Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots

Key Notes :

1. Understanding Greek and Latin Roots

  1. Roots Definition:
    • Greek and Latin roots are the base parts of words that carry the core meaning. Understanding these roots helps in deciphering the meanings of complex words.
  2. Prefix and Suffix Addition
    • Roots often combine with prefixes and suffixes to create new words. Knowing common prefixes and suffixes can help in understanding the complete meaning of a word.

2. Common Greek Roots

  1. Graph/Gram (writing):
    • Autograph (auto-: self) – A signature written by oneself.
    • Biography (bio-: life) – A written account of someone’s life.
  2. Geo (earth):
    • Geography (graphy: writing) – The study of the Earth’s physical features.
    • Geology (ology: study) – The study of the Earth’s structure.
  3. Tele (far):
    • Telephone (phone: sound) – A device that transmits sound over long distances.
    • Television (vision: sight) – A device that transmits visual images over distances.

3. Common Latin Roots

  1. Port (to carry):
    • Transport (trans-: across) – To carry something across from one place to another.
    • Import (im-: into) – To bring goods into a country from abroad.
  2. Vid/Vis (to see):
    • Vision (sight) – The ability to see.
    • Video (a recording) – A recording of visual images.
  3. Dict (to say):
    • Dictionary (define) – A book containing the meanings of words.
    • Predict (pre-: before) – To say what will happen before it occurs.

4. How to Determine Meanings

  1. Analyze the Root:
    • Identify the root of the word and refer to its meaning. For example, in “thermometer,” “thermo” means heat, so a thermometer measures heat.
  2. Break Down the Word:
    • Divide the word into its root, prefix, and suffix. For instance, “unbelievable” can be broken into “un-” (not), “believe,” and “-able” (capable of), which helps in understanding it means “not capable of being believed.”
  3. Use Context Clues:
    • The context in which a word is used can help determine its meaning. For instance, in a sentence like “The geologist studied the rocks,” knowing “geo-” means Earth helps in understanding that “geologist” refers to someone who studies the Earth.
List of Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots

Let’s practice!

Pages: 1 2