ROOT WORDS
Roots form the
base of different words and help give them meaning. Sometimes a root is an entire word, such as
act, but other times, it is only part of a word, such as
deca.
Affixes can be added to a root to form new words and change their meanings.
Many words in English use Greek and / or Latin roots. Understanding the meanings of these different roots can help you decipher the meanings of new and unfamiliar words.
|
vis / vid — Latin roots that mean to see
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• vision, visage, invisible, evident, video, provide
invisible
The prefix in means not.
The root vis means to see.
The suffix ible means able to.
Based on the root and affixes, the word invisible likely has a meaning similar to not able to be seen.
The white stallion was invisible thanks to the thick fog that had rolled in after the thunderstorm the night before.
The white stallion could not be seen thanks to the thick fog that had rolled in after the thunderstorm the night before.
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phil — Greek root that means love
|
• bibliophile, Anglophile, philosophy, philanthropist, philander, philharmonic
The root biblio means book or books.
The root phil means love.
Based on the roots, the word bibliophile likely has a meaning similar to someone who loves books.
Sam was a bibliophile and spent most of her free time at the library reading.
Sam was someone who loved books and spent most of her free time at the library reading.
NOTE: Using roots and affixes to determine the general meanings of unfamiliar words can be helpful, but it is not always exactly accurate.
An apology is an expression of regret for wrongdoing. However, the meanings of apo (away/without) and logos (speech), which form the word, do not make this meaning clear.
Be careful when relying on roots and affixes to determine meaning!
Below is a list of some more common Greek and Latin roots used in everyday words. It is only a small fraction of all the possible Greek and Latin roots.
| Root |
Meaning |
Example Word |
| dict |
speech |
diction (style of speaking) |
| log/logue |
word |
dialogue (words exchanged between people) |
| omni |
all/every |
omniscient (knowing everything) |
| bene |
well |
beneficial (good or helpful) |
| gen |
birth/produce |
generate (to create) |
| phon |
sound |
telephone (a device to send sounds across distances) |
| luc/lum/lus |
light |
luminous (full of light) |
| man |
hand |
manufacture (made by hand) |
| vac |
empty |
vacant (characterized by emptiness) |
| sens/sent |
feel |
sensitive (susceptible to feelings) |
| jur/jus |
law/justice |
juror (a person who helps decide a trial) |
7th Grade Reading - Greek & Latin Roots Lesson