Greek and Latin Roots! Hooray!


The Acropolis overlooking the city of Athens
Quia Activities

 

Greek Roots 1.1 Greek Roots 1.1
anthro man anthropology, misanthrope
phil love

bibliophile, philanthropy
biblio book

bibliography
phon sound

phonograph, microphone
graph, gram record phonograph, telegram
caco bad cacophony
micro small microphone, microscope
log(y) study of etymology, psychology
gam marriage bigamy, polygamy, monogamy

Greek Roots 1.2

archy, arch rule monarch, monarchy, oligarchy
macro large macroscopic, macrobiology
auto self automobile, autonomy
mis hate misogyny, misogynist, misanthropy
bio life biology, biochemistry
neo new neologism
oid resembles, similar to cephaloid, humanoid
cephal head cephaloid, cephalopod
olig few oligarchy, oligohydramnios
cracy, crat govern democracy, aristocracy

Greek Roots 2.1

Greek Roots 1.1
osteo bone osteoporosis, osteopath
dem, demo people

democracy, pandemic
paleo ancient

paleolithic, paleoanthropology
dendr tree

dendrite, dendrochronology
pan, panto all pandemic, pantograph
derm skin dermabrasion, dermatologist
path feeling, disease pathetic, psychopath, empathy
entom insect entomology, entomophage
phag eat bacteriophage, entomophage
ethn
race, nation
ethnic, ethnarch

 

Greek Roots 2.2

 

geo earth, world geography, geology
phyll leaf phyllophage, chlorophyll
pod foot cephalopod, podiatrist
gyn woman gynecologist, misogynist
poly many polygamy, polydactyly
hetero dissimilar, not the same heterosexual, heterogeneous
psych mind, spirit psychology, psychotic
homo same homogeneous, homophobia
theo god theology, theocratic
ichthy fish ichthyophage, ichthyology


The Winged Victory of Samothrace, also called
the Nike of Samothrace or Athena Nike
on display in the Louvre

Greek Roots 3.1

ornith bird ornithology, ornithophobia
morph shape, form morphology, metamorphosis
ortho correct, straight orthodox, orthodontist
holo whole holocaust, hologram
hydr water hydrology, dehydrate
pyr fire pyromaniac, pyroclastic
caust burn caustic, holocaust
pseudo false, fake pseudonym, pseudopod
necr dead necrology, necrophobia
onym name pseudonym, synonym

Greek Roots 3.2
etym word etymology
cosm world cosmology, cosmopolitan
polis city political, necropolis
-lith stone monolith, lithograph
glyph carving petroglyph, hieroglyphic
pachy thick pachyderm
aster star asteroid, asterisk
icon icon, idol iconoclast, iconology
chrom color chromatic
peter, petr stone petrified

 


The Venus de Milo

Greek Roots 4.1

 

gloss, glot language, tongue polyglot, glottal
gno knowledge gnosis, ignorant
archae ancient archaeology
hier sacred hierarchy, hieroglyph
rrh, rrhe flow diarrhea, logorrhea
pro before proactive
dia through diarrhea
epi upon, on epidermis
a, an without anarchy, atheist
anti against antithesis

 

Greek Roots 4.2
syn; syl; sym with, together synonym, symbiosis
-clast destroy, destroyer iconoclast
-latry worship idolatry
mania madness, unhealthy attraction for pyromania
phobia fear of arachnophobia, triskaidekaphobia
tauto same tautological, tautology
hyper excessive hyperkinetic, hypertrophy
kine, cine motion, movement cinema, hyperkinetic
crypt secret, concealed crypt, cryptic, cryptology
therm heat thermometer

 


Gold mask of Agamemnon of Troy

Greek Roots 5.1
finger, toe
dactyl
 polydactyly, pterodactyl
chir hand chiropractor, megachiroptera
heli sun heliocentric, helios
mono one monochrome, monarchy
chron time chronic, anachronism
eu good eulogy, euphony
dox opinion heterodox, orthodox
andro man android
taph tomb epitaph, centotaph
proto first proto-human, prototype

 

Greek Roots 5.1
metr measurement metric, barometer
iso equal isometric
hemi half hemisphere
tom(y) cut, removal appendectomy, hysterectomy
mach, mancy battle naumachia
naus sea, ocean nausea, nautical
zo(o) animal zoo, zoology, cenozoic
meso middle mesolithic
bar weight, pressure barometer
tox poison toxic, toxicology

 


The Lion Gate at the ancient Greek city of Mycenae

Greek Roots 6.1
saur lizard dinosaur
xeno foreign xenophobia
xeri dry xeriscape
hypo below hypodermic, hypotonic
acro height acrophobia, acrobat
aristo best aristocrat
batho depth bathometer
cardio heart cardiology, cardiogram
hagio sacred hagiography
oo egg oocyte

Greek Roots 6.2

peri around perimeter
mancy divination chiropractor, ornithomancy
dyn(am) power dynamic, dynamite
therap cure therapeutic
mega(lo) large megalomania
thanat death thanatos, thanatopsis
chloro light green chlorophyll, chloride
ether upper air ether, ethereal
gluc sweet glucose
nom law, name nominate

 


The Apollo Belvedere

Latin Roots 1.1

carn meat carnivore
pulcr beauty pulchritude
vir man virile
aqua water aquatic, aqueduct
sui self suicide
cid(e) killing, kill homicide, fratricide, regicide
noct night nocturnal
pater, patri father patriotic, patriarch
quad four quadrangle, quadratic
soror sister sorority

 

Latin Roots 1.2

frat(er) brother fraternity
uni one unicycle, unicorn
mater mother maternal, maternity
gen beginning, birth genesis
omni all omniscient, omnivore
oct eight octagon, octopus
gon side polygon
bi two biannual, bicycle
tri three tripod, triumvirate
quint five quintuplet

 


Roman portrait bust of an old man

Latin Roots 2.1

sub under, below submarine, subtract
marin ocean marine, mariner
luna moon lunatic, lunar
dorm sleep dormitory, dormant
sen age, old senescent, senile
equi horse equine, equestrian
digit finger digit, digital
stell star stellar, constellation
ocul eye ocular, monocle
rod gnaw rodent

 

Latin Roots 2.2

mort death mortician, mortal
pisc fish pisces
sangui blood sanguine, exsanguinate
arbor tree arbor, arboreal
terra earth territory, terrestrial
horti garden horticulture
sol sun solar
pauci few paucity
astr star astronomy, asteroid

 


Roman portrait bust of Julius Caesar

Latin Roots 3.1

vaca empty
  vacant, vacate
veloc speed
velocity 
vit, viv life, live
  vital, vivid
ver truth
veritable, verify 
voc call
  vocabulary, vocalize
vol will, desire
  voluntary
volv roll, rotate
revolution 
vor eat
voracious 
verd green
  verdant
vuls tear, rip
 convulsion

Latin Roots 3.2

scend, scent climb
 ascend
scientia knowledge
science, conscience 
sed sit
 sedentary
sens, sent feel
sense, sensation
tact touch
 tactile, contact
simil, simul likeness, pretense
  simulate, similar
somn sleep
insomnia, somnambulate
spir breath
inspire, respiration 
ung, unct oil
unguent, unctuous
umbr shade
 umbrella, penumbra

 


Portrait coin of the emperor Nero

Latin Roots 4.1

manu hand manual
melior better, improve ameliorate
nebul cloud nebulous, nebula
mendac lie, deceive mendacity
nihil nothing nihilism, annihilate
migr- move, travel migrate, immigrate
noct, nox night nocturnal
moll soft mollify
ole oil oleaginous
onus burden onerous, onus

 

Latin Roots 4.2

coron crown corona, coronation
avi bird avian
corpor body incorporate, corpse
bib drink bibulous
cal heat calorie
cruc, crux cross crucify, crux
cand glow candle, incandescent
culp blame culpable
caput, capit head decapitate
caus chance causal (NOTE: This word should not be confused with "casual," meaning "informal.")


Statue and Bust of Caesar Augustus

Latin Roots 5.1

ora speak, speech oratory, orator
mors bite morsel
orb circle orbit
oscil sway, swing oscillate
dei god deify, deity
fel cat feline
fides faith, loyalty fidelity
domin master dominate
dulce sweet dulcet
dur hard endurance, durable
ego I (pronoun) egotism
forc, fort strength force, fortify

 

Latin Roots 5.2

dub doubt dubious, indubitable
acr sharp, bitter acrid, acrimonious
cav warning caveat
act to do, make action
ced, cess withdraw cede, cessation
alter the other "alter ego"
celer swiftness celerity
ama, ami love, friendliness amity
cens judge censure
anim life, spirit animate

 

Interior view of the Roman Coliseum

Latin Roots 6.1

abdic- to give up authority abdicate
aberr- go astray, be abnormal aberration, aberrant
abstem to be moderate in eating and drinking abstemious, abstain
acer sharp,fierce acerbic
quer complain querulous
quies rest, quiet quiescent
quint fifth quintuplet
vacill to sway or stagger vacillate, vacillation
val to be well, strong valor
vapid spiritless, flat vapid, vapidity
vehemens violent, furious vehement, vehemently
oblivio forget oblivious, oblivion

 

Latin Roots 6.2

obscur dark, dim obscure, obscurity
obsequi to comply, to obey obsequious, obsequies
occult to hide or conceal occult
debil weak, powerless debilitating, debilitate
decimus one-tenth decimal
nas, nati born, spring forth, begin prenatal, nativity
nefar execrable, abominable nefarious
nego to say no, deny negate
nepos grandson nepotism
bene good benevolent, benefit
mal bad, evil malevolent, malodorous
cogito to think cognitive, cogitate

 

Statue of Caesar Augustus

Latin Roots 7.1

concilio to unite, bring together conciliate, conciliatory
contumelia to insult contumely
copia plenty, abundant copious, cornucopia
macula a spot or stain immaculate
magister teacher magistrate
minuo to lessen, make smaller diminish, minuscule
pars, part part, direction tripartite
pater father patriotic, patricide
mater mother matriarch
pax, pacis peace pax, pacify, pacific
pecco to sin or offend impeccable

 

Latin Roots 7.2

pecunia money pecuniary, impecunious
pend, pendul to hang down pendulum, pendulous
perfidia faithless, treacherous perfidious
tabula a writing tablet tabula rasa, tablet
taceo to be silent tacit
taedium boredom tedium, tedious
rapio, raptus to seize, carry off rapture
ratio account, reason rational
rex, regis king regal, regent
rideo to laugh deride

 

Statue of an older woman at market, c. 1st century A.D.

Latin Roots 8.1

roboro to support, make stronger corroborate
rogo to ask interrogate
impero to order, command imperious
laboro to labor, suffer, be hard pressed laborious
lapis stone lapidary
lassitudo weariness lassitude
latus, lateris side lateral, quadrilateral
laudo to praise applaud
ultimus farthest ultimate
unda wave undulate
utilis useful, profitable utility
emano to arise from, come out of emanate

 

Latin Roots 8.2

habito to live, dwell habitable, habituate
herba grass herbivore
horreo to stand on end, shudder, find dreadful horrify
genus birth, kind generic, gene
grad, gress to take steps, go away, walk regress, progress
fabula story fable
facilis easy facile, difficult
sacer, sacra sacred, holy sacred, sacerdotal
sapiens wise, judicious homo sapiens, sapient
scribo to write inscribe, prescription

 

In a Sesquipedalian Mood?

This site, by teacher Eugene R. Moutoux, is awesome in its thoroughness.
The unacknowledged God of Diagramming,
Gene is da MAN when it comes to old-school English education when it used to COUNT!


Page modified October 2007