Determine the meanings of Greek and Latin roots

Key Notes :

1. Understanding Roots:

• Roots are the base parts of words that carry the core meaning. Greek and Latin roots are the building blocks of many English words.
• Knowing these roots helps in deciphering unfamiliar words and understanding their meanings.

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2. Greek Roots:

• Common Greek Roots:
  • Auto-: Self (e.g., automobile – a vehicle that moves by itself)
  • Bio-: Life (e.g., biography – a written account of someone’s life)
  • Chron-: Time (e.g., chronology – the study of time or dates)
  • Geo-: Earth (e.g., geography – the study of the Earth’s features)
  • Phil-: Love (e.g., philosophy – the love of wisdom)

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3. Latin Roots:

• Common Latin Roots:
  • Aud-: Hear (e.g., audible – able to be heard)
  • Cred-: Believe (e.g., credible – capable of being believed)
  • Dict-: Say (e.g., dictionary – a book that explains what words say)
  • Port-: Carry (e.g., transport – to carry something from one place to another)
  • Vid-/Vis-: See (e.g., video – something that is seen)

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4. Combining Roots with Prefixes and Suffixes:

• Prefixes are added to the beginning of a root word (e.g., un-, pre-, re-).
  • Example: Pre (before) + view (see) = preview (to see before)
• Suffixes are added to the end of a root word (e.g., -able, -ness, -ify).
  • Example: Comfort (from Latin comfortare) + -able = comfortable (able to provide comfort)

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5. Practice with Examples:

• Deconstruct Words: Break down complex words into their root parts.
  • Example: Telegraph – tele (distant) + graph (write) = a device for writing over distances.
• Create New Words: Use known roots to create new words and deduce their meanings.
  • Example: Microscope – micro (small) + scope (look) = an instrument to look at small things.

Let’s practice!