Dictionary of Root Words: Greek and Latin Roots

By Manik Joshi

What are “Root Words”?

A root or root word is a word that is used to form another word. It is also called a base word. A root does not have a prefix (a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word) or a suffix (a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word).
The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family.

For example, pure is a root. By adding prefixes and suffixes, the following words could be made:
impure, purity, pureness

Similarly, play and move are root words. By adding prefixes and suffixes, the following words could be made:
plays, played, playing, player
moving, movement, moved, movable, mover, movingly

In this book, I have given the most common Greek and Latin roots which are used in English language.

Sample This:

Root Words -- A

AB/ABS
Origin: Latin | Meaning: away, from, off
Examples:
abate -- to subside
abject -- hopeless
abjure -- to renounce
abnormal -- unusual | related words: abnormally, abnormality
abroad -- out of the country
abscess -- swelling
abscond -- to run away | related word: absconder
abseil -- to go down a steep cliff
absence -- nonattendance | related words: absent, absentee, absenteeism, absentia, absently
absolve -- to forgive
absorb -- to soak up | related words: absorbable, absorbance, absorbed, absorbency, absorbent, absorbing, absorption
abstain -- to give up something for moral reason | related words: abstainer, abstention, abstinence
abstemious -- critical
abstinent -- not having something for moral reason
abstract -- not real; theoretical | related words: abstracted, abstractedly, abstraction, abstractly
abstruse -- difficult to understand; obscure
absurd -- ridiculous | related words: absurdist, absurdity, absurdly

AGG
Origin: Latin | Meaning: collected
Examples:
agglomerate -- to collect things and form them into a mass or group | related word: agglomeration
aggrandize -- to increase your importance or power | related word: aggrandizement
aggregate -- to put together different items, amounts, etc. into a single total | related words: aggregation, aggregator

ALTR/ALTER
Origin: Latin | Meaning: other
Examples:
altruism -- caring about the needs of other people | related word: altruistic
alterable -- that can be changed | related word: unalterable
altercation -- noisy argument
alternate -- to follow one after other | related words: alternately, alternation, alternative

Some More Root Words -- A
Root Word [Origin] -- Meaning | Example(s) (Related Words in Bracket)
a [Greek] -- not | atheism, apolitical, atypical
ablat [Latin] -- remove | ablation
ablut [Latin] -- wash | ablutions
abort [Latin] -- born too soon | abortion
abras [Latin] -- rub off | abrasion (abrasive, abrasively, abrasiveness)
abstemi [Latin] -- controlled; moderate | abstemious
abund [Latin] -- overflow | abundance (abundant, abundantly)
ac [Latin] -- to, toward | accept (acceptability, acceptable, acceptably, acceptance, acceptation)
acanth [Greek] -- thorn | acanthus
acceler [Latin] -- hasten | accelerate (acceleration, accelerator)
acet [Latin] -- vinegar | acetate, acetic, acetone
achr [Greek] -- colorless | achromic
acm [Greek] -- summit | acme
aco [Greek] -- relief | aconite
adama [Greek] -- invincible | adamant (adamantly)
ade [Greek] -- enough | adequate (adequacy, adequately)
adip [Latin] -- fat | adipose
adolesc [Latin] -- growing up | adolescent (adolescence)

Other Root Words -- A
Root Word [Origin] -- Meaning
aapt [Greek] -- indomitable, unfriendly
abact [Latin] -- driven away
abdit [Latin] -- secret/hidden
ablep [Greek] -- loss of sight
abr [Greek] -- delicate
abscis [Latin] -- cutoff
absit [Latin] -- distant
aca [Greek] -- a point; silence
acar [Gree

• Language: English
• Publisher: Manik Joshi
• Release date: Aug 20, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310218705

Manik Joshi

Manik Joshi was born on January 26, 1979, at Ranikhet, a picturesque town in the Kumaon region of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. He is a permanent resident of the Sheeshmahal area of Kathgodam located in the city of Haldwani in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand in India. He completed his schooling in four different schools. He is a science graduate in the ZBC – zoology, botany, and chemistry – subjects. He is also an MBA with a specialization in marketing. Additionally, he holds diplomas in “computer applications”, “multimedia and web-designing”, and “computer hardware and networking”. During his schooldays, he wanted to enter the field of medical science; however, after graduation he shifted his focus to the field of management. After obtaining his MBA, he enrolled in a computer education center; he became so fascinated with working on the computer that he decided to develop his career in this field. Over the following years, he worked at some computer-related full-time jobs. Following that, he became interested in Internet Marketing, particularly in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web design (creating websites), and various other online jobs. However, later he shifted his focus solely to self-publishing. Manik is a nature-lover. He has always been fascinated by overcast skies. He is passionate about traveling and enjoys solo-travel most of the time rather than traveling in groups. He is actually quite a loner who prefers to do his own thing. He likes to listen to music, particularly when he is working on the computer. Reading and writing are definitely his favorite pastimes, but he has no interest in sports. Manik has always dreamed of a prosperous life and prefers to live a life of luxury. He has a keen interest in politics because he believes it is politics that decides everything else. He feels a sense of gratification sharing his experiences and knowledge with the outside world. However, he is an introvert by nature and thus gives prominence to only a few people in his personal life. He is not a spiritual man, yet he actively seeks knowledge about the metaphysical world; he is particularly interested in learning about life beyond death. In addition to writing academic/informational text and fictional content, he also maintains a personal diary. He has always had a desire to stand out from the crowd. He does not believe in treading the beaten path and avoids copying someone else’s path to success. Two things he always refrains from are smoking and drinking; he is a teetotaler and very health-conscious. He usually wakes up before the sun rises. He starts his morning with meditation and exercise. Fitness is an integral and indispensable part of his life. He gets energized by solving complex problems. He loves himself the way he is and he loves the way he looks. He doesn’t believe in following fashion trends. He dresses according to what suits him and what he is comfortable in. He believes in taking calculated risks. His philosophy is to expect the best but prepare for the worst. According to him, you can’t succeed if you are unwilling to fail. For Manik, life is about learning from mistakes and figuring out how to move forward.

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Dictionary of Root Words

(Greek and Latin Roots)

By Manik Joshi

Copyright Manik Joshi 2014

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Smashwords Author Page of Manik Joshi:

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Email:

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IMPORTANT NOTE

This Book is Part of a Series

SERIES Name: English Word Power

[A Thirty-Book Series]

BOOK Number: 17

BOOK Title: Dictionary of Root Words

Table of Contents

What are Root Words?

Root Words -- A

Root Words -- B

Root Words -- C

Root Words -- D

Root Words -- E

Root Words -- F

Root Words -- G

Root Words -- H

Root Words -- I

Root Words -- J

Root Words -- K

Root Words -- L

Root Words -- M

Root Words -- N

Root Words -- O

Root Words -- P

Root Words -- Q

Root Words -- R

Root Words -- S

Root Words -- T

Root Words -- U

Root Words -- V

Root Words -- W-Z

About the Author

BIBLIOGRAPHY

What are Root Words?

A root or root word is a word that is used to form another word. It is also called a base word. A root does not have a prefix (a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word) or a suffix (a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word).

The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family.

For example, pure is a root. By adding prefixes and suffixes, the following words could be made:

impure, purity, pureness

Similarly, play and move are root words. By adding prefixes and suffixes, the following words could be made:

plays, played, playing, player

moving, movement, moved, movable, mover, movingly

In this book, I have given the most common Greek and Latin roots which are used in the English language.

Root Words -- A

ACER

Origin: Latin | Meaning: bitter

Examples:

acerbic -- critical | related word: acerbity

exacerbate -- to make worse | related word: exacerbation

******

ACR

Origin: Greek | Meaning: height; summit

Examples:

acrobat -- an entertainer at a circus | related words: acrobatic, acrobatically, acrobatics

acrolet -- a language-form of high status

acrophobia -- fear of height

acropolis -- a castle on top of a hill

******

ACRI

Origin: Latin | Meaning: bitter

Examples:

acrid -- strong biter smell

acrimonious -- filled with bitter words | related word: acrimoniously

******

ACU

Origin: Latin | Meaning: sharp; needle

Examples:

acumen -- the ability to make a quick decision in a particular situation

acupuncture -- a method of treatment using thin needles to particular parts of the skin | related word: acupuncturist

acupressure -- a method of treatment using pressure – by fingers – to particular parts of the body

acute -- serious and severe | related words: acutely, acuteness

******

AGG

Origin: Latin | Meaning: collected

Examples:

agglomerate -- to collect things and form them into a mass or group | related word: agglomeration

aggrandize -- to increase your importance or power | related word: aggrandizement

aggregate -- to put together different items, amounts, etc. into a single total | related words: aggregation, aggregator

******

AGOG

Origin: Greek | Meaning: lead

Examples:

demagogue -- a political leader who uses emotion-based arguments | related words: demagogic, demy

pedagogue -- an overconfident person who likes to educate others | related words: pedagogic, pedagogy

synagogue -- a building for religious teaching or worship related to Jews

******

AGON

Origin: Greek | Meaning: contest

Examples:

agony -- extreme mental and physical pain | related words: agonize, agonized, agonizing, agonizingly

antagonist -- strong opponent in an argument, competition, etc.

protagonist -- main character in a competition, play, movie, etc.

******

ALG

Origin: Greek | Meaning: pain

Examples:

analgesia -- the loss of the ability to feel pain | related word: analgesic

nostalgia -- a combined feeling of sadness and pleasure when you remember happy moments of your past | related words: nostalgic, nostalgically

neuralgia -- a pain caused by a nerve

******

ALI

Origin: Latin | Meaning: another; other

Examples:

alias -- a false name of somebody

alibi -- an excuse for something that you haven’t done properly

alien -- from another country or society

alienate -- to make somebody feel isolated

alienable -- able to be taken or given away | related word: inalienable

******

ALTR/ALTER

Origin: Latin | Meaning: other

Examples:

altruism -- caring about the needs of other people | related word: altruistic

alterable -- that can be changed | related word: unalterable

altercation -- noisy argument

alternate -- to follow one after other | related words: alternately, alternation, alternative

******

AMB

Origin: Latin | Meaning: both; around/surrounding

Examples:

ambidexterity -- the ability to use both the left and right hand equally well | related word: ambidextrous

ambiguous -- double meaning; uncertain | related words: ambiguity, ambiguously, uniguous

ambivalent -- showing both good and bad feelings | related words: ambivalence, ambivalently

ambience -- the atmosphere of a place | related word: ambient

******

AMBUL

Origin: Latin | Meaning: go/walk

Examples:

ambulance -- a vehicle for carrying patients

ambulant -- able to walk | related word: ambulatory

perambulate -- a slow walk for pleasure | related words: perambulator, peration

somnambulist -- sleepwalker | related word: somnambulism

******

AMI

Origin: Latin | Meaning: friend

Examples:

amiable -- friendly and sociable | related words: amiability, amiably

amicable -- polite and friendly | related word: amicably

amity -- friendship or peace

******

ANIM

Origin: Latin | Meaning: breath; life; soul

Examples:

animal -- a living creature

animate -- having life; to make something full of liveliness | related words: animated, animatedly, animation, animato, animator, inanimate

animateur -- a person who promotes social activities

animism -- the belief that natural objects have a living soul | related words: animist, animistic

animosity -- a strong feeling of opposition

equanimity -- calm state of mind

magnanimous -- kind, forgiving, generous | related words: magnanimity, magnously

pusillanimous -- lack of courage

unanimous -- agreeing with others | related word: unanimously

******

ANN

Origin: Latin | Meaning: yearly

Examples:

annual -- happening once a year | related words: annualized, annually

anniversary -- a particular day connected with a special occasion every year

annuity -- yearly allowance

******

APO

Origin: Greek | Meaning: away, from, off, separate

Examples:

apocalypse -- great destruction | related word: apocalyptic

apocope -- the dropping of the last sound(s) of a word

apocrypha -- well-known but probably untrue writings | related word: apocryphal

apogee -- the peak of success or greatness of somebody/something

apologist -- a person who makes efforts for defending religious or political ideas or system

apology --