Determine the meanings of words with Greek and Latin roots
Key Notes :
Introduction to Greek and Latin Roots
Many English words are derived from Greek and Latin roots. Understanding these roots can significantly expand your vocabulary and improve your reading comprehension. By learning common roots, you can often deduce the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Think of roots as the building blocks of words. Prefixes and suffixes are added to these roots to create new words with modified meanings. Let’s explore some common Greek and Latin roots and how they work.
| Common Greek Roots |
| auto (self) paidos (child) chrono (time) kratos (power) graph(write) sym (together) meter (measure) mono(one) philo(love) | Example Words: aquatic: relating to water benefit: something that is good malevolent: wishing bad things on others portable: able to be carried scribble: to write carelessly spectator: someone who looks at an event revert: to turn back video: something you see |
| Common Latin Roots |
| aqua- (water) bene- (good) mal- (bad) port- (carry) scrib/script- (write) spect- (look) vert- (turn) vid/vis- (see) | Example Words: aquatic: relating to water benefit: something that is good malevolent: wishing bad things on others portable: able to be carried scribble: to write carelessly spectator: someone who looks at an event Revert: to turn back Video: something you see |
| Tips for Identifying Roots |
Break down the word: Identify any prefixes or suffixes. What remains is likely the root.
Look for familiar parts: Do you recognize any part of the word from other words you know?
Consider the context: How is the word used in the sentence? This can provide clues to its meaning.
Use a dictionary: If you’re still unsure, look up the word in a dictionary and pay attention to its etymology (origin).
| Combining Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes |
Words often combine roots with prefixes and suffixes to create more complex meanings. For example:
- De + scribe + ing = Describing (writing about something)
- Tele + vis + ion = Television (seeing from a distance)
- Bio + logy + ist = Biologist (someone who studies life)
By understanding these combinations, you can unlock the meanings of even more words.
| Next Steps |
Continue to practice identifying Greek and Latin roots in your reading. Make a list of new words you encounter and try to break them down into their component parts. The more you practice, the better you will become at deciphering unfamiliar vocabulary!
Let’s practice!
