resources and online databases and compiled a list of 50 important Latin roots that shape the English language as we know it. Read on to get a better understanding of how some of the words you use regularly—and a few perhaps you’ve never seen before—all share a common foundation in Latin.

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Ann

– Meaning in English: Yearly

The Latin root “ann”—which means “yearly”—can be found in countless words that reference events and occurrences that happen on a yearly basis. For example, an anniversary celebration marks the passing of another year of a relationship, a business, or a birthday. Then there are yearly events that are characterized as annual, such as award ceremonies (e.g., the Academy Awards), sporting events (e.g., Super Bowl), and holidays (e.g., Halloween).croppedshutterstock345007322HAAAjpg

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Aqu

– Meaning in English: Water, sea

Whether it’s being used in reference to a color such as aqua, a blueish-green hue, or to describe sea life, i.e., aquatic, the Latin root “aqu” is familiar in its relationship to water and large bodies of water. The mainstream familiarity of the Latin root was on full display in the 2006 coming-of-age film “Aquamarine,” where the titular character is a mermaid washed ashore.croppedshutterstock11503123641C5Sjpg

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Audi

– Meaning in English: Hearing, listening, sound

Those who prefer the convenience of listening to their books rather than reading them may recognize this Latin root from the name of Audible, Amazon’s audiobook and entertainment platform. The root also makes an appearance in the English terms audience, as in a group of people gathered together to listen to or receive a performance, and auditorium, the room in which said audience sits to listen.croppedshutterstock251105710SLBGjpg

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Bene

– Meaning in English: Good

Derived from a Latin term meaning “well,” bene is most commonly used as a prefix in the English language. The word benign means harmless or favorable, and in pathology is used to describe a condition that is not life-threatening. A benefit is something that is considered favorable or advantageous, and the term can also be used to describe a charitable event. A benefactor gives help to a person or a cause. Perhaps the most famous example of a benefactor is Miss Havisham from “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens.

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Bi

– Meaning in English: Two

The Latin prefix “bi” means two, as does the closely related, Greek-derived prefix “di.” A bifurcation describes the act of something splitting off into two distinct branches. In anatomy, the bicep is a muscle of the arm that runs between the shoulder and the elbow, so-named because it splits off into two branches where the muscle connects at the scapula. The word bicep translates to “two-headed muscle of the arm.”

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Bibl

– Meaning in English: Book

The Latin root “bibl” may sooner remind college students of having to create bibliographies—detailed lists of the books and sources referenced in academic work—than anything else. However, the root’s connection to the English language has a far deeper history: “bibl” is also the root for the name of the Bible, the collection of Judeo-Christian texts and scripture.croppedshutterstock1587807415J283jpg

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Cent

– Meaning in English: Hundred

The term “cent” likely conjures up thoughts of money—i.e., dollars and cents—before anything else, but that ties back perfectly to the Latin root from which the term comes. One cent is 1/100th of a dollar. Pennies aside, the Latin root also makes an appearance in terms like “century” and “centennial,” which pertain to 100-year timespans and a hundredth anniversary, respectively.croppedshutterstock1804080710K1Tjpg

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Circum

– Meaning in English: Around

The Latin root “circum”—meaning “around”—appears in terms like “circumnavigate,” which is the act of traveling all the way around something. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is remembered for successfully circumnavigating the globe in the early 16th century. This root also appears in terms like “circumvent,” which describes the act of getting around a problem, and “circumstance,” which pairs this root with another Latin root—“stance,” meaning “stand”—to reference a situation that focuses on a core cause.

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Civ

– Meaning in English: Citizen

“Civility” is characterized by respect towards others, and “civics,” which refers to the infrastructure in place that is intended to facilitate civility, are both rooted in the Latin “civ,” meaning “citizen.” The root also makes an appearance in the name of the Honda Civic, a car that––as the brand puts it––is meant to improve the lives of citizens.croppedshutterstock1544232371RZXAjpg

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Clar

– Meaning in English: Clear

The term “clarity”—which comes from the Latin root “clar,” meaning “clear”—is the property of being both pure and clean, as well as being lucid and coherent. The root has seen a variety of modern uses alluding to its Latin translation, including the brand Clarisonic, a beauty company that develops products meant to provide clearer-looking skin, and Claritin, an allergy medication that promises clarity and relief from chronic allergies.

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Cred

– Meaning in English: Believe

Credibility is the characteristic of being believable, and it’s a term that comes from the Latin root “cred,” meaning “believe.” While the term may appear in the case of legal proceedings—e.g., a court case requires credible witnesses—it also ties into the idea of credit and credit cards. Since credit cards work by allowing users to acquire items before paying for them in full, they operate on a system of trust and good faith—belief, essentially—that payments will be made in full at a later time.croppedshutterstock719133301PX5Ejpg

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Dict

– Meaning in English: Say/speak

The Latin root “dict” appears in words like dictate, meaning to read something aloud; dictation, the act of speaking aloud with the intention of having your words recorded or transcribed; and predict, the act of stating something that will happen before it actually happens. Of all the instances in which “dict” appears in the English language, though, one of the most important may be the dictionary, which offers a comprehensive guide to all of the officially-recognized words in the English language. Some of the most respected and trusted dictionaries in the U.S. include the Oxford English Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster.croppedshutterstock1011376669QLI8jpg

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Ex

– Meaning in English: Out

The Latin root “ex” means “out,” while related roots, including “exter” and “extrem,” offer additional variations of the same translation. The word extreme, for example, may refer to something that falls out of a normal expected range, as was the case with weather extremities, including record rainfall and high/low daily temperatures across the U.S. in 2019, which broke more than 120,000 records across the country.Fract

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Fract

– Meaning in English: Break

The Latin “fract” is closely related to fellow Latin roots “frang,” “fring,” and “frag,” all of which mean “break.” A few of its familiar appearances may include infringe, as in the breaking of a legal agreement or violation of copyright, and fragment, a small piece of an item that has been broken. The root also appears in the word fragile, which can be used to describe items that are easily breakable.croppedshutterstock58550293727WTjpg

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Inter

– Meaning in English: Between

The premise of the film “Interstellar” starring Matthew McConaughey is that a NASA physicist travels the universe via a wormhole in a quest to find a new home for mankind. The plot––and the flick’s title––reference the Latin root “inter,” meaning “between,” as McConaughey’s character essentially travels between cosmic stars. This root also appears in terms like international, which may refer to travel or political relations between nations, and interpersonal, which may refer to communication happening between different people (as opposed to intrapersonal, which uses the Latin root meaning “within”).

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Jur

– Meaning in English: Law

Legal systems are intended to act as a source of order and justice in society, and it turns out that a lot of the legal terminology that we’re familiar with today stems from the Latin “jur”—as well as the related roots “jus” and “judic”—meaning “law.” This includes the word jury, as in the body of citizens meant to come to a verdict in legal cases; judicial, as in something pertaining to the court or judge; and justice, as in fairness.croppedshutterstock1081969601831Vjpg

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Lax

– Meaning in English: Not tense

There are a number of ways that someone may choose to relax—yoga, unwinding with a good book, taking a bath, etc. Regardless of the method, the practice of relaxation just comes down to letting go of stress and releasing tension. The root origin of the term—the Latin “lax,” meaning “not tense”—is echoed in this way. The root also appears in the word laxative, which describes an agent used to relieve constipation by reducing tension in the bowels.croppedshutterstock569566918NQPHjpg

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Liber

– Meaning in English: Free

Liberty—which is defined as freedom from oppression in regards to one’s belief systems and way of life—is a fundamental tenet on which democracy is built. As for the Latin word “liber,” this is a fundamental root from which the term “liberty” stems. Further examples of “liber” in mainstream English language include the words liberate and liberation.croppedshutterstock139169084UUSPjpg

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Lumin

– Meaning in English: Light

This Latin root meaning “light” appears in a number of common English words including luminous, which means that something is bright and shining. However, the Latin root has seen several linguistic iterations that go beyond these everyday terms as well, including brand names such as Luminary, a podcast streaming platform that may be considered to be bringing new and creative ideas “to light,” and fictional terms such as “lumos maxima,” the incantation used in the “Harry Potter” universe to generate a bright flash of light.croppedshutterstock139550174GZ4Hjpg

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Magn

– Meaning in English: Big, great

The Latin root “magn,” meaning “big” or “great,” can be used either in reference to something physically large in size or something that big in its presence, such that it’s striking. In regular use today, the root appears in words like magnificent, which simply refers to something that’s amazing or awe-inspiring, and magnitude, which is used to characterize the large size or impact of something (e.g., a 3.2 magnitude earthquake).

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Mal

– Meaning in English: Bad

“Mal” is a Latin root meaning “bad,” and appears in such English terms as malicious, which is defined as having the intention to cause harm, as well as malevolent, which combines this root with another Latin root “volent,” which means “wishing.” Mal is defined as wishing evil or ill will upon another. Perhaps one of the most common pop culture affiliations with the root is “Maleficent,” the Disney film starring Angelina Jolie as the villainous fairy known for cursing Sleeping Beauty.croppedshutterstock423295780BBT6jpg

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Migr

– Meaning in English: Wander

This Latin root is perhaps most prevalent in its connection to current events. Namely, “migr”—meaning “wander”—appears in the terms immigration and migrant, both of which have become majorly familiar in the collective consciousness as a result of such issues as the European migrant crisis as well as the U.S. border crisis and questions surrounding the country’s immigration policies.croppedshutterstock796454182P2IHjpg

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Multi

– Meaning in English: Many

There are a multitude of examples in the English language of the Latin root “multi,” meaning “many,” in use (with multitude being one of them). The root is perhaps most notable for its role in arithmetic, as it occurs in multiplication, which is a mathematical process for growing a number in size and count. The root also appears in the title of the 1996 comedy “Multiplicity,” which stars Michael Keaton as a man who clones himself numerous times to manage the demands of his day-to-day life.croppedshutterstock1530909863QBNZjpg

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Neg

– Meaning in English: Say no

The Latin root “neg” appears in English words that are defined by a lack of positive or affirmative response. For example, the word negate means that something is being nullified or shut down, or, it’s being “said no to,” essentially. Negativity, a quality often associated with pessimism and naysaying, is another example of the root in action.croppedshutterstock52406114849J6jpg

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Non

– Meaning in English: Not

When something is described as nonsensical, it means that it doesn’t make sense. When something or someone is characterized as noncommittal, it means that they won’t commit. These words—along with others that include “non” as a prefix—pull from the Latin root’s definition meaning “not.” It’s important to keep in mind that the line between “non” and “un” can get a little troublesome when navigating common vocabulary. For example, while unprofessional refers to behavior that isn’t professional, nonprofessional refers to lines of work that don’t require professional training.

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Nov

– Meaning in English: New

The allure of novels comes from their imaginative stories that can take readers away from the ordinary and mundane. A novel concept or innovative idea is characterized by offering something fresh and new, which all ties back to the Latin root “nov.”croppedshutterstock796084258FXCUjpg

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Ov

– Meaning in English: Egg

While there are some English words beginning with “ov” that don’t tie back to this Latin root such as “oven,” which actually comes from Germanic origins, there are others that reference the root’s original definition: “egg.” Examples include oval, as in the egg-like shape, and ovary, as in the female reproductive organ that produces eggs.croppedshutterstock298990403TWV2jpg

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Pre

– Meaning in English: Before

“Pre” is a Latin-derived prefix that clarifies chronological order by signifying that something came before something else. For example, predict means that you talk about something happening before it actually happens. The word preliminary is another example and means that something occurs prior to something else in preparation for the main event. Of course, “pre” also occurs in the word prefix itself, which by definition is a grammatical add-on to the beginning of a word—i.e., it comes “before” the original word—that changes its meaning.croppedshutterstock63430859399C9jpg

Julie Clopper // Shutterstock

Prim

– Meaning in English: First

In addition to words that reflect this root’s origins in its most literal sense such as primary, primordial, and primitive, there are also words derived from this Latin root that more loosely mean best-in-class, or top-tier. One such example is the word prime, most commonly used in reference to Amazon Prime, the membership service that provides expedited shipping and a catalog of member-only streaming content for Amazon customers.croppedshutterstock122291845698FRjpg

fizkes // Shutterstock

Proxim

– Meaning in English: Nearness

When one makes an approximation of something, they’re making an educated guess about the count, measurement, or quantity of something based on information that allows them to come close—though maybe not exact—to the correct value. This word, along with others like proximity or proximal, comes from the Latin root “proxim,” meaning nearness.

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Ques

– Meaning in English: Seek

A Latin root that means “to seek” or “to look for,” “ques” appears in a number of words that English speakers use on a daily basis. Besides the very literal quest, which basically refers to a long search for something, there are also the terms question and request, both of which attempt to elicit some kind of response, information, or action.croppedshutterstock1564282474KWGTjpg

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Re

– Meaning in English: Again, backward

This Latin root is one that could refer to something happening over and over again, as is the case with such words as repeat or recur. It may also, however, be used to reference something that moves backward by being withdrawn, as is the case with the words renege and revert.croppedshutterstock120891997QJJIjpg

Andrey Bayda // Shutterstock

Retro

– Meaning in English: Backward, behind

Retro has been a standalone word since the mid-1970s when it started getting used in reference to fashion nostalgia. Before that, though, the word existed in the Latin vocabulary as a prefix meaning “backward” or “behind.” Of all the words that include the prefix—e.g., retrogress, retroactive, retrospective—one of the most familiar nowadays may be retrograde, as in Mercury Retrograde (when Mercury appears to be moving backward in its orbit).croppedshutterstock488408785WNQ7jpg

ThamKC // Shutterstock

San

– Meaning in English: Healthy

This Latin root appears throughout the English language in a few different ways. For starters, it has a very literal and practical application in words like sanitize and sanitary, which simply refer to the eradication of bacteria so as to make something healthier and safer. However, the same root also occurs in the term sanity—and the opposite, insanity—which refers to mental health.croppedshutterstock143878159ZPG1jpg

sirtravelalot // Shutterstock

Sci

– Meaning in English: Know

The Latin root “sci” (meaning “know”) has a few different roles in English. For one, it can refer to the actual act of knowing things, as is the case with terms like omniscience (meaning all-knowing), conscience (knowing right from wrong), and prescience (knowing things before they happen). Beyond that, “sci” also ties into the accumulation of knowledge, as it is a key root in the term science and is thus connected to all scientific branches (formal, natural, and social sciences).

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Scrib

– Meaning in English: Write

While a young child’s doodles on a piece of paper might be dismissed as nothing but a little scribble, it turns out that scribble has some roots in the Latin language. The root “scrib” actually means “write,” and appears in such terms as transcribe, the act of copying down words from a recording or dictation, and describe, the act of writing down (or saying) what something looks, feels, tastes, sounds, or smells like.croppedshutterstock12717164177WFRjpg

designs by Jack // Shutterstock

Semi

– Meaning in English: Half

The Latin root “semi” (meaning “half”) is central to a lot of the traditions that we consider to be commonplace. For example, there’s the idea of a semi-final, where two sports teams face off in a match directly before the final and only one—such as half of the two teams—moves on to the final. A lot of brands, most notably, Victoria’s Secret, are also known for having semi-annual sales: one at the start of the year in January and one around the half-way mark in June.croppedshutterstock578479687GWQ0jpg

Cipolina // Shutterstock

Senti

– Meaning in English: Feel

The Latin root “senti,” which is also close to the root “sens,” means “feel”—which is evident when looking at the English terms that have stemmed from the original root. The root is at the heart of our sensory system, which allows us to feel and experience things through our different senses. The classic book “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen interestingly juxtaposes two words that stem from this same Latin root in its title; here, sense is the ability to act with sound judgment and without being overly emotional, while sensibility refers to the ability to act from the heart or with feelings as a guide.croppedshutterstock573033001HCEGjpg

Twin Design // Shutterstock

Soci

– Meaning in English: Group

In the most basic sense, the Latin root “soci” appears in the term society, which is very literally a group of people who coexist in some capacity, whether they’re connected by a common government, neighborhood, or even just common interests (e.g., the National Audubon Society). This Latin root is also at the core of one of the biggest trends to have shaped modern culture: social media and the rise of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.croppedshutterstock103042126935UHjpg

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Sol

– Meaning in English: Alone

While social networks bring people together—even if only virtually—togetherness isn’t always the name of the game. “Sol,” the Latin root for “alone,” is also a big player in the English language, and is used in words that refer to loneliness or lack of connection. For example, solitude and isolation are two words that pull from the root, as is the name for Solitaire, the computer card game meant to be played solo.

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Sub

– Meaning in English: Under

When The Beatles released “Yellow Submarine,” they may not have realized that they were incorporating some Latin-based lyrics in their hit song. “Sub” is the Latin root meaning “under,” and beyond showing up in the name of the underwater warship, the root also occurs in terms like submerge, which is the act of putting something underwater. The New York City subway system also employs the Latin root for the name of its network of underground trains and tracks.croppedshutterstock75132691008Z2jpg

Worawee Meepian // Shutterstock

Surg

– Meaning in English: Rise

Not to be confused with the root for surgery, which comes from the Greek words meaning “hand work,” the Latin “surg” means “rise.” For example, there’s been a “resurgence”: This combines the Latin root “re” with “surg”. Anyone who has attempted to call an Uber during rush hour or an “extreme” (if we’re using Latin) rainstorm is also likely familiar with the phenomenon of surge pricing, where rates increase as a result of heightened demand.croppedshutterstock1208895436CHHAjpg

Min C. Chiu // Shutterstock

Tempor

– Meaning in English: Time

Musicians understand that tempo is the speed of a song’s underlying beat, and thus that the tempo helps determine the timing of a piece of music. For those less musically-inclined, however, this Latin root may feel more familiar in words like temporary, meaning something that only lasts for a given period of time, and contemporary, meaning that something is of the current time.croppedshutterstock243763585W8L4jpg

wavebreakmedia // Shutterstock

Test

– Meaning in English: Witness

Though the term “test” is a word on its own, the Latin root “test” is unrelated to the term meaning exam. Instead, the Latin here means “witness,” as in testimony, where someone shares their account of what they saw in a court trial. Legal proceedings aside, the root also appears in the word testament, which reflects a reliable account of something, such that it can be used as evidence to make a point.croppedshutterstock1449773558PZ0Ojpg

Ink Drop // Shutterstock

Trans

– Meaning in English: Across

English terms that include the root “trans” are generally referring to something that has traversed a physical or imaginary border in some way. For example, the first trans-Atlantic flight was completed in 1919 by Charles Lindbergh when he spent 34 hours traveling from New York to Paris. A common use of the root is also in reference to transgender individuals, whose gender identity does not align with their birth sex.

You may also like: Iconic products released the year you were borncroppedshutterstock151308128EWW4jpg

CURAphotography // Shutterstock

Vac

– Meaning in English: Empty

The Latin root “vac” appears in several highly-used English words, including what may be a collective favorite: “vacation.” Unlike certain terms that have a more literal tie to this root’s definition––e.g., “vacancy” means there are empty rooms in a space, “vacate” means emptying out a space, etc.––“vacation” is more of a loose derivative of the root, alluding to an empty schedule.croppedshutterstock10452265606E3Ejpg

everst // Shutterstock

Vag

– Meaning in English: Wander

Of the Latin roots on this list, “vag” is one of the more unique in that it has a few different derivative words that reflect the term in unique ways. For example, while vagabond is a pretty literal extension of the Latin root, one of the other common derivative words—vague—reflects the meaning of the Latin root in a less direct way (i.e., it alludes to ideological “wandering” from the main topic).croppedshutterstock1023698749VPZFjpg

Freedomz // Shutterstock

Ver

– Meaning in English: True

“Ver” is one of the more common Latin roots to appear in the English language. There are some terms that include the root—verdict and veracity—that may be less frequently utilized in everyday jargon, but that’s hardly the case with one of the most popular words that stems from this root: very. Whenever something is described as very soft, for example, the intention of the speaker is to communicate that something is “truly” soft.croppedshutterstock728322208RJLTjpg 0

Tero Vesalainen // Shutterstock

Vid

– Meaning in English: See, visual

While videotapes might have become obsolete, this Latin root, meaning “see,” is still kept alive in plenty of other key terms in the English language. One of the biggest, of course, is video, and though people’s sources of video entertainment have changed over the years, their affinity for it certainly has it. According to recent data, people watch an average of 16 hours of online video per week.croppedshutterstock142604302UWP6jpg

defotoberg // Shutterstock

Uni

– Meaning in English: One

This root, meaning “one,” is incredibly prevalent throughout the English language. It appears in a wide range of words, including unicorn (a one-horned mythical horse), unity (one entity), uniform (one outfit), unicycle (one-wheeled bike), and unibrow (one eyebrow).

This article originally appeared on Stacker.com. The article has been re-published pursuant to a CC BY-NC 4.0 License.

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I’m an Irish tutor and founder of TPR Teaching. I started teaching in 2016 and have since taught in the UK, Spain, and online.

I love learning new things about the English language and how to teach it better. I’m always trying to improve my knowledge, so I can better meet the needs of others!

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Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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This is a list of English words derived from Latin words, including Latin nouns, verbs and adjectives. The list is organized by Latin words.

See also:

  • Category:Latin appendices
  • Appendix:Ancient Greek words with English derivatives
  • User:Dmcdevit/word list
Contents: A B C D E F G H I L M N O P Q R S T U V

A[edit]

  • acere, aceo «to be sour» acid, acidic
  • acervus «heap» acerval, acervate, coacervate, coacervation
  • aemulus «striving to equal or excel» emulous, emulate, emulation, emulator
  • aequus «even, equal» adequacy, adequate, egalitarian, egalitarianism, equal, equalitarian, equalitarianism, equality, equalize, equalizer, equanimity, equate, equation, equator, equatorial, equidistant, equilibrium, equinox, equitable, equity, equivalence, equivalent, equivocation, equivocal, inadequacy, inadequate, inequitable, inequality, inequation, unequal, unequivocal
  • aestimare «to value, rate, weigh, estimate» esteem, estimable, estimate, estimation, estimator, overestimate, underestimate
  • aevum, aevī «age, lifetime, generation» coeval, eternal, eternity, longevity, longevous, medieval, primeval
  • ager, agrī «(arable) land, (tilled) field» agrarian, agriculture, peregrine, pilgrim
  • agere, ago «to do, act» act, action, actionable, active, activity, actor, actual, actualism, actuarial, actuary, actuate, actuation, actuator, agency, agenda, agent, agile, agility, agitate, agitation, allegation, allege, ambage, ambiguous, assay, cache, coagulation, cogency, cogent, essay, exact, exacta, examination, exigent, exiguous, fumigation, fustigate, interact, interaction, interactive, intransigent, levigate, litigate, navigate, navigation, navigator, objurgate, prodigal, prodigy, reaction, reactivation, reactivate, reactive, reactiveness, reactivity, reactor, redaction, retroactive, squat, transact, transaction, transactional, variegate, variegation
  • alere, alo «to grow» (from here «altus») altar, altitude, altitudinous, enhance, enhancement, exalt, exaltation
  • alius «other» abalienate, abalienation, alien, alienage, alienate, alienation
  • alter «other» alter, alterable, alterate, alteration, altern, alternate, alternation, alternative, alternator, altruism, altruist, altruistic
  • alvus «the belly» alveolar, alveolate, alveolus, alveus
  • ambulare, ambulo «to walk, go about» amble, ambulance, ambulant, ambulate, ambulator, ambulatory, funambulist, perambulate, perambulation, perambulator, preamble, somnambulist, somnambulate, somnambulistic
  • amicus «friend» amiable, amicable, amity, amicus
  • angere «to cause pain, choke, distress, trouble» anguish, anxiety, anxious
  • angulus «corner» angle, angular, angulate, angulation, pentangle, quadrangle, rectangle, rectangular, triangle, triangulate, triangulation
  • annus, annī «year, season, age» annals, annual, annuity, anniversary, biennium, decennium, millennium, perennial, quadrennium, quindecennial, quinquennium, septennial, sexennial, superannuated, triennium, vicennial
  • ante «before» advance, advancement, advantage, advantageable, advantageous, A.M., ante-, antecedent, disadvantage, disadvantageous, vantage
  • apere, apo «to fasten, to join, to fit» adapt, adaptable, adaptability, adaptation, adaptational, adaptationism, adaptationist, adaptative, adapter, adaptive, adaptorial, apt, aptitude, attitude, attitudinal, exaptation, inept, ineptitude
  • arbiter «witness» arbit, arbiter, arbitrable, arbitrage, arbitrary, arbitrate, arbitration, arbitrator
  • arbor «tree» arbor, arboreal, arboretum, arboricide, arboricity, arborize, arborization, arborvitae
  • arguere, arguo «to declare, show, prove, make clear, reprove, accuse» arguable, argue, arguer, argument, argumentation, argumentative
  • ars «skill» art, artful, artifact, artifice, artificer, artificial, artificiality, artisan, artist, artiste, artistic, artless, artsy, inert, inertia, inertial
  • articulus «a joint, limb, member, part, division, etc.» article, articulate, articulation
  • astus «craft» astute, astuteness
  • audere, audeo «to dare» audacious, audaciousness, audacity
  • audire, audio «to hear» audible, audience, audile, audio, audit, audition, auditor, auditorium, auditory, oyez, obey, subaudition
  • augere, augeo «to increase, augment» auction, auctioneer, augend, augment, augmentation, author, authority, authorization, authorize, auxiliary
  • augur «an augur, a reader of omens» augur, augural, augury, inaugural, inaugurate, inauguration, inaugurator, inauguratory
  • auscultare, ausculto «to listen» auscultate, auscultation, scout

B[edit]

  • basis «pedestal, foot, base; etc.» (from Ancient Greek) basal, base, basis
  • bini «two by two» combination, combinatory, combinatorics, combine, recombinant, recombinase, recombination, recombine
  • bonus «good» bonafide, bonus, bountiful, bounty, boon
  • bōs, bovis «cow» beef, bovine, bugle
  • brevis «short» abbreviate, abbreviation, abbreviator, abridge, abridgment, brevet, breviary, brief, briefing, brevity, unabridged

C[edit]

  • caballus «horse» cavalcade, cavalier, cavalry, chevalier, chivalrous, chivalry
  • cadere, cado «to fall» accident, accidental, incidence, incident, coincide, coincidence, cadence, casual, casualty, chance, cheat, decadence, decay, deciduous, occasion, occasional, occident
  • caedere, caedo «to cut» abscise, abscision, concise, decidable, decidability, decide, decision, decisive, imprecise, imprecision, incide, incise, incision, incisor, precise, precision
  • caelum «sky» celestial
  • calculus «a pebble» (> calculare) calculate, calculation, calculator, calculus, miscalculate, miscalculation, overcalculate, recalculate, recalculation
  • calx «limestone, lime, chalk» calcite, calcium, chalk
  • camera «chamber» camera, chamber, chamberlain, chambermaid, camaraderie, comrade, comradeliness, comradery, comradeship
  • cancer «a crab; a tumor, cancer; lattice, grid, or barrier» cancel, cancellation, cancer, chancel, chancellery, chancellor, chancery
  • canere, canto «to sing» cantor, chant, recant, recanter, recantation
  • canis, canis «dog» canaille, canary, canicular, canine, chenille, kennel
  • capanna «cabin, hut» cabana, cabin, cabinet
  • capere, capio «to take» accept, acceptable, acceptability, acceptance, apperceive, apperception, apperceptive, capable, capability, capacious, capacitate, capacity, capacitance, capacitation, capacitor, capture, conceit, conceive, concept, conception, deceit, deceive, deception, except, exception, exceptional, incapacitate, inception, incipient, intercept, interception, occupy, perceive, perception, perceptive, precept, receipt, receive, receptacle, reception, receptionist, recipient
  • capsa, capsae «container, holder, box, case» acapsular, case, cash, cashier, capsaicin, capsicum, capsular, capsulate, capsule, encase, encapsulate, encapsulation
  • caput «head» chapter, chapiter, capital, capitalism, captain, capitulate, capitulation
  • caro «flesh» carnal, carnality, carnalize, carnassial, carnival, carnivore, incarnadine, incarnate, incarnation, reincarnate, reincarnation
  • carpere, carpo «to pluck» carpet, excerpt
  • castrum «fort» castle, château, chatelaine
  • cathedra «chair, throne» cathedra, cathedral, chair
  • caudex «tree trunk» code, codec, coder, codex, codification, codifier, codify, decode, decoder, decoding, encode, encoder, encoding, recode, re-encode, transcode, transcoder
  • causa «cause, reason, account, lawsuit» accusable, accusation, accusative, accusatory, accuse, accuser, causal, causality, causation, causative, cause, excusable, excuse, recuse
  • cavus «hollow» cave, cavity, concave, excavate, excavation, excavator
  • cedere, cedo «to go» abscess, accede, accedence, access, accessory, accessibility, accessible, accession, ancestor, ancestry, antecedent, cease, cede, cessation, concede, concession, decease, decede, exceed, excess, excessive, intercede, intercession, precede, precedence, precedent, predecessor, procedure, proceed, process, recede, recession, recessionary, succeed, success, succession, successive, successor, unprecedented
  • celer «quick» accelerate, acceleration, accelerator, celerity
  • cella, cellae «storeroom, silo, small room, poor man’s apartment» cell, cella, cellar, cellarer, rathskeller
  • censere, censeo «to tax, assess, value, judge, consider, etc.» censor, censorial, censorious, censorship, censure, census, recension
  • centrum «center» center, central, centrality, centralization, centralize, centrifugal, centrifuge, centripetal, concentrate, concentration, concentric, decentralization, decentralize, egocentric, epicenter, excentric
  • centum «a hundred» cent, centennial, centipede, centum, century, centurion
  • cernere, cerno «to separate, perceive, decide» certain, concern, crime, criminal, decree, discern, discernible, discernment, discreet, discrete, discretion, discretionary, discriminant, discriminate, discrimination, discriminative, excrement, excreta, excrescent, excrete, excretion, excretory, indiscernible, secret, secretary, secretion, secretive, secretory
  • charta «papyrus, paper» card, cartographer, cartography, cartoon, cartouche, chart, charter
  • ciere, cieo «to call, summon» accite, cite, citation, excite, excitement, excitation, excitatory, incite, incitement, recital, recitation, recitative, recite
  • circus «ring, circle» (> circulus) circle, circular, circularity, circulate, circulation, circumference, circumstance, circus
  • cīvis, cīvis «citizen» citizen, citizenry, city, civic, civil, civility, civilization, civilize
  • classis, classis «fleet of ships, class of citizens, band, group» class, classic, classical, classism
  • clarus «clear, bright, brilliant» chiaroscuro, claret, clarification, clarify, clarity, clear, declaration, declarative, declaratory, declare, declarer
  • claudere, claudo «to shut» clause, claustrophobic, cloister, close, closure, conclude, conclusion, conclusive, include, inclusion, inclusive, exclusion, exclude, exclusive, occlude, occluder, occlusion, occlusive, preclude, preclusion, seclude, seclusion, seclusive, reclude, recluse, reclusion
  • colere, colo «to till, cultivate, worship» agriculture, colonial, colonialism, colonization, colonize, colonist, colony, cult, cultic, cultist, cultivar, cultivate, cultivation, cultural, culture, cyberculture, horticulture, monoculture, occult, occultation, occultism, occultist, subculture
  • comminisci, comminiscor «to devise, contrive, invent» comment, commentary, commentator, commenter, uncomment
  • communis «common, general, universal» common, commonality, communal, communicate, communication, communicator, communicative, commune, communion, communism, communist, community
  • cor, cordis «heart, mind judgment, dear friend» accord, accordance, concord, concordance, cordate, cordial, cordiality, cordiform, courage, courageous, discord, discordant, discourage, discouragement, encourage, encouragement, misericord, quarry, record, recorder
  • corona «garland, chaplet or wreath» corona, coronary, coronal, coronate, coronation, coronet, crown
  • cornū, cornūs «horn, drinking vessel, funnel, trumpet, arm (of a lake) » bicornuate, Capricorn, corn, cornea, corneous, corner, cornet, cornicopia, corniculate, cornification, cornu, lamellicorn, longicorn, tricorn, unicorn
  • cras, crastinus «tomorrow» procrastinate
  • creare, creo «to make, create» create, creation, creationism, creationist, creative, creativity, creativeness, creator, creature, recreate, recreation, recreational
  • credere, credo «to lend, loan, believe, trust, accept as true» credence, credential, credibility, credible, credit, creditable, creditor, credo, credulous, creed, grant, incredible, incredulous, miscreant, recreant
  • cremare, cremo «to burn to ashes» cremate, cremation, crematorium, crematory
  • crepare, crepo «to rattle, rustle, clatter; etc.» crepitant, crepitate, crepitation, decrepit, decrepitude, discrepancy, discrepant
  • crescere, cresco «to grow» accresce, accrescence, accrescent, accrete, accretion, accretive, accrue, concrete, increase, decrease, crescence, crescendo, crescent, crescentic, crew
  • criterion, criterium «a test, a means of judging» criterion
  • criticus «capable of judging» (from Greek) critic, critical, criticize, criticism, critique
  • crūx, crūcis «cross, crucifix, torment, tormentor» cross, crucial, cruciate, crucifer, crucifixion, cruciform, crucify, cruise, cruiser, crusade, crusader crux, excruciate
  • culpa «guilt» culpability, culpable, culprit, exculpate, exculpation, exculpatory, felix culpa
  • cumulus «heap» accumulate, accumulation, accumulator, cumulus
  • cura «care» accuracy, accurate, curable, curate, curation, curator, curative, cure, curio, curious, curiosity, inaccuracy, inaccurate, incurable, insecure, insecurity, proctor, proctorial, proctorship, procurator, procure, procurement, procurer, procuress, secure, securitization, securitize, security
  • currere, curro «to run (hard, over), traverse, pass, skim over» concourse, concur, concurrency, concurrent, corral, corrida, corrido, corridor, corsair, courante, courier, course, current, currency, cursive, cursor, cursory, curule, decurrent, discourse, excursion, hussar, incur, intercourse, kraal, occur, occurrence, percurrent, precursor, recourse, recur, recurrence, recurrent, recursion, recursive, recursiveness, recursivity, succor
  • curvus «bent, crooked, curved» curb, curvaceous, curvature, curve, curvy

D[edit]

  • damnum «loss» condemn, condemnable, condemnation, damage, damn, damnable, damnation, damnify, indemnify, indemnity
  • dare, do «to give» betray, betrayal, betrayer, date, dative, datum, tradition, traditional, traitor, traitorous, treason, treasonable
  • dens «tooth» dental, dentist, dentistry, denture, indent, indentation, outdent, trident, unindent
  • desiderare, desidero «to desire» desiderate, desirable, desire, desirous
  • deterior «worse» deteriorate, deterioration
  • diēs, diēī «day, time, period, space of time» adjourn, adjournment, circadian, dial, diary, diet, dismal, diurnal, du jour, journal, journey, meridian, postmeridian, quotidian, sojourn
  • dicere, dico «to say, tell, declare, name» addict, addiction, benediction, condition, conditional, contradict, contradiction, dedicate, dedication, dictate, diction, dictionary, dictum, ditto, ditty, edict, fatidic, herb bennet, indict, indiction, indite, interdict, juridical, jurisdiction, maledict, malediction, malison, predicable, predicament, predicate, predicative, predict, predictable, prediction, predictive, predictor, valediction, verdict, veridical, verdictive, voir dire
  • dividere, divido «to divide» dividable, divide, dividend, divider, dividual, dividuous, divisibility, divisible, division, divisor, device, devise, individual, individualism, individualist, individuality, individualize, indivisibility, indivisible
  • divus «a god» divination, divine, diviner, divinity
  • docere, doceo «to teach» docent, docile, doctor, doctorate, doctrinaire, doctrinal, doctrine, document, documentary, indoctrinate
  • dolere, doleo «to hurt, suffer, feel pain» condolence, dolent, indolence, indolency, indolent
  • dolor «pain» dolor, dolorous
  • domina, dominae «mistress of the house, lady, owner, sweetheart, wife» derivatives at dominus
  • dominus «owner, proprietor, master, ruler, lord» belladonna, dame, Dan, danger, Dom, domain, dominate, dominical, dominie, dominion, domino, domino, don, Donna, duende, dungeon, madam, Madame, Mademoiselle, madonna, predominate
  • domus «a farmstead with its people, plants and animals» dome, domestic, domicile, majordomo
  • dormire, dormio «to sleep» dorm, dormancy, dormant, dormition, dormitive, dormitory
  • ducere, duco «to lead, bring» abduce, abduction, adduce, adducible, adduction, adductive, adductor, conduce, conduct, conducive, conduction, conductor, deduce, deducible, deduct, deduction, deductive, duct, ductile, duction, induce, inductor, induction, inductive, introduce, introduction, introductory, produce, product, producer, production, productive, productiveness, reduce, reducibility, reducible, reductant, reduction, seduce, seducement, seducer, seduction, seductive, seductress, transduce, transduction

E[edit]

  • emere, emo «to buy» ademption, ensample, example, exemplar, exemplary, exemplification, exemplify, exemplum, exempt, exemption, impromptu, peremptory, preempt, preemption, preemptive, preemptor, preemptory, premium, prompt, pronto, ransom, redeem, redemption, sample, vintage
  • equus, equi «horse» equine, equestrian, equitation
  • errare, erro «to wander, stray, err, mistake» aberr, aberrance, aberrant, aberrate, aberration, aberrational, err, erratic, erratum, erroneous, error
  • esse, sum «to be» absence, absent, absenteeism, essence, essential, essentialism, presence, present, presentation, quintessential
  • examen «the tongue of a balance, a weighing» (> examinare) exam, examination, examine, examinee, examiner
  • excellere, excello «to raise, elevate» excel, excellence, excellent, excelsior
  • expedire, expedio «to bring forward, dispatch, expedite» expede, expedience, expediency, expedient, expedite, expedition

F[edit]

  • faber «a workman» fabric, fabricate, fabrication, forge, forger, forgery, reforge
  • facere, facio «to make» affect, affectation, affective, affection, affectionate, affecter, defect, defective, defection, defector, deficiency, deficient, deficit, effect, effectiveness, effectivity, effector, effectual, effectuate, efficacious, efficacity, efficacy, efficiency, efficient, facile, facility, facilitate, fact, factor, factorization, faction, factoid, factorial, factory, factual, fashion, fashionable, -fy, infect, infection, infectious, prefect
  • fallere, fallo «to deceive» (> falsus) fail, failure, fallacy, fallacious, fallibilist, fallibilism, fallibility, fallible, false, falsifiable, falsification, falsificator, falsifier, falsify, falsity
  • familia «the servants in a household» (from famulus) family, familiar, familiarity, familiarize
  • fateri, fateor «to confess, acknowledge» confess, confession, confessional, confessor, profess, profession, professional, professor
  • favere, faveo «to be well disposed or inclined toward, favor» favor, favorability, favorable, favorite, favoritism, unfavorable, unfavorite
  • femina, feminae «female, woman» effeminate, female, feme, feminine, femme, femme fatale
  • fendere, fendo «to strike» defend, defender, defense, defensive, fence, fend, offend, offense, offensive
  • ferre, fero «to bear, place» afferent, circumference, confer, conference, defer, deference, differ, different, differentiate, efferent, fertile, infer, inference, offer, prefer, preference, preferential, proffer, relatable, relate, relative, relation, relativeness, relativist, relativism, relativity, refer, reference, referent, suffer, transfer, vociferous
  • ferus «wild, savage» ferity, ferocious, ferocity, fierce
  • fibra «fiber, filament» defibrillate, defibrillation, fibre, fibril, fibrillar, fibrillate, fibrillation, fibrous
  • fidere, fido «to trust» confidant, confide, confidence, confident, confidential, defiance, defiant, defy, diffidence, diffident, faith, faithful, faithless, fidelitous, fidelity, infidel, infidelity, nullifidian, solifidian
  • fingere, fingo «to make, form, feign» configure, configuration, faint, feign, feint, fiction, fictional, fictitious, figment, figure, figurative, figurine, prefigure
  • finis «limit, end» final, finale, finalist, finalize, finalization, finish, finitary, finite, finiteness, infinite, infinitesimal, infinity, transfinite, unfinished
  • firmus «firm» affirm, affirmation, affirmative, confirm, confirmation, confirmative, firm, firmness, infirm, infirmity
  • fiscus «basket, purse, chest, treasury» confiscate, fiscal
  • flectere, flecto «to bend, bow, curve, turn around» deflect, deflection, deflective, fletch, fletcher, flex, flexible, flexibility, inflect, inflection, inflexion, reflect, reflective, reflectivity, reflex, reflexion, reflexive, reflexivity
  • fligere «to strike» afflict, conflict, inflict
  • flōs, flōris «flower, bud, blossom, best of (something)» cauliflower, deflower, effloresce, enfleurage, ferret, flora, Flora, floral, floret, floriated, florid, florigen, florin, florist, –florous, flour, flourish, flower, millefleur
  • fluere, fluo «to flow, stream, pour» affluence, affluent, confluence, confluent, conflux, effluence, effluent, effluvium, efflux, effluxion, fluctuate, fluctuation, fluency, fluent, fluid, flux, influence, influx, refluent, reflux
  • focus, focī «fireplace, hearth» focal, focus
  • fōns, fontis «spring, fountain, source, origin» font, fountain
  • forma, formae «form, shape, figure, beauty» (> formare) conform, conformance, conformity, deform, deformation, deformity, form, formal, formality, formalize, formalization, formalism, format, formation, formative, formula, formulaic, formulate, formulation, formulary, inform, information, informant, informer, reform, reformation, reformer, transform, transformation, transformer
  • fortis «strong, powerful» enforce, enforcement, force, forceful, forcefulness, fort, fortify, fortification, fortress
  • fortuitus «happening by chance» fortuitous, fortuity
  • fortuna «fortune, luck» fortunate, fortune, unfortunate
  • frangere, frango «to break» anfractuous, chamfer, defray, diffraction, fractal, fraction, fractional, fractious, fracture, fragile, fragility, fragment, frail, frailty, frangible, infrangible, infringe, irrefrangible, refract, refraction, refractive, refrain, sassafras, saxifrage
  • fraus «a cheating, fraud; delusion, error» defraud, defraudation, defrauder, fraud, fraudster, fraudulence, fraudulent
  • frequens «frequent, crowded» frequency, frequent, frequentative, infrequent
  • frons, frontis «forehead, brow, front (of something)» affront, confront, confrontation, effrontery, front, frontal, frontispiece
  • fugere, fugio «to flee» centrifuge, fugitive, refuge, refugee, refugeehood, refugium, subterfuge
  • fumare «smoke» fume, fumigate, fumigation, perfume
  • fundere, fundo «to pour out, shed» confound, confuse, confusion, diffuse, diffusion, effuse, effusive, infuse, infusion, found, fuse, fusion, profuse,profusion, refund, refuse, transfuse, transfusion
  • fundus «bottom, base, foundation» (> fundare) found, foundation, fund, fundamental, fundament, profound, profundity
  • fungi, fungor «to perform or execute» dysfunction, dysfunctional, function, functional, functionalist, functionalism, functor, fungible, malfunction
  • fuscus «dark» obfuscate, subfusc

G[edit]

  • gaudere, gaudeo «to rejoice» enjoy, enjoyable, enjoyment, gaud, gaudy, joy, joyful, rejoice, unenjoyable
  • genus «a kind, race, family» gender, general, generalize, generalization, generality, generate, generation, genus, generic
  • gerere, gero «to bear, carry, refl. bear oneself, behave, act» congest, congestion, decongestant, digest, digestion, digestive, gerund, gerundive, gesticulate, gesticulation, gesticulative, gestural, gesture, indigestion, ingest, ingestion, preregister, preregistration, register, registrar, registration, registry, suggest, suggestion, suggestive
  • gignere, gigno «to beget, produce» engine, engineer, genital, genitive, genius, genial, ingenious, ingeniosity
  • globus «globe» global, globalism, globalist, globalization, globalize, globe, globose, globous, globular, globule, globulin, hemoglobin
  • glomus «ball» agglomerate, agglomeration, conglomerate, conglomeration
  • gradi, gradior «to walk, go» (> gradus) aggress, aggression, aggressive, aggressiveness, aggressor, congress, degree, egress, egression, gradable, gradation, grade, gradient, gradual, graduality, graduate, graduation, ingredient, ingress, postgraduate, progress, progressive, progression, regress, regressive, regression, transgress, transgression, transgressive, transgressor, undergraduate
  • granum «grain» coarse-grained, fine-grained, grosgrain, grain, granary, granular, granularity, granulate, granulation, granum
  • gravis «heavy» aggravate, aggravation, aggrieve, grave, graveness, gravid, gravidity, gravitation, gravity, grief, grievance, grievant, grieve, grievous
  • grex «flock, herd, drove, swarm» aggregate, aggregation, congregate, congregation, gregarious
  • gurges «a raging abyss, whirlpool» ingurgitate, ingurgitation, regurgitate, regurgitation

H[edit]

  • habere, habeo «to have, hold» able, cohabit, exhibit, exhibition, exhibitor, habile, habit, habitable, habitant, habitat, habituation, inhabit, inhabitable, inhabitant, inhibit, inhibitory, malady, prohibit, prohibition, prohibitive
  • haerere, haereo «stick, cleave, adhere» adhere, adherent, cohere, coherence, coherent, hesitant, hesitate, hesitation, inhere, inherence, inherent
  • halare, halo «to breathe» exhale, exhalation, inhale, inhaler, inhalation
  • homō, hominis «human being, man, person, humankind» bonhomie, bonhomous, homage, hombre, homicide, hominid, homo, homunculus, human, humane, humanist, humanistic, humanism, humanity, humanitarian, humanitarianism, inhuman, inhumane, ombre
  • hospes «host, guest» hospitable, hospital, hospitality, host, hostel, hosteler, hostelry, hostess, hostler, hotel, hotelier
  • horrere, horreo «to stand on end, shiver» horrendous, horrid, horrific, horrify, horrible, horror, ordure

I[edit]

  • iacere, iacio «to throw» abject, abjectness, inject, injection, interjection, introject, introjection, object, objective, objection, objectionable, objectivism, objectivist, project, projectile, projection, projective, reject, rejection, rejective, subject, subjection, subjective, subjectivism, subjectivist, surjection, surjective
  • imago «a copy, likeness, image» image, imagery, imaginable, imaginary, imagination, imaginative, imagine
  • initium «beginning» initiate, initial
  • imitari «to copy, portray, imitate» imitate, imitation, imitator, imitative
  • insula «island» insular, insulate, insulator, insulation, isolatable, isolate, isolated, isolating, isolation, isolationism, isolative, isolator, peninsula, peninsulate
  • ire, eo «to go» commence, commencement, initial, initialism, initialization, initialize, initiate, initiation, initiative
  • iterum «again» iterate, iteration, iterative, iterator, reiterate, reiteration, reiterative, reiterator
  • iudex «judge» (from ius) judicial, judicious, judge, judgement, judgemental
  • iugum «yoke» abjugate, conjugal, conjugate, conjugation, jugal, jugular, subjugal, subjugate, subjugation
  • iungere, iungo «to join, yoke» conjoin, conjunction, disjoin, disjunction, interjoin, interjunction, join, junction, juncture
  • ius, iuris «law» abjure, adjure, conjure, injury, jural, juridical, jurisconsult, jurisdiction, jurisprudence, jurist, jury, just, justice, nonjuror, objurgate, perjure
  • iuvare, iuvo «to help» adjutant, adjutor, adjutory, adjutrix, adjuvant, aid, aidance, aidant, aide

L[edit]

  • labi, labor «to slip» collapse, elapse, illapse, labile, lability, lapse, relapse
  • labor «labor, toil, work, exertion» belabor, collaborate, collaboration, collaborative, elaborate, elaboration, labor, laborer, laborious, laboratory
  • lacere, lacio «to allure, entice» delectable, delicacy, delicate, delicatessen, delicious, delight, delightful, dilettante
  • languere, langueo «to be faint, weak» languid, languish, languor, languorous
  • latus «broad, wide» latifundium, latitude, latitudinal, latitudinarian
  • latus «side» lateral, bilateral, collateral, collateralizable, collateralization, collateralize, equilateral, quadrilateral, trilateral, unilateral
  • laus «praise, glory, fame, reknown» laud, laudable, laudability, laudative, laudator, laudatory
  • lavare, lavo «to wash» launder, laundry, lavatory, lave, lavish, lotion
  • laxus «wide, roomy, loose» lax, laxity, relax, relaxation
  • legere, lego «to gather, select; to read» coil, collect, collection, collective, diligence, diligent, intellect, intellectual, intellectualism, intelligence, intelligent, intelligibility, intelligible, lection, lecture, lecture, legend, legendary, legibility, legible, legion, lesson, neglect, neglectful, negligée, negligence, negligent, negligible
  • levis «light» alleviate, alleviation, alleviator, elevate, elevation, elevator, levant, lever, leviate, levitation, levity, levy, relevant, relief, relieve
  • lēx, lēgis «law, motion, bill, statute, rule» illegitimate, legal, legislate, legislation, legislative, legislator, legislature, legist, legit, legitimate, lex, loyal, privilege
  • liber «free» liberal, liberalism, liberate, liberation, libertarian, libertarianism, libertine, liberty
  • liber «book» libel, librarian, library
  • libra «pound, balance» deliberate, deliberation, equilibrium, librate, libration
  • licere, licet «to be allowed, be allowable» illicit, illicitness, licence, license, licensee, licensor
  • ligare, ligo «to tie, bind» alliance, alloy, ally, disoblige, lien, league, ligament, ligamental, ligation, ligature, obbligato, obligate, obligation, obligational, obligator, obligatory, oblige, obligee, obliger, obligor
  • limen «threshold» preliminary
  • limes «cross-path, boundary, border, limit» delimit, limit, limitation
  • lingua «tongue, speech, language» language, linguist, linguistic, linguistics, lingua franca
  • linquere, linquo «to leave» delict, delinquency, delinquent, derelict, relic, relict, relinquish, reliquary
  • līnum «flax, linen, thread» align, crinoline, leno, line, line, lineage, linen, lingerie, linnet, linseed, lint
  • liquere «to be liquid, be fluid» liquid, liquidate, liquidation, liquidity, liquidizer, liquor, liquefiable, liquefy
  • littera «letter of the alphabet» illiteracy, illiterate, literal, literalness, literacy, literary, literate, literature, obliterate, obliteration, transliterable, transliterate, transliteration, transliterator
  • locus, locī «place, site, spot» allocate, allocation, dislocate, dislocation, local, locality, localization, localize, locate, location, locative, locator, relocate, relocation
  • longus «long» longevity, longevous, longitude, longitudinal, oblong, prolong, prolongation
  • loqui, loquor «to speak» colloquial, colloquialism, colloquium, eloquence, eloquent, grandiloquence, grandiloquent, illocution, interlocutor, locution, loquacious, loquaciousness, loquacity, magniloquence, magniloquent, perlocution
  • lucere, luco «to shine» (> lustrum) elucidate, illustrate, illustration, illustrious, lucent, lucid, lucidity, luster, pellucid, relucent, translucent
  • luctari, luctor «to struggle» obluctation, reluctance, reluctant, ineluctable
  • ludere, ludo «to play, mimic, deceive» allude, allusion, collude, collusion, delude, delusion, elude, elusive, illusion, interlude, ludic, ludicrous, prelude, prolusion
  • luere «to wash» diluent, dilutant, dilute, dilution, diluvium
  • lugere, lugeo «to mourn, grieve, lament» lugubrious
  • lumen «light» abluminal, adluminal, intraluminal, lumen, luminal, luminescence, luminescent, luminous, luminosity, illuminate, illumination, luminary, luminate, phillumenist, phillumeny
  • luna, lunae «moon, month, night, crescent» cislunar, Luna, lunar, lunate, lunatic, lune, lunula, mezzaluna, sublunar, sublunary, translunar
  • lupus, lupī «wolf» lobo, loup-garou, lupine, lupus, robalo
  • lux «light»
  • luxus «entravagance, excess» luxurious, luxury

M[edit]

  • machina «a machine, engine, contrivance, device, stratagem, trick» (from Greek) deus ex machina, machinate, machination, machine, machinery, mechanic, mechanical, mechanism, mechanistic, machinate, machination
  • magnus «great» magnanimous, magnate, magnificence, magnificent, magnify, magnitude
  • malleus «hammer, mallet» malleable, malleability, malleate, mallet, malleus
  • malus «bad» mal-, malady, malediction, malefaction, malefactor, malevolent, malice, malicious, malign, malignant
  • mandare, mando «to commit, intrust, enjoin» command, commandeer, commander, commandment, commend, commendable, mandate, mandator, mandatory, recommend, recommendable, recommendation, recommender
  • manere, maneo «to stay, remain» immanence, immanent, manor, manse, mansion, ménage, permanency, permanent, remain, remainder, remanence
  • manus «hand» emancipate, manage, manager, managerial, manual, manufacture, manuscript
  • mare, maris «sea, saltwater» Beche-de-mer, cormorant, maar, mare, mariculture, marinara, marinate, marine, Marines, maritime, ormer, submarine, ultramarine
  • mas «male» emasculate, emasculation, emasculator, emasculatory, male, masculine, masculinity
  • māter, mātris «mother» alma mater, madrepore, mater, maternal, maternity, matriculation, matrimony, matrix, matron
  • mederi, medeor «to heal» medic, medical, medicament, medicate, medicinal, medicine, premedication, remedy
  • medius «middle» immediate, immediacy, intermediate, mean, medial, median, mediate, mediation, mediator, median, mediocre, mediocrity, medium
  • melior «better» ameliorate, amelioration, meliorate
  • membrum «limb» dismember, dismemberment, member, membership
  • memor «mindful, remembering» commemorate, commemoration, commemorative, countermemo, immemorial, memo, memoir, memoization, memoize, memorable, memorandum, memorate, memorization, memorize, memory, memorial, remember, remembrance, rememberer
  • mens «the mind» mental, mentalese, mentalism, mentalist, mentality
  • merere, mereo «to earn, deserve, merit, obtain» demerit, merit, meritorious, meritocracy
  • mergere «to dive, dip, immerse, sink in» emerge, emergent, emergence, emergency, immerse, immersion, immersive, merge, submerge, submersion
  • merx «merchandise» commerce, commercial, commercialism, commercialize, market, marketable, marketeer, marketing, mart, mercantile, mercantilism, merchandise, merchant, merchantable, mercenary, mercy
  • minium «red lead» miniature, miniaturization, miniaturize
  • minor «lesser, smaller» minor, minority, minus, minuscule
  • minuere, minuo «to make smaller» diminish, diminutive, minute, minutia
  • miser «wretched, unfortunate» miser, miserable, miserablism, miserablist, miserliness, miserly, misery
  • mitis «soft» mitigant, mitigate, mitigation, unmitigated
  • mittere, mitto «to send» admission, admit, commission, commit, commitment, compromise, demit, demise, demiss, demission, dismiss, dismission, emit, emission, intermission, intermit, intermittent, mess, message, messenger, mission, missionary, missile, missive, permit, permission, permissive, promise, reemission, reemit, remissible, remission, remit, remittance, remittent, remitter, submit, submission, submissive, transmit, transmission
  • modus, modī «measure, size, limit, manner, harmony, melody» accomodate, accommodation, commode, commodious, commodity, modal, modality, mode, model, modern, modernism, modicum, modifier, modify, modular, modularity, modulate, modulation, modulator, module, modulus, mold, mood, moulage, postmodern, postmodernism
  • monere, moneo «to warn, admonish, remind» (> monstrare) admonish, admonition, admonitory, demonstrable, demonstrate, demonstration, monish, monition, monitor, monument, monster, muster, premonition, remonstrate, remonstration, summon
  • mora «delay, duration of time» moratorium, moraic, monomoraic, mora, bimoraic, commorancy, commorant, commorance, moratory
  • morbus «disease» comorbidity, morbilli, morbid, morbidity, morbidness, morbific
  • mors «death» amortization, amortize, immortal, immortality, mortal, mortality, mortification, mortify
  • movere, moveo «to move» amotion, amove, commotion, commutation, commutative, commute, demote, demotivate, demotivation, emotion, emotional, emotive, immutable, immutability, mob, mobile, mobility, mobilize, mobilization, moment, motile, motion, motivation, motivate, motive, motor, move, movement, mutable, mutability, mutant, mutate, mutation, permutation, permute, promote, promotion, removal, remove, transmutable, transmutant, transmutation, transmute
  • mulgere, mulgeo «to milk» emulsify, emulsion
  • munire «to defend» ammo, ammunition, munition
  • munus «service; obligation» munificence, munificent, municipal, municipality, remunerable, remunerate, remuneration
  • mus «mouse» muscle, muscular, muscularity, musculature, musculocutaneous, musculophrenic, musculospiral, musophobia, mussel
  • musca «a fly» mosquito, muscarine

N[edit]

  • nasci, nascor «to arise, be born, originate» antenatal, cognate, innate, nascent, natal, nation, national, nationality, native, nativity, nativization, nativism, natural, nature, naturism, naturalism, postnatal, prenatal
  • navis «ship» naval, navigate, navigation, navigator, navy
  • necesse «unavoidable, inevitable, indispensable» necessariness, necessary, necessitate, necessitation, necessitousness, necessitude, necessity
  • nectere, necto «to bind, tie» annex, annexable, annexure, annexation, annexational, connect, connection, connective, connectivity, connector, disconnect, nexus
  • nervus «sinew» innervate, innervation, nerve, nervous, nervousness, nervosity
  • nihil, contracted to nīl (indeclinable) «nothing» annihilate, nihilism, nihility, nil
  • nocere, noceo «to hurt, injure» innocence, innocent, nocent, noxious, nuisance, obnoxious
  • nōmen, nōminis «name, clan/middle name, reputation, title» agnomen, binomial, cognomen, denomination, ignominy, misnomer, nomenclator, nomenclature, nominal, nominate, noun, nuncupative, praenomen, pronoun, renown
  • noscere, nosco «to know» acquaint, acquaintance, cognition, cognitive, cognizant, cognizance, cognize, cognizor, cognosce, connoisseur, ignorable, ignorance, ignorant, ignore, incognito, precognition, recognize, recognition, quaint
  • novus «new» innovate, innovative, innovation, innovatory, novel, novelist, novelization, novelize, novelty, novice, novitiate, renovate, renovation, renovator
  • numerus «number» enumerate, enumeration, number, numeracy, numerary, numeral, numerate, numerator, numeric, numerical, supernumerary
  • nuntius «messenger» announce, announcement, annunciate, annunciation, denounce, denouncement, denouncer, enounce, enunciate, internuncio, nuncio, pronounce, pronouncement, pronouncer, pronunciation, renounce, renouncement, renouncer
  • nota «mark, sign» annote, annotation, annotator, connote, connotation, denote, denotation, notable, notability, notary, notate, notation, notational, note, notice, noticeable, reannotate
  • nutrire «to suckle, nourish, foster» nourish, nourishment, nurse, nursery, nutrient, nutriment, nutrition, nutritional, nutritious, nutritive

O[edit]

  • oculus, oculī «eye, bud (of a plant), vision, mind’s eye» antler, eyelet, inoculate, monocle, ocellus, ocular, oculist, oculomotor, oculus, pinochle, trompe l’oeil, ullage
  • odium «hatred» odious, odiousness, odium
  • odor «smell» deodorant, malodor, malodorous, odor, odorant, odorous, reodorant
  • oleum «oil, olive oil» (from Ancient Greek) indole, linoleum, oil, oleic, oleum, petroleum
  • onus, oneris «burden, load, trouble, fetus» exonerate, onerous, onus
  • opacus «shaded, shady, dark» opacity, opaque, opaqueness
  • opinari, opinor «to suppose, deem, think» opination, opine, opinion, opinionated
  • optare, opto «to choose, select» adopt, adoptee, adoption, adoptive, co-opt, co-optation, co-option, opt, option, optionable, optional
  • optimus «best, very good» optimal, optimality, optimate, optime, optimism, optimist, optimistic, optimity, optimization, optimize, optimum, suboptimal, superoptimal
  • opus, operis «work» co-op, co-operation, cooperative, hors d’oeuvre, inure, maneuver, manure, oeuvre, officinal, opera, operable, operation, operand, operant, operate, operational, operative, operator, operose, opus, stover
  • orare, oro «to speak» orate, oration, orator, oratory
  • orbis «circle, wheel, disk, the disk or orb of the sun or moon» orb, orbit, orbital
  • ordo «order» ordain, order, ordinal, ordinance, ordinary, ordinate, ordination, ordnance, ordonnance, subordinate, subordination, superordinate, superordination
  • oriri «to rise» orient, orientate, orientation, orienteer, origin, originate, originator, origination, original
  • orcus «hellish» orc, ogre, ogress

P[edit]

  • palpare, palpo «to touch softly, stroke, pat» palp, palpability, palpable, palpate, palpation, palpiform, palpitate, palpitation
  • pandere, pando «to strech» expand, expandable, expander, expanse, expansible, expansile, expansion, expansive, pace, pacer, pass, passage, passenger, passport, surpass, trespass
  • pangere, pango «to fasten» compact, compaction, impact, impactful, impaction, impinge, impingement
  • pānis, pānis «bread, loaf of bread» accompaniment, accompany, appanage, companion, company, panada, panatela, panic grass, pannier, panocha, pantry, pastille, penuche
  • par «equal» compare, comparable, comparison, comparative, on a par with, parity
  • parare, paro «to prepare, provide» disrepair, empress, emperor, empire, imperial, imperialism, imperialist, imperium, parable, pare, prepare, preparation, preparatory, preparative, repair, repairable, reparable, repairer, reparation, reparatory
  • parere, pareo «to appear, come to light» apparent, appear, appearance, disappear, transparency, transparent
  • parere, pario «to give birth, produce» parent, parental
  • pars, partis «part, portion, share, fraction, side» apartment, bipartite, compart, compartment, depart, department, departure, impart, impartial, impartiality, parcel, parcener, parse, part, partial, partiality, participate, participation, participatory, participle, particle, particular, partisan, partita, partitive, partner, partnership, party, repartee
  • pater, patris «father» compadre, compatriot, expatriate, goombah, padre, pater, paternal, paternalist, paternalism, patri-, patriate, patriation, patriot, patriotism, patriotic, patrician, patrimony, patron, père, repatriate, repatriation
  • patrare «to perform» perpetrate, perpetration, perpetrator
  • pauper «poor» impoverish, impoverishment, pauper, pauperdom, pauperism, pauperize, poor, poverty
  • pausa «pause» pause, pose, repose
  • pāx, pācis «peace, treaty, compact, agreement» appease, appeasement, pace, pax, pay, peace, pacific, pacify
  • peior «worse» impair, impairment, pejoration, pejorative
  • pellere, pello «to drive» appeal, compel, compellation, compulsion, compulsive, compulsory, dispel, expel, impel, impulse, impulsion, impulsive, impulsor peal, pelt, poussette, propel, propeller, pulsate, pulsation, pulsar, pulse, push, repel, repellent, repulse, repulsive, repulsion
  • pendere, pendo «to hang» append, appendage, appendix, depend, dependable, dependence, dispend, expend, expenditure, prepend, spend, suspend, suspension
  • pendere, pendo «to weigh» dispend, dispensable, dispensation, dispensative, dispensatory, dispense, ponder, ponderous, preponder, preponderance, preponderant, preponderate
  • persōna, persōnae «mask, role, person» probably from Etruscan phersu «mask» impersonate, person, personable, personality, personalize
  • petere, peto «to seek, pursue» appetency, appetent, appetite, appetitive, appetizer, centripetal, compete, competition, competitive, competitiveness, impetigo, impetuous, impetus, perpetual, perpetuate, perpetuation, petition, petulant, repeat, repetition, repetitive, repetitiveness
  • pingere, pingo «to portray» depict, depiction, paint, painter, painting, picture, pictorial, picturesque, pigment, pigmentary, pigmentation, repaint
  • pīla, pīlae «pillar, pier» pile (heap), pillar
  • pīlum «spear, pestle» pile (foundation of a structure)
  • pilus «hair» pile, depilation, depilatory
  • plangere «to strike, beat, as the breast in extreme grief, bewail» complain, plangent, plaint, plaintiff, plaintive
  • planus «level, plain» explain, explanation, explanatory, plain, plan, planar, plane, planner
  • plaudere, plaudo «to clap, applaud» applaud, applause, explode, explosion, explosive, implode, implosion, implosive, plaudit, plausibility, plausible
  • plectere «to weave, braid» complex, complexity
  • plenus «full» plenty
  • plere «to fill» complete, completion, complement, complementary, compliment, compliance, compliant, comply, deplete, depletion, replete, repletion, supplier, supplement, supply
  • plicare, plico «to fold, weave, knit» appliance, applicant, application, applicable, applicability, apply, complicate, complication, explicit, explicate, explication, explicator, implicate, implicative, implicit, implicitness, implication, imply, plier, ply, simple, simpleton, simplex, simplicity, simplification, simplify
  • plus «more» plural, plurality, pluralism, plus
  • poena «punishment, pain» impune, impunity, pain, penal, penalize, penalty, penance, penitence, penitent, punish, punishable, punishment, penitant, penitence, punitive, repent, repentance, subpoena
  • polire «to polish» polish, polite, politeness
  • politia «the state» police, policy, polity
  • politicus «pertaining to the state» politic, political, politician, politicize
  • polluere, polluo «to soil, defile» pollutant, pollute, polluter, pollution
  • polus «pole» bipolar, polar, polarity, polarize, polarization, pole
  • ponere, pono «to set, place» appose, apposition, component, compose, composition, compound, deponent, deposit, deposition, depositor, depository, disposal, dispose, disposition, exponent, expose, exposition, expound, impose, imposition, opponent, oppose, opposition, pose, posit, position, positive, positivity, posture, postural, proponent, proposal, propose, proposition, propound, suppose, supposition, transpose, transposition
  • populus, populī «people, ation, public, crowd» depopulate, depopulation, depopulative, depopulator, people, populace, popular, popularity, populate, population, publican, publication, publicist, publicity, publicize, publish, publishability, publishable, publisher, republic, republican
  • portare, porto «to carry» comport, deport, deportation, disport, export, exportation, exporter, import, importance, important, importation, importer, port, portability, portable, portage, portamento, portative, porter, portfolio, purport, rapport, report, sport, support, transport, transportation
  • portio «a share, part, portion» apportion, disproportion, disproportionate, disproportionation, misproportioned, portion, proportion, proportional, proportionate, proportioner
  • posse, possum «to be able» (from potis) impossibility, impossible, impotence, impotent, possibility, possible, potence, potency, potentate, potential, potentiality, power, powerful, powerless
  • potare, poto «to drink» poison, poisoner, poisonous, potable, potion
  • praegnans «pregnant» impregnable, impregnability, impregnate, impregnation, pregnance, pregnancy, pregnant
  • pravus «crooked, deformed» deprave, depravity, depravation
  • prehendere, prehendo «to seize, catch, grasp» apprehend, apprehension, apprehensive, apprentice, apprise, comprehend, comprehensibility, comprehensible, comprehension, comprehensive, comprehensiveness, prehensile, prize, reprehend, reprehensible, reprehension
  • premere «to press, hold fact, cover, crowd» compress, compression, compressor, depress, depression, depressive, express, expression, expressive, expressiveness, impress, impression, imprimatur, imprint, oppress, oppression, oppressive, press, print, reprimand, repress, repression, repressive, sprain, suppress, suppression
  • primus «first» premier, primary, primate, prime, primer, primeval, primitive, prince, princess, principle, principal, principality
  • privus «single, every, one’s own, private» deprivation, deprive, privacy, private, privation, privatization, privatize, privy
  • probare, probo «to test, prove» approbate, approbation, approve, approval, probate, probation, probe, proof, provable, prove, reproof, reproval, reprove
  • proles «offspring» prole, proletariat, proletary, proliferate, proliferation, proliferative, proliferous, prolific, prolificacy
  • prope «near» approach, approximate, approximation, approximator, proximate, proximity, reproach
  • propitius «favorable, well-disposed, kind» propitiate, propitiation, propitious, unpropitious
  • proprius «special, particular, one’s own, proper» appropriate, expropriate, expropriation, expropriator, proper, property, propriate, propriety, proprietary
  • pubes «grown up, of mature age» postpubescent, peripubescent, prepubescent, puberulent, pubescent, puberty, pubes, pubis, pubic
  • pungere, pungo «to prick, punch» point, pointer, pointless, pointillism, punch, puncheon, punctual, punctuate, puncture, pungent, pungency
  • purus «clean, free from dirt or filth» depurate, expurgate, impure, impurity, pure, purge, purgation, purgatory, purify, purification, puritan, puritanism, purity, spurge
  • putare, puto «to estimate, reckon» account, accountability, accountable, accountancy, accountant, computation, compute, computer, count, counter, depute, deputy, disputatious, disputation, dispute, imputation, impute, putative, reputable, reputation, repute

Q[edit]

  • qualis «interrogative: of what kind» quale, qualia, qualification, qualifier, qualify, qualitative, qualitativeness, quality
  • quantus «interrogative: how much, how many» quanta, quantification, quantifier, quantify, quantitative, quantitativeness, quantity, quantum
  • quaerere, quaero «to ask, seek» acquire, acquisition, query, quest, question, questionnaire, conquest, conquer, conqueror, inquire, inquiry, inquisition, inquisitive, request, require, requirement, requisite
  • quiescere, quiesco «to keep quiet, rest» acquiesce, acquiescence, acquiescent, quiesce, quiescence, quiescent, quiet, quietism
  • quot «how many» misquote, quota, quotable, quotation, quote, quotidian, quotient, quotiety, unquote

R[edit]

  • rabere, rabio «to be mad, rave» enrage, enragement, rabid, rabies, rage
  • rādīx, radicis «root, radish, foot, base» deracinate, eradication, irradicable, radical, radicality, radicle, radish, radix
  • radius «staff, rod, spoke of a wheel, a measuring rod, a semidiameter of a circle, a shuttle, spur of a bird, sting of a fish, the radius of the arm; by transfer, a beam of light, a ray» radial, radiate, radiation, radius, ray
  • ramus, ramī «branch, bough, genealogical branch» ramification, ramify, ramose, ramus
  • recuperare, recupero «to get again, regain, recover; to revive, restore» recover, recovery, recuperate, recuperation, recuperative
  • regere, rego «to rule, govern» address, addressable, deregulate, deregulation, direct, direction, director, directorate, directorial, dirigible, dirigisme, dirigist, dirigiste, downregulate, downregulation, dress, dresser, indirect, indirection, irregular, rector, redress, regent, regime, regimen, region, regular, regulate, regulation, regularity, regularly, rule, ruler, undress, upregulate, upregulation
  • reri, reor «to think, deem, judge» rate, ratifier, ratify, ratification, ratio, ration, rational, rationale, rationalism, rationalist, rationalization, rationalize, reason
  • rēs, (reī, rēī) «thing, matter, affair, object, circumstance» re, real, really, realistic, realist, reality, rebus, reify, republic, republican, res
  • rēx, rēgis «king» real, regal, regicide, regius professor, regulus, reign, rial, riyal, royal, vicereine, viceroy
  • ridere, rideo «to laugh at» deride, derision, derisive, ridicule, ridiculous, risible
  • rigere, rigeo «to be rigid» rigid, rigidity, rigidness, rigor, rigorous, rigorousness
  • ripa «a bank of a stream» arrive, arrival, river
  • rivus «a stream» derive, derivation, derivative, rival, rivalry, rivulet
  • robur «strength» corroborate, corroboration, corroborator, robust
  • rogare, rogo «to ask for, to propose a law» abrogate, abrogation, arrogance, arrogant, arrogate, derogate, derogatory, derogation, derogative, interrogate, interrogation, interrogative, interrogator, interrogatory, prerogative, prorogue, rogation, rogatory, subrogate, supererogate
  • rumpere, rumpo «to burst, break» abrupt, bankrupt, bankruptcy, corrupt, corruption, disrupt, disruption, disruptive, erupt, eruption, interrupt, interruption, irrupt, rout, rupicolous, rupture
  • rota «a wheel» rotatable, rotate, rotation, rotor, rotund, rotunda, round
  • ruber «red» & rubeo «be red» erubescence, erubescent, rubefacient, rubella, rubeola, rubescence, rubescent, rubicund, rubric, ruby
  • rūs, rūris «countryside, fields, farm, estate» rural, rustic

S[edit]

  • sacer «sacred» consecrate, consecration, consecrator, desecrate, desecration, desecrator, execrable, execrate, execration, sacral, sacrament, sacred, sacrifice, sacrificial, sacrilege
  • saeculum, saecula «generation, age» secular
  • salire, salio «to jump» assault, consilient, resilience, resilient, salience, saliency, salient, saltate, saltation, saltationism, sault, somersault
  • salus «health» salubrious, salutary, salutation, salute
  • salvus «safe» safe, safety, sage, salvage, salvageable, salvager, salvation, salvia, save, savings, unsalvageable
  • sancire, sancio «to render sacred, make holy» saint, sanctuary
  • sanguis «blood» consanguineous, consanguine, consanguineal, consanguinity, exsanguinate, sangaree, sangria, sanguine, sanguinary
  • sanus «sound in body; sound in mind» insane, insanity, sane, sanatorium, sanitary, sanitarium, sanitation, sanity
  • sapere, sapio «to taste, to discern, to be wise» sapid, sage, savant, savor, sapient
  • satelles, satellitis «bodyguard, attendant, sentinel» possibly from Etruscan satellite
  • scandere, scando «to climb» ascend, ascent, ascendant, ascendance, ascendancy, ascendency, ascending, ascender, ascension, descend, descent, condescend, transcend, transcendence, transcendent
  • scintilla «spark» scintilla, scintillate, scintillation, scintillator, stencil, tinsel
  • scribere, scribo «to write» ascribe, circumscribe, conscribe, conscript, conscription, describe, description, descriptive, descriptivism, descriptivist, descriptor, inscribe, inscription, prescribe, prescription, prescriptive, proscribe, scribal, scribble, scribe, script, transcribe, transcription
  • secare, seco «to cut» bisect, dissect, dissection, insect, intersect, intersection, resect, resection, secant, sect, sectarian, section, sector, segment, segmentation, trisect
  • sedere, sedeo «to sit» assess, assessment, assiduous, assize, dissident, insessorial, insidious, obsess, obsessive, possess, possession, possessive, possessor, preside, president, reside, residence, resident, séance, sedate, sedation, sedative, sedentary, sederunt, sedile, sediment, sedimentary, sedimentation, sessile, session, sewer, siege, subsidiary, subsidy, supersede, surcease
  • sentire, sentio «to feel, perceive» scent, sensation, sensational, sense, sensible, sensibility, sensitive, sensitiveness, sensor, sensory, sensual, sensuality, sensuous, sentence, sentential, sentience, sentient, sentiment, sentimental
  • sequi, sequor «to follow» consequence, consequent, consequential, executable, execute, executive, execution, executioner, executor, inconsequential, persecute, persecution, persecutor, prequel, prosecutable, prosecute, prosecution, prosecutor, pursuance, pursuant, pursue, pursuer, pursuit, sequel, sequence, sequent, sequential, subsequent, sue
  • serere, sero «to join or bind together» assert, assertion, assertive, assertiveness, desert, dissert, dissertation, exert, exertion, exsert, seraglio, insert, insertion, serial, seriate, seriation, series
  • servare, servo «to hold, keep» conservation, conservationist, conservatism, conservator, conservative, conserve, preserve, preservation, preservative, reservation, reserve
  • servire, servio «to serve» deserve, servant, serve, server, service, serviceable, servile
  • severus «severe, serious, grave in demeanor» severe, severity
  • signum, signī «sign, indication, proof, military standard» assign, consign, consignment, design, designate, designer, insignia, resign, scarlet, scarlatina, seal, segno, sigil, sign
  • similis «similar» similar, similarity, similarness, simile, simulate, simulacrum, simuland, simulant, simulation, simulator
  • singulus «single» single, singleton, singular, singularity
  • sinus «bend, fold, curve» sinus, insinuate, sinusoid
  • sistere, sisto «to stand, cause to stand, put, set up» (from stare) assist, assistance, assistent, consist, consistence, consistency, desist, exist, existence, insist, insistence, interstice, persist, persistent, persistency, resist, resistance, resistant, subsist, subsistence, subsistent
  • socius «a companion, fellow, partner, associate, ally» (from sequi) asocial, antisocial, associate, association, associative, associativity, desocialization, desocialize, resocialize, resocialization, sociability, sociable, social, socialism, socialist, sociality, socialization, socialize, societal, society, unsocial
  • solidus «solid» consolidate, consolidation, consolidator, soldier, solid, solidary, solidarity, solidify, solidity
  • solvere, solvo «to loosen, relax, solve» (from luere) absolute, absolution, absolve, assoil, dissolve, dissolution, resolve, resolute, resolution, soluble, solute, solution, solvable, solvability solve, solvent, solvency, solver
  • somnus «sleep» insomnia, insomniac, somnolent, somnolence, somnambulist, somnambulism, somnambulate, somnambulation, somnifacient, somnific, somniloquous, somnipathy
  • sorbere, sorbeo «to suck in» absorb, absorbent, absorption, absorbable, adsorb, adsorbent, adsorption, desorption, resorb, resorption, resorptive, sorption
  • spargere «to strew, sprinkle» asperse, aspersion, disperse, dispersion, sparge, sparse, sparseness, sparsity
  • specere, specio «to look at, behold» aspect, auspice, auspicious, circumspect, conspicuity, conspicuous, despect, despicable, despise, despiser, expect, expectable, expectancy, expectant, expectation, frontispiece, inspect, inspector, inspection, introspect, introspection, introspective, perspective, perspicacious, prospect, prospective, prospector, respecification, respecify, respect, respective, respite, retrospect, retrospection, retrospective, special, specialist, specialize, specialization, speciate, speciation, specie, species, specifiable, specific, specification, specificity, specify, specimen, specious, spectacle, spectacular, spectral, spectrum, speculate, speculation, speculative, speculator, speculum, spice, spy, suspect, transpicuous
  • spes «hope» (> sperare) despair, desperate, desperation, Esperanto, prosper, prosperity, prosperous
  • spirare, spiro «to breathe» aspire, aspiration, conspire, conspiration, expire, expiration, expiree, inspire, inspiration, perspire, perspiration, respire, respiration, respiratory, spirit, spiritual, spirituality, sprite, transpire, transpiration
  • spolium «booty, spoil» despoil, despoilment, despoliation, spoil, spoilage, spoliate, spoliation, spoliator, spoiler
  • spondere, spondeo «to promise, pledge, vow, vouch (for)» correspond, correspondence, despond, despondent, espouse, respond, response, responsibility, responsible, responsibleness, sponsor, spouse
  • stare, sto «to stand» arrest, circumstance, constancy, constant, constituent, constitute, constitution, constitutive, contrast, cost, destitute, distance, distant, establish, establishment, estancia, extant, instance, instant, institute, institution, obstacle, obstetric, oust, prostitute, rest, restitute, restitution, restive, stability, stabilize, stabilization, stabilizer, stable, stage, stance, stanch, stanchion, stanza, state, statistics, station, stationary, stative, stator, statue, stature, status, statute, statutory, stay, stet, substance, substantial, substitute, substitution, superstition
  • stringere «to draw tight, bind, contract» strain, strait, stress, strict, stringent, stringency
  • struere, struo «to heap up, pile, join together, build» construct, construction, constructive, constructor, destroy, destruct, destruction, destructor, infrastructure, instruct, instruction, instructive, instructor, obstruct, obstruction, restructure, structure, structural, substructure, superstructure
  • stupere, stupeo «to be amazed or confounded, be struck senseless» stupe, stupefy, stupid, stupidity, stupidness, stupor, stupendous
  • suadere, suadeo «to recommend, advise» dissuade, dissuasion, dissuasive, persuade, persuasion, persuasive, suasion, suasiveness
  • subtilis «fine, thin, slender, delicate» subtile, subtle, subtleness, subtlety
  • sumere, sumo «to take» (contraction of sub- + emō) assume, assumption, consume, consumer, consumerism, consumption, presume, presumption, resume, resumption, subsume, subsumption, sumptuary, sumptuous
  • super «over, above» (> summa) consummate, consummation, sum, summarize, summarization, summary, summation, summit, super, superior, superiority, supremacy, supreme
  • surgere, surgo «to rise, get up» resource, resourceful, resurge, resurgence, resurgent, source, surge

T[edit]

  • tacere, taceo «be silent» tacit, taciturn
  • tangere, tango «to touch» attain, attainment, contact, contagion, contagious, contingency, contingent, intact, integer, integral, integrate, integration, integrity, tact, tactile, tactility, tactual, tangent, tangible
  • tegere, tego «cover» detect, detection, detective, detector, integument, integumentary, protect, protective, protection, protectionist, protectionism, protector, protectorate, tegument
  • temnere, temno «to despise» contemn, contemner, contempt, contemptible, contemptuous
  • templum «temple» contemplate, contemplation, contemplative, templar, template, temple, templet
  • tendere, tendo «to stretch» attend, attendance, attention, attentive, contend, contention, contentious, extend, extensible, extension, extensive, intend, intense, intensification, intensifier, intensify, intension, intensional, intensity, intensive, intent, intention, ostensible, ostensive, ostentation, ostentatious, portend, portent, portentous, pretend, pretender, pretense, pretension, pretentious, pretentiousness, subtend, tend, tendentious, tendency, tension, tensor, tent
  • tenere, teneo «to hold» abstain, contain, containable, container, containment, content, continue, detain, detention, entertain, entertainer, entertainment, lieutenant, maintain, maintenance, obtain, pertain, pertinacious, pertinence, rein, retain, retention, retinue, sustain, sustenance, tenable, tenacious, tenant, tenement, tenet, tenon, tenor, tenure, tenuto
  • tentare «to handle, touch, try, test, tempt» attempt, tentative, tempt, temptation
  • terere, tero «to rub» attrit, attrite, attritee, attrition, attritor, contrite, contrition, tribulation, trite, triteness
  • terminus «a bound, boundary, limit, end» determinable, determinant, determination, determine, determiner, determinism, determinist, indeterminacy, indeterminate, interminable, non-determinism, non-deterministic, non-terminal, term, terminate, termination, terminative, terminator, terminus, terminable, terminal, terminality
  • terra, terrae «earth, land, ground, country, soil» fumitory, inter, Mediterranean, parterre, subterranean, terra, terrace, terracotta, terrain, Terran, terraqueous, terrene, terreplein, terrestrial, terre-verte, terricolous, terrier, terrigenous, territorial, territory, turmeric, verditer
  • terrere, terreo «to frighten, terrify» deter, deterrence, deterrent, terrible, terrific, terrify, terror, terrorism, terrorist, terrorize
  • texere, texo «to weave» context, pretext, subtext, text, textual, textile
  • timere, timeo «to fear» intimidate, intimidation, timid, timidity, timidness, timorous
  • titulus «title, inscription» disentitle, entitle, entitlement, half-title, mistitle, nontitled, retitle, subtitle, supertitle, surtitle, title, titular, untitled
  • torpere «be numb or stiff» torpor, torpidity, torpedo
  • totus «whole, entire» subtotal, total, totality, totalitarian, totalitarianism
  • toxicum «poison» toxic, toxicity, toxin
  • trahere, traho «to draw» abstract, abstraction, attract, attraction, attractive, attractor, contract, contraction, contractor, contractual, detract, detraction, detractor, retract, retraction, subtract, subtraction, intractability, intractable, trace, traceable, traceability, tract, tractable, tractability, tractor, treat, treatable, treatment, treatise, treaty
  • transire, transeo «to go across, pass over, pass through» (from «trans» + «ire») transience, transiency, transient, transition, transitional, transitionary, transitionist, transitive, transitory
  • tribus «tribe» ( > tribuere) attribute, attributive, attribution, contribute, contribution, contributor, distribute, distribution, distributive, distributor, retribute, retribution, tribal, tribe, tribelet, tribunal, tribune, tributary, tribute
  • tricae «trifles, toys; hindrances, impediments» extricate, extrication, intricacy, intricate, intrigue, intriguer, intriguery
  • trudere, trudo «to thrust, push» abstrude, abstruse, intrude, intrusion, intrusive, protrude, protrusible, protrusion
  • tueri, tueor «to watch, guard, see, observe» intuitional, intuitionism, intuitionist, intuitionistic, intuitive, intuit, tuition, tutelage, tutelar, tutelary, tutor, tutorial

U[edit]

  • ubi «where» ubication, ubiety, ubiquarian, ubiquitin, ubiquitous, ubiquity
  • ullus «any» annul, annuler, annulment, null, nullification, nullify, nullity
  • umbra «shade» adumbrate, adumbration, adumbrative, penumbra, somber, sombrero, umbrage, umbrageous, umbrella
  • uncia, unciae «a twelfth part» inch, ounce, uncial, quincunx
  • unda «a wave» abound, abundance, inundate, inundation, redound, redundance, redundancy, redundant, surround, undulate, undulation
  • urgere «to press, push, force, drive, urge» urge, urgency, urgent
  • uti, utor «to use» abuse, disuse, misuse, peruse, unusual, usage, usance, use, useful, usefulness, user, usual, usufruct, usurious, usurp, usury, utensil, utile, utilitarian, utilitarianism, utility, utilities, utilize, utilization

V[edit]

  • vacare, vaco «to be empty, void» vacancy, vacant, vacate, vacation
  • vacuus «empty» evacuate, evacuation, vacuity, vacuous, vacuum
  • vadere, vado «to go, make one’s way, advance» evade, evasion, evasive, evasiveness, invade, invader, invasion, invasive, invasiveness, pervade, pervasive, pervasiveness
  • valere, valeo «to be strong, be worth» ambivalence, ambivalent, avail, countervail, convalesce, equivalent, equivalence, evaluate, evaluation, evaluator, invalid, invalidate, overvalue, overvaluation, prevail, prevalent, prevalence, reevaluate, reevaluation, undervalue, undervaluation, valance, valence, valency, valediction, valetudinary, valiance, valiant, valid, validate, validation, validity, valor, valuable, valuation, value
  • vastus «waste, desolate, vast» devastate, devastation, vast
  • vegere «to move, excite, quicken» vegetable, vegetarian, vegetarianism, vegetate, vegetation, vegetative
  • vehere, veho «to carry, bear, convey» convect, convection, vector, vehicle, vehicular
  • velle, volo «to wish, to be willing» benevolence, benevolent, malevolence, malevolent, velleity, volition, volitional, voluntarism, voluntarist, voluntary, volunteer
  • venenum «poison» venom, venomous
  • venire, venio «to come» advent, adventitious, adventure, adventurous, avenue, circumvent, contravene, convene, convenient, convent, conventicle, convention, coven, covenant, event, eventful, eventual, intervene, invent, inventive, inventiveness, inventor, inventory, misadventure, parvenu, prevenient, prevent, provenance, provenience, revenant, revenue, souvenir, subvention, uneventful, supervene, venire, venturous, venue
  • verber «a whip, rod» verberate, verberation, reverberant, reverberate, reverberation, reverberatory
  • verbum, verba «word, saying, expression, expression, proverb, verb» adverb, adverbial, non-verbal, proverb, proverbial, verb, verbal, verbalization, verbalize, verbatim, verbiage, verbose, verbosity
  • vergere, vergo «to bend» converge, convergence, convergency, convergent, diverge, divergence, divergency, divergent, verge
  • verna «a native» vernacular
  • vertere, verto «to turn» adverse, adversity, anniversary, aversion, avert, bouleversement, controversy, converse, conversion, conversation, convert, diverse, diversion, diversity, divert, evert, extrorse, extroversion, extrovert, introrse, introversion, introvert, inverse, inversion, invert, malversation, obverse, obvert, peevish, pervert, prose, retrorse, reversal, reverse, revert, sinistrorse, subversion, subversive, subvert, tergiversate, transverse, universe, versatile, verse, version, versus, vertebra, vertex, vertigo, vortex
  • vērus «true» veracious, veracity, verification, verifier, verify, veritable, verity, very
  • vestigium «footstep, footprint, track, the sole of the foot, a trace, mark» vestige, vestigial, investigate, investigation, investigational, investigative, investigator, investigatory
  • vestis «garment» devest, devestation, devestator, divest, invest, investor, investment, revet, travesty, vest
  • vexare, vexo «to disturb, agitate» vex, vexation, vexatious
  • via «way» convey, conveyable, conveyance, conveyee, conveyer, conveyor, convoy, via, viaduct, viary, viatecture, viatic, viaticals, viaticum, viator
  • videre, video «to see, look at, consider» advice, advisable, advise, adviser, advisor, advisory, belvedere, clairvoyant, enviable, envy, evidence, evident, improvisation, improvise, interview, interviewer, invidious, previse, provide, provision, provisional, prudence, prudent, purvey, purveyance, purveyor, purview, review, reviewer, revise, revision, revisionism, revisor, supervise, supervision, supervisor, survey, surveyor, television, vide, view, viewer, visa, visage, visibility, visible, vision, visionary, visit, visor, vista, visual, visualization, visualize, voyeur
  • vigere, vigeo «flourish, thrive, be lively» invigorate, invigoration, reinvigorate, reinvigoration, vigor, vigorous
  • vigil «awake» invigilate, invigilation, invigilator, vigil, vigilance, vigilant, vigilante
  • vīlla «country home, farmhouse, homestead» bidonville, nasty, villa, village, villain, villanelle, villein
  • vincere, vinco «to conquer» convict, conviction, convince, evict, evince, invincible, vanquish, victor, victorious, victory, vincible
  • vindicare, vindico «to avenge, vindicate, claim, punish» avenge, avengeance, avengement, revanche, revanchist, revenge, venge, vengeance, vengeful, vindicate, vindication, vindictive
  • vir, virī «man, husband, hero» decemvir, duumvir, triumvirate, virago, virile, virtual, virtuality, virtualization, virtualize, virtue, virtuous, virtuosa, virtuosity, virtuoso
  • vitium «fault, vice» vice, vicious, vitiate, vitiation, vituperable, vituperant, vituperation, vituperative, vituperator, vituperatory, vituperous
  • vivere, vivo «to live» convivial, devive, revitalization, revitalize, revival, revive, survival, survive, viability, viable, viand, victual, vital, vitality, viva, vivacious, vivid
  • volvere, volvo «to roll» convolve, convolute, convoluted, convolution, evolve, evolution, evolutionary, involve, involvement, revolve, revolver, revolution, revolutionary, voluble, volute
  • vovere, voveo «vow, promise; dedicate or devote to a deity» devote, devotee, devotion, vote, voter, vow
  • vox «voice» (> vocare) advocacy, advocate, advocation, advocator, advocatory, avocation, convoke, equivocal, equivocation, evoke, invocation, invoke, provocation, provocative, provoke, revoke, unequivocal, univocal, vocable, vocabulary, vocal, vocalize, vocalization, vocation, vocational, voice

Further reading[edit]

  • The American Heritage Dictionary Indo-European Roots Appendix, ahdictionary.com

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.’

Latin Roots, Suffixes and Prefixes Negating a word using prefixes StudySmarterFig. 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:

Latin Roots, Suffixes and Prefixes Image of pie chart StudySmarterFig. 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’

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Anyone who has ever studied a stack of GRE vocabulary words or invested in a word-a-day calendar to try to expand their lexicon can attest to the fact that the English language is incredibly expansive. Data has shown that the average adult knows somewhere around 40,000 words in total, and that includes active (i.e., regularly used) and passive (i.e., familiar, but not utilized) vocabulary. Put that number up against the more than one million total words in the English language, and it becomes clear that the percentage of terms in English speakers’ everyday rotation is only a small fraction of the English language as a whole.

Looking at the sheer volume of the English vocabulary, one thing that helps make sense of the words is the notable patterns that emerge in light of its etymological roots; particularly, its Latin roots. Though Latin itself has often been referred to as a dead language, it is very much alive in the 80% of English terms that are borrowed directly from the ancient language and the over 60% of English words that have roots in Latin and Greek. In the same way that a new reader may try to sound out a word phonetically, looking at English through the lens of Latin etymology allows us to obtain a new grasp on the language, such that we can more actively deduce the meanings of unfamiliar words.

To identify key linguistic elements from Latin that appear throughout the English language today, Stacker sorted through educational resources and online databases and compiled a list of 50 important Latin roots that shape the English language as we know it. Read on to get a better understanding of how some of the words you use regularly—and a few perhaps you’ve never seen before—all share a common foundation in Latin.

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Ann

— Meaning in English: Yearly

The Latin root “ann”—which means “yearly”—can be found in countless words that reference events and occurrences that happen on a yearly basis. For example, an anniversary celebration marks the passing of another year of a relationship, a business, or a birthday. Then there are yearly events that are characterized as annual, such as award ceremonies (e.g., the Academy Awards), sporting events (e.g., Super Bowl), and holidays (e.g., Halloween).

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Aqu

— Meaning in English: Water, sea

Whether it’s being used in reference to a color such as aqua, a blueish-green hue, or to describe sea life, i.e., aquatic, the Latin root “aqu” is familiar in its relationship to water and large bodies of water. The mainstream familiarity of the Latin root was on full display in the 2006 coming-of-age film “Aquamarine,” where the titular character is a mermaid washed ashore.

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Audi

— Meaning in English: Hearing, listening, sound

Those who prefer the convenience of listening to their books rather than reading them may recognize this Latin root from the name of Audible, Amazon’s audiobook and entertainment platform. The root also makes an appearance in the English terms audience, as in a group of people gathered together to listen to or receive a performance, and auditorium, the room in which said audience sits to listen.

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Bene

— Meaning in English: Good

Derived from a Latin term meaning “well,” bene is most commonly used as a prefix in the English language. The word benign means harmless or favorable, and in pathology is used to describe a condition that is not life-threatening. A benefit is something that is considered favorable or advantageous, and the term can also be used to describe a charitable event. A benefactor gives help to a person or a cause. Perhaps the most famous example of a benefactor is Miss Havisham from “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens.

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Bi

— Meaning in English: Two

The Latin prefix “bi” means two, as does the closely related, Greek-derived prefix “di.” A bifurcation describes the act of something splitting off into two distinct branches. In anatomy, the bicep is a muscle of the arm that runs between the shoulder and the elbow, so-named because it splits off into two branches where the muscle connects at the scapula. The word bicep translates to “two-headed muscle of the arm.”

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Bibl

— Meaning in English: Book

The Latin root “bibl” may sooner remind college students of having to create bibliographies—detailed lists of the books and sources referenced in academic work—than anything else. However, the root’s connection to the English language has a far deeper history: “bibl” is also the root for the name of the Bible, the collection of Judeo-Christian texts and scripture.

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Cent

— Meaning in English: Hundred

The term “cent” likely conjures up thoughts of money—i.e., dollars and cents—before anything else, but that ties back perfectly to the Latin root from which the term comes. One cent is 1/100th of a dollar. Pennies aside, the Latin root also makes an appearance in terms like “century” and “centennial,” which pertain to 100-year timespans and a hundredth anniversary, respectively.

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Circum

— Meaning in English: Around

The Latin root “circum”—meaning “around”—appears in terms like “circumnavigate,” which is the act of traveling all the way around something. Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is remembered for successfully circumnavigating the globe in the early 16th century. This root also appears in terms like “circumvent,” which describes the act of getting around a problem, and “circumstance,” which pairs this root with another Latin root—“stance,” meaning “stand”—to reference a situation that focuses on a core cause.

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Civ

— Meaning in English: Citizen

“Civility” is characterized by respect towards others, and “civics,” which refers to the infrastructure in place that is intended to facilitate civility, are both rooted in the Latin “civ,” meaning “citizen.” The root also makes an appearance in the name of the Honda Civic, a car that––as the brand puts it––is meant to improve the lives of citizens.

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Clar

— Meaning in English: Clear

The term “clarity”—which comes from the Latin root “clar,” meaning “clear”—is the property of being both pure and clean, as well as being lucid and coherent. The root has seen a variety of modern uses alluding to its Latin translation, including the brand Clarisonic, a beauty company that develops products meant to provide clearer-looking skin, and Claritin, an allergy medication that promises clarity and relief from chronic allergies.

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Cred

— Meaning in English: Believe

Credibility is the characteristic of being believable, and it’s a term that comes from the Latin root “cred,” meaning “believe.” While the term may appear in the case of legal proceedings—e.g., a court case requires credible witnesses—it also ties into the idea of credit and credit cards. Since credit cards work by allowing users to acquire items before paying for them in full, they operate on a system of trust and good faith—belief, essentially—that payments will be made in full at a later time.

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Dict

— Meaning in English: Say/speak

The Latin root “dict” appears in words like dictate, meaning to read something aloud; dictation, the act of speaking aloud with the intention of having your words recorded or transcribed; and predict, the act of stating something that will happen before it actually happens. Of all the instances in which “dict” appears in the English language, though, one of the most important may be the dictionary, which offers a comprehensive guide to all of the officially-recognized words in the English language. Some of the most respected and trusted dictionaries in the U.S. include the Oxford English Dictionary, Collins English Dictionary, and Merriam-Webster.

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Ex

— Meaning in English: Out

The Latin root “ex” means “out,” while related roots, including “exter” and “extrem,” offer additional variations of the same translation. The word extreme, for example, may refer to something that falls out of a normal expected range, as was the case with weather extremities, including record rainfall and high/low daily temperatures across the U.S. in 2019, which broke more than 120,000 records across the country.

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Fract

— Meaning in English: Break

The Latin “fract” is closely related to fellow Latin roots “frang,” “fring,” and “frag,” all of which mean “break.” A few of its familiar appearances may include infringe, as in the breaking of a legal agreement or violation of copyright, and fragment, a small piece of an item that has been broken. The root also appears in the word fragile, which can be used to describe items that are easily breakable.

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Inter

— Meaning in English: Between

The premise of the film “Interstellar” starring Matthew McConaughey is that a NASA physicist travels the universe via a wormhole in a quest to find a new home for mankind. The plot––and the flick’s title––reference the Latin root “inter,” meaning “between,” as McConaughey’s character essentially travels between cosmic stars. This root also appears in terms like international, which may refer to travel or political relations between nations, and interpersonal, which may refer to communication happening between different people (as opposed to intrapersonal, which uses the Latin root meaning “within”).

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Jur

— Meaning in English: Law

Legal systems are intended to act as a source of order and justice in society, and it turns out that a lot of the legal terminology that we’re familiar with today stems from the Latin “jur”—as well as the related roots “jus” and “judic”—meaning “law.” This includes the word jury, as in the body of citizens meant to come to a verdict in legal cases; judicial, as in something pertaining to the court or judge; and justice, as in fairness.

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Lax

— Meaning in English: Not tense

There are a number of ways that someone may choose to relax—yoga, unwinding with a good book, taking a bath, etc. Regardless of the method, the practice of relaxation just comes down to letting go of stress and releasing tension. The root origin of the term—the Latin “lax,” meaning “not tense”—is echoed in this way. The root also appears in the word laxative, which describes an agent used to relieve constipation by reducing tension in the bowels.

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Liber

— Meaning in English: Free

Liberty—which is defined as freedom from oppression in regards to one’s belief systems and way of life—is a fundamental tenet on which democracy is built. As for the Latin word “liber,” this is a fundamental root from which the term “liberty” stems. Further examples of “liber” in mainstream English language include the words liberate and liberation.

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Lumin

— Meaning in English: Light

This Latin root meaning “light” appears in a number of common English words including luminous, which means that something is bright and shining. However, the Latin root has seen several linguistic iterations that go beyond these everyday terms as well, including brand names such as Luminary, a podcast streaming platform that may be considered to be bringing new and creative ideas “to light,” and fictional terms such as “lumos maxima,” the incantation used in the “Harry Potter” universe to generate a bright flash of light.

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Magn

— Meaning in English: Big, great

The Latin root “magn,” meaning “big” or “great,” can be used either in reference to something physically large in size or something that big in its presence, such that it’s striking. In regular use today, the root appears in words like magnificent, which simply refers to something that’s amazing or awe-inspiring, and magnitude, which is used to characterize the large size or impact of something (e.g., a 3.2 magnitude earthquake).

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Mal

— Meaning in English: Bad

“Mal” is a Latin root meaning “bad,” and appears in such English terms as malicious, which is defined as having the intention to cause harm, as well as malevolent, which combines this root with another Latin root “volent,” which means “wishing.” Mal is defined as wishing evil or ill will upon another. Perhaps one of the most common pop culture affiliations with the root is “Maleficent,” the Disney film starring Angelina Jolie as the villainous fairy known for cursing Sleeping Beauty.

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Migr

— Meaning in English: Wander

This Latin root is perhaps most prevalent in its connection to current events. Namely, “migr”—meaning “wander”—appears in the terms immigration and migrant, both of which have become majorly familiar in the collective consciousness as a result of such issues as the European migrant crisis as well as the U.S. border crisis and questions surrounding the country’s immigration policies.

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Multi

— Meaning in English: Many

There are a multitude of examples in the English language of the Latin root “multi,” meaning “many,” in use (with multitude being one of them). The root is perhaps most notable for its role in arithmetic, as it occurs in multiplication, which is a mathematical process for growing a number in size and count. The root also appears in the title of the 1996 comedy “Multiplicity,” which stars Michael Keaton as a man who clones himself numerous times to manage the demands of his day-to-day life.

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Neg

— Meaning in English: Say no

The Latin root “neg” appears in English words that are defined by a lack of positive or affirmative response. For example, the word negate means that something is being nullified or shut down, or, it’s being “said no to,” essentially. Negativity, a quality often associated with pessimism and naysaying, is another example of the root in action.

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Non

— Meaning in English: Not

When something is described as nonsensical, it means that it doesn’t make sense. When something or someone is characterized as noncommittal, it means that they won’t commit. These words—along with others that include “non” as a prefix—pull from the Latin root’s definition meaning “not.” It’s important to keep in mind that the line between “non” and “un” can get a little troublesome when navigating common vocabulary. For example, while unprofessional refers to behavior that isn’t professional, nonprofessional refers to lines of work that don’t require professional training.

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Nov

— Meaning in English: New

The allure of novels comes from their imaginative stories that can take readers away from the ordinary and mundane. A novel concept or innovative idea is characterized by offering something fresh and new, which all ties back to the Latin root “nov.”

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Ov

— Meaning in English: Egg

While there are some English words beginning with “ov” that don’t tie back to this Latin root such as “oven,” which actually comes from Germanic origins, there are others that reference the root’s original definition: “egg.” Examples include oval, as in the egg-like shape, and ovary, as in the female reproductive organ that produces eggs.

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Pre

— Meaning in English: Before

“Pre” is a Latin-derived prefix that clarifies chronological order by signifying that something came before something else. For example, predict means that you talk about something happening before it actually happens. The word preliminary is another example and means that something occurs prior to something else in preparation for the main event. Of course, “pre” also occurs in the word prefix itself, which by definition is a grammatical add-on to the beginning of a word—i.e., it comes “before” the original word—that changes its meaning.

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Prim

— Meaning in English: First

In addition to words that reflect this root’s origins in its most literal sense such as primary, primordial, and primitive, there are also words derived from this Latin root that more loosely means best-in-class, or top-tier. One such example is the word prime, most commonly used in reference to Amazon Prime, the membership service that provides expedited shipping and a catalog of member-only streaming content for Amazon customers.

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Proxim

— Meaning in English: Nearness

When one makes an approximation of something, they’re making an educated guess about the count, measurement, or quantity of something based on information that allows them to come close—though maybe not exact—to the correct value. This word, along with others like proximity or proximal, comes from the Latin root “proxim,” meaning nearness.

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Ques

— Meaning in English: Seek

A Latin root that means “to seek” or “to look for,” “ques” appears in a number of words that English speakers use on a daily basis. Besides the very literal quest, which basically refers to a long search for something, there are also the terms question and request, both of which attempt to elicit some kind of response, information, or action.

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Re

— Meaning in English: Again, backward

This Latin root is one that could refer to something happening over and over again, as is the case with such words as repeat or recur. It may also, however, be used to reference something that moves backward by being withdrawn, as is the case with the words renege and revert.

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Retro

— Meaning in English: Backward, behind

Retro has been a standalone word since the mid-1970s when it started getting used in reference to fashion nostalgia. Before that, though, the word existed in the Latin vocabulary as a prefix meaning “backward” or “behind.” Of all the words that include the prefix—e.g., retrogress, retroactive, retrospective—one of the most familiar nowadays may be retrograde, as in Mercury Retrograde (when Mercury appears to be moving backward in its orbit).

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San

— Meaning in English: Healthy

This Latin root appears throughout the English language in a few different ways. For starters, it has a very literal and practical application in words like sanitize and sanitary, which simply refer to the eradication of bacteria so as to make something healthier and safer. However, the same root also occurs in the term sanity—and the opposite, insanity—which refers to mental health.

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Sci

— Meaning in English: Know

The Latin root “sci” (meaning “know”) has a few different roles in English. For one, it can refer to the actual act of knowing things, as is the case with terms like omniscience (meaning all-knowing), conscience (knowing right from wrong), and prescience (knowing things before they happen). Beyond that, “sci” also ties into the accumulation of knowledge, as it is a key root in the term science and is thus connected to all scientific branches (formal, natural, and social sciences).

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Scrib

— Meaning in English: Write

While a young child’s doodles on a piece of paper might be dismissed as nothing but a little scribble, it turns out that scribble has some roots in the Latin language. The root “scrib” actually means “write,” and appears in such terms as transcribe, the act of copying down words from a recording or dictation, and describe, the act of writing down (or saying) what something looks, feels, tastes, sounds, or smells like.

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Semi

— Meaning in English: Half

The Latin root “semi” (meaning “half”) is central to a lot of the traditions that we consider to be commonplace. For example, there’s the idea of a semi-final, where two sports teams face off in a match directly before the final and only one—such as half of the two teams—moves on to the final. A lot of brands, most notably, Victoria’s Secret, are also known for having semi-annual sales: one at the start of the year in January and one around the half-way mark in June.

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Senti

— Meaning in English: Feel

The Latin root “senti,” which is also close to the root “sens,” means “feel”—which is evident when looking at the English terms that have stemmed from the original root. The root is at the heart of our sensory system, which allows us to feel and experience things through our different senses. The classic book “Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austen interestingly juxtaposes two words that stem from this same Latin root in its title; here, sense is the ability to act with sound judgment and without being overly emotional, while sensibility refers to the ability to act from the heart or with feelings as a guide.

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Soci

— Meaning in English: Group

In the most basic sense, the Latin root “soci” appears in the term society, which is very literally a group of people who coexist in some capacity, whether they’re connected by a common government, neighborhood, or even just common interests (e.g., the National Audubon Society). This Latin root is also at the core of one of the biggest trends to have shaped modern culture: social media and the rise of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.

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Sol

— Meaning in English: Alone

While social networks bring people together—even if only virtually—togetherness isn’t always the name of the game. “Sol,” the Latin root for “alone,” is also a big player in the English language, and is used in words that refer to loneliness or lack of connection. For example, solitude and isolation are two words that pull from the root, as is the name for Solitaire, the computer card game meant to be played solo.

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Sub

— Meaning in English: Under

When The Beatles released “Yellow Submarine,” they may not have realized that they were incorporating some Latin-based lyrics in their hit song. “Sub” is the Latin root meaning “under,” and beyond showing up in the name of the underwater warship, the root also occurs in terms like submerge, which is the act of putting something underwater. The New York City subway system also employs the Latin root for the name of its network of underground trains and tracks.

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Surg

— Meaning in English: Rise

Not to be confused with the root for surgery, which comes from the Greek words meaning “hand work,” the Latin “surg” means “rise.” For example, there’s been a “resurgence”: This combines the Latin root “re” with “surg”. Anyone who has attempted to call an Uber during rush hour or an “extreme” (if we’re using Latin) rainstorm is also likely familiar with the phenomenon of surge pricing, where rates increase as a result of heightened demand.

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Tempor

— Meaning in English: Time

Musicians understand that tempo is the speed of a song’s underlying beat, and thus that the tempo helps determine the timing of a piece of music. For those less musically-inclined, however, this Latin root may feel more familiar in words like temporary, meaning something that only lasts for a given period of time, and contemporary, meaning that something is of the current time.

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Test

— Meaning in English: Witness

Though the term “test” is a word on its own, the Latin root “test” is unrelated to the term meaning exam. Instead, the Latin here means “witness,” as in testimony, where someone shares their account of what they saw in a court trial. Legal proceedings aside, the root also appears in the word testament, which reflects a reliable account of something, such that it can be used as evidence to make a point.

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Trans

— Meaning in English: Across

English terms that include the root “trans” are generally referring to something that has traversed a physical or imaginary border in some way. For example, the first trans-Atlantic flight was completed in 1919 by Charles Lindbergh when he spent 34 hours traveling from New York to Paris. A common use of the root is also in reference to transgender individuals, whose gender identity does not align with their birth sex.

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Vac

— Meaning in English: Empty

The Latin root “vac” appears in several highly-used English words, including what may be a collective favorite: “vacation.” Unlike certain terms that have a more literal tie to this root’s definition––e.g., “vacancy” means there are empty rooms in a space, “vacate” means emptying out a space, etc.––“vacation” is more of a loose derivative of the root, alluding to an empty schedule.

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Vag

— Meaning in English: Wander

Of the Latin roots on this list, “vag” is one of the more unique in that it has a few different derivative words that reflect the term in unique ways. For example, while vagabond is a pretty literal extension of the Latin root, one of the other common derivative words—vague—reflects the meaning of the Latin root in a less direct way (i.e., it alludes to ideological “wandering” from the main topic).

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Ver

— Meaning in English: True

“Ver” is one of the more common Latin roots to appear in the English language. There are some terms that include the root—verdict and veracity—that may be less frequently utilized in everyday jargon, but that’s hardly the case with one of the most popular words that stems from this root: very. Whenever something is described as very soft, for example, the intention of the speaker is to communicate that something is “truly” soft.

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Vid

— Meaning in English: See, visual

While videotapes might have become obsolete, this Latin root, meaning “see,” is still kept alive in plenty of other key terms in the English language. One of the biggest, of course, is video, and though people’s sources of video entertainment have changed over the years, their affinity for it certainly has it. According to recent data, people watch an average of 16 hours of online video per week.

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Uni

— Meaning in English: One

This root, meaning “one,” is incredibly prevalent throughout the English language. It appears in a wide range of words, including unicorn (a one-horned mythical horse), unity (one entity), uniform (one outfit), unicycle (one-wheeled bike), and unibrow (one eyebrow).

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Trending Now

Whenever learning a new language, students are often overwhelmed by the fact that they must study the grammar and vocabulary. Vocabulary can be tough for anyone, but especially for those learning a new language for the first time or one like Latin which not spoken. However, the vocabulary in Latin should be easier since Latin is integrated into many modern languages: French, Italian, Spanish, English, etc.

Here is a wonderful list of the most basic roots any Latin learner should know! This list is also helpful to anyone wishing to improve their vocabulary along with test taking skills. So, if you are studying for the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, or even the SATs; this is a great chart for you to study, make flash cared and improve your ability to dissect words to discover their meanings!

LATIN ROOT MEANING EXAMPLES ab-, a-, abs- away from, without abnormal, absent, abstain, avert acu- sharp acupuncture, acute, ad-, a-, ac-, af-, ag-, al-, ap-, ar-, as-, at-  movement to or toward; in addition to accept, adapt, affect, aggression, approximate, ascend ag-, act- do act, agent am-, amat- love amatory, amorous ambi- both sides ambidextrous, ambivalent ann-, -enn- year, yearly anniversary, annual, millennium ante-, anti- before, against antebellum,antediluvian anticipate, aqu- water aquamarine, aquarium, aqueduct audi- to hear, hearing audio, auditorium, audible aug-, auct- grow, increase augment, augend, bell- war antebellum, bellicose, belligent ben- good, well benefit, benevolent bi- two bicycle, binoculars, binary brev- short, brief abbreviation, brevity, cad-, -cid-, cas- fall cadence, accident, case caed-, -cid-, caes-, -cis cut scissor, incision, incisor cand- glowing, brilliant, shiny candle, incandescent, candor, cap-, -cip-, capt-, -cept- take, hold capture, captive, recipient, capit-, -cipit- head capital, precipitation, decapitation carn- flesh carnal, carnivore carp- wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, carpal cav- hollow cavity, cave ced-, cess- go proceed, procession, succession, celer- quick(ly) celerity, acceleration cent- 100 century, cent, ceter- other “et cetera” = “and the rest, others” circum- around circumference, circumnavigate, clar- clear, distinct clarity, declare con-, co-, col-, com-, cor- together community, coalesce, conjoined, corn- horn cornucopia, unicorn cred- believe, trust credulous, credit, incredible curr-, curs- run current (river), cursive de- away from descend, dementia dent- tooth, teeth dental, dentures dict- speak, say dictate, predict, dictionary doc-, doct- teach doctor, doctrine duc-, duct- lead conduct, produce, abduct, dur- hard durable, obdurate, duress ed-, es- eat edible, obesity ego- I, myself, the self egocentric, ego err- stray error, aberration extrem- outer most extreme, extremities, fac-, -fic-, fact, -fect- make, do manufacture, factory, fer- carry, bear transfer fin- end finish, finite form- shape form, formation, conform, deformity fort- strong fort, fortification frang-, -fring-, fract-, frag- break fracture, fragment, infringe fug-, fugit- flee fugitive, refuge fund-, fus- pour fusion, profuse, profusion, transfusion gen- race, kind genes, genetics glob- sphere globe, global grad-, -gred-, gress- walk, step, go transgress, gradations, regress grand- grand, big grandiose, grandeur graph- write, draw telegraph, graphite, grat- thankful, pleased gratitude, gratuity, grateful,ingrate grav- heavy grave, aggravation hab-, -hib-, habit-, -hibit- have habit, inhibit, prohibition, hom- same homogeneous hospit- host hospitality, hospital ign- fire, firey ignite, igneous rocks, ignition in- (1), im- in, on invite, incur, immitate in- (2), il-, im-, ir- not, un, no impossible, irrational, inappropriate, illegal inter- between intermission, intersection intra-intro- within intramural, introspection irasc-, irat- be or grow angry irate, irascible is-, iso- equal isometric, isosceles triangle jac- lie adjacent ject- throw eject, reject janu- door, begin janitor, january jus-, jur- law jury, justice juven- youthful juvenal labor- work labor, collaboration lacer- tear laceration lact- milk lactate, lactose lamin- layer laminate larv- mask larva, lax- not tense relax, laxative, lax, leg- send legate, relegate lev- lift, hold elevate, lever, levitation liber- free liberty, liberation libr- book library, librarian lig- bind ligament lingu- language, tonigue bilingual, linguistics, liter- letter literal, literacy,obliterate loqu-, locut- speak, speech colloqual, eloquent, luc- light, bright lucent, lucid, Lucifer (bearer of Light) lumin- light luminous lun- moon lunar, lunatic magn- large magnitude, magnanimous manu- hand manual, manufacture man- stay permanent, remanence, medi-, -midi middle middle, medieval, median merc- reward, wages, hire mercenaries, mercantile min- small minute, minority moll- soft mollify, emollient morph- shape morph, morphology mov-, mot- move, motion motive, motivation, movie, motor, mult- many multiple, multiply, multitude nasc-, nat- born natal, native, nascent necr- dead necrophilia, necropolis noct- night nocturnal nu- nod innuendo nunci- announce pronunciation, enunciation ob-, o-, oc-, of-, og-, op-, os- against obstinate, obstreperous, occur, offend, omit, oppose, ostentatious oct- 8 octagon, octopus, -oid -like asteroid (like a star) -onym name antonym, pseudonym orn- decorate ornament, ornate oss- bone ossification ov- egg ovum pac- peace pacifism pal- stake impale pand-, pans- spread pandemic pasc-, past- feed repast pati-, pass feel, suffer patience,passive pauc- few paucal, paucity, pecun- money pecuniary ped- feet quadruped, pedal pell-, puls- drive propellant,repellent pen- almost peninsula, penultimate, penumbra pent- 5 pentagon per- through permeate, persistence, pervade pessim- worst pessimistic pet- strive towards appetite, competition pil- hair depilatory, epilator ping-, pict- paint depiction, picture phon- sound microphone plas- mould plastic plac-, -plic- please placid, plan- flat explanation, planar, plane plaud-, -plod-, plaus-, -plos- approve, clap, applaud explosion, implode, plaudits, plausible plur- more plural, surplus pole-, poli- city metropolis, politics pon-, posit- put component, position, postpone prehend-, prend-, prehens- grasps prehensile, comprehend prem-, -prim-, press- press pressure prim- first primary, primeval, primitive priv- separate deprivation, privilege pro- forward procrastinate, propulsion, produce propri- property, ownership appropriate, property, propriety prot- first protoplasm, prototype proxim- nearest proximity pub- sexually mature pubescent, pubic pugn- fight pugnacious, repugnant pung-, punct- prick puncture, pungent puni- punish punishment, impunity, punitive purg- cleanse expurgate, purge qui- quiet quiet, requiem quot- how many, how great quotient rad-, ras- scrape abrade, erasure reg-, -rig-, rect- straight direct, erect retro- backward, past retrospect, retro, rid-, ris- laugh ridiculous, ridicule, derision rod-, ros- gnaw erosion, rodent rog- ask interrogation, derogatory rump-, rupt- break eruption, rupture, interrupt sacr-, secr- holy sacred, sacrosanct scand-, -scend-, scans-, -scens- climb ascend, descend, transcend scop-, scept look, examine telescope, microscope sec-, sect-, seg- cut dissect, section, segment, sed-, -sid-, sess- sit reside, supesede serv- save, serve conserve, serve, servitude sign- sign design, signal, signature sol- alone desolate, solitude spec-, -spic-, spect- look, see speculation, suspicious st- stand stasis, stable, station stingu-, stinct- apart distinguish, exstinct stru-, struct- build construe, structure sub-, su-, suf-, sug-, sup-, sus- under submarine, suppress, tac-, -tic- be silent reticent, tacit tang-, -ting-, tact-, tag- touch tangible, tactile tempor- time temporal, temporary tend-, tens- stretch extenuate, tension termin- end, boundary terminal, terminate terr- earth terra, terrain, subterranean test- bear witness testimony, testament tex-, text- weave (literal or words) textile, subtext, context, texture tim- be afraid timid, timorous torn-, tourn- turn, rotate tournament, tornado tot- whole, all total, totality trans-, tra-, tran- carry transport, transfer traum- wound trauma, traumatic tri- three triangle, trivia trin- three of each trinity, trinary ultim- farthest ultimate un- one unicorn, unicycle urb- city suburban, urban, ut-, us- use use, utility vad-, vas- go evade, pervasive vag- wander vagabond ven-, vent- come circumvent, convention ver- true, truth aver, veracious, verify, verisimilitude, verity vi- way via, deviate vid-, vis- see visual, vivid, video vinc-, vict- conquer victory, victor vit- life vital viv- live vivid, survive voc- voice vocal, invocation,

List of Commonly Used Latin Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Most of the words we use today are derived from Latin. So, why not understand how certain English words came about? Penlighten gives you information on the most commonly used roots, prefixes, and suffixes, and also chooses to give you their meanings for a better understanding. Have a read!

Long Live Latin!

Latin has given birth to many languages. The commonly used English words are mostly taken from Latin, almost 60% of the words. The use is made in all vast topics such as science, law, medicine, etc. Almost 80% of the scholarly English words are taken from Latin. Also, Latin is frequently used to write State or university mottos.

English is a language that draws its influence from so many languages with Latin being one of the most important contributors, as we said above. There is a deep, rich history explaining how it has influenced English. It all started in between the 6th and 7th century when the Christian missionaries got Latin religious terms to Britain. Also, Catholic monks wrote sacred text copies in Latin. Eventually, what happened was that, whenever they didn’t get a word in Old English, they would substitute it by Latin words. Such was the role of Latin in developing the foundation of the English language. Also, the influence of Latin, so to say, is lexical in nature, meaning most of the words are coined from Latin roots.

Elucidated below is a list of Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes that are very often put to use; words that we often use in our day-to-day conversations but probably aren’t aware of how they all originated and what do they mean. The following sections will help you in understanding the English language better.

LATIN ROOTS

Roots In English English Examples
-dict- to say predict, contradict, dictate
-duc- take, bring, lead produce, reduce, deduce
-gress- to walk progress, digress
-ject- to throw inject, subject, project
-pel- to drive compel, impel, dispel
-pend- to hang depend, pendulum, pendant
-port- to carry support, export, report
-scrib-/-script- to write describe, transcription, prescribe
-tract- to drag/pull attract, extract, retract
-vert- to turn convert, divert, invert
-ambi- both ambiguous, ambidextrous
-aqua- water aquamarine, aquarium
-aud- to hear audience, audible, audition
-bane- good beneficial, benefactor
-cent- hundred percent, century
-duct- to lead induce, conduct
-fac- make manufacture, factory
-form- shape reform, conform
-fort- strength fortitude, fortress
-fract- break fraction, fracture
-jud- judge judiciary, prejudice
-mal- bad malfunction, malevolent
-mater- mother maternal, material
-mit- to send transmit, admit
-mort- death mortal, post-mortem
-multi- many multiple,multimedia
-rupt- break ruption, disruption
-sent- feel/send consent, resent
-spect- to look inspection, spectator
-struct- to build construct, destruction
-voc- voice advocate, vocal

LATIN PREFIXES

Roots In English English Examples
co- together coedit, coauthor
de- removal/reverse deactivate, decompress, defrost
dis- not/opposite disbelief, disrespect, discomfort
inter- between interjection, international, intertwine
non- not nonstop, nonviolence, nonsense
post- after postdate, postwar
pre- before premeditate, prepay
re- again, back remake, rewrite, rearrange
sub- under subway, substandard
trans- beyond transatlantic, transpolar
anti- against anti-clock, anticlimax
de- opposite decomposition, deforestation, devalue
-in/-im/-ir/-il not irrelevant, impossible, illiterate
mis- wrong misunderstand, misspell
over- excess overeat, overweight
semi- partly semifinal, semicorrect
super- beyond superhuman, superpowers
un- opposite unusual
under- less underestimate, understand
migr- wander migratory, immigrant
uni- one unify, unity
extra- beyond extraordinary

LATIN SUFFIXES

Roots In English English Examples
-able/-ible forms adjectives affordable, sensible
-ation forms nouns from verbs creation, information, automation
-fy/-ify forms verbs purify, acidify
-ment forms nouns from verbs entertainment, statement
-ty/ity forms nouns from adjectives certainty, similarity
-al, -ial characteristics facial, universal
-ed past tense, adjectives learned, talked

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