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English Words

from Latin & Greek Roots

Why?Increase vocabulary, spelling, and reading comprehension

Learning Objective• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots

as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).

“I can use Greek and Latin word roots to *determine the meaning of words.”

*determine = figure out

What are we going to do today?

A root is a set of letters that have meaning. It is the most basic form of a word . Affixes are added to the root to create a new word.

• A root can be at the front, middle or end of a word.• Many words in the English language are based on Greek & Latin

word roots.

• What is a word root?

Con

cept

Example:The Latin root ject means “throw”So project can mean “to throw forward”

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· The average sixth grade student knows approximately 25,000 words.

· The average high school graduate knows approximately 50,000 words.

· This means that average students learn roughly 2,000-3,000 words a year (Graves, 2007).

· This translates to 8 words a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year - including weekends and summers.

Shrinking personal vocabularies

Importance

Knowing and using Greek and Latin word roots can help you figure out the meaning of words you don’t recognize.

This will make you a better reader and writer.

Why is it important to know how to use Greek and Latin word roots?

Can anyone share a different reason?

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Basic Termsroot form: a word with no prefix or suffix added; may also be referred to as a base word inspector, thermal

affix: meaningful part of a word attached before or after a root or base word to modify its meaning

prefix: an affix which is placed before the stem of a word re-, un-, dis-

suffix: an affix which is placed after the stem of a word -able, -ive, -ly

derivation-a word formed from an existing word, root, or affix: electric, electricity

Derivational Suffixes

Derivational suffixes change the part of speech

• words ending with –tion are often nouns• words ending with –ive are often adjectives• words ending with –ish are often adjectives• words ending with –ity are often nouns

What about -ment, -ous, -ness?

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Parts of WordsPrefixes: Suffixes:

Un – undo ful - joyful

Re – refill ness – kindness

Prefixes are at the Suffixes are at the

beginning of words. end of words.

Pre means before. Fix means attach or repair. Therefore, prefix means attached before.

Which word part is found at the end of words?

We know that words are broken into parts that help us figure out their meaning.

PrefixesPrefix Meaning Example

re- back, again

refill

tri- three triplet

un- not undo

SuffixesSuffix Meaning Example

-ful Having careful

-less Without, missing

joyless

-ly In the manner of

hopefully

AP

K

Tell your partner:

An example of a prefix is ______ which means ______. How do word parts like prefixes and suffixes help us? _______

Prefixes: Meaning and Connotation

Often Negative

dis-, de- non- sub-

in- un- mis-

mal- anti, contra a-

Somewhat Positive

pro- co- bene-

super- com- be-

en-, em- ad-

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English words can have all three parts:

prefix + root + suffixab + duct + ed

away from + to lead/pull + verb: past tenseabducted means ”pulled or lead away from”

The general was abducted by a masked stranger.

Concept

Roots can appear anywhere in the word.

Word Meaning

geology earth study / study of the earth

telegraph distance writing / writing that travels far

tricycle three wheels

asocial not being companionable / not wanting to join others

prefix + root + suffix

retrospectiveretro = backwards

spect = look-ive = having quality of

“quality of looking backward”

History is a retrospective way of looking at life.

carnivorecarni = meat

vor = eat-e = one who

What does carnivore mean?How did you know?

“one who eats meat”

prefix + root

empathyem = having

pathy = feeling

So it means:

“having feeling”

The soldier had empathy for the prisoner.

enamoren = having

amor = loveWhat does enamor

mean?

“having love”

Use the word enamor in a sentence.

root + root

pseudonympseudo = false

nym = name

“false name”

Samuel Clemens wrote under the pseudonym “Mark Twain.”

aqueductaque = water

duct = to lead/pullWhat is an aqueduct used for?

How do you know that?

root + suffix• I Do

astrologyastro = stars

-logy = study of

So it means:

"the study of stars”

• We Do

biologybio = life

-logy = study of

So it means:

“the study of life”

How did I determine the meaning of astrology?Frame: “We determined the meaning of astrology by ______________.”

How did we know biology meant ‘the study of life’?Frame: “We knew that biology meant ‘the study of life’because _______________________.”

A List of Greek and LatinWord Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes

Root Meaning Root Meaning Root Meaning Prefix/Suffix Meaning

duct to lead/pull micro small phobia fear of ab- away from

tele distance spect look, see auto self a-, un-,-less

not, without

graph write, draw aque, aqua water rupt break em-. en-, -y, -ful

having,marked by

bio life astr, aster stars scope see, watch retro- backwards

geo earth logy, ology study of pseudo false -ive, -ic having quality of

rium house cycle wheel dynam power -al result of

trans across nym, nom name ject throw -able, -ible ability

pathy feeling for amor love pro forward -oid resembling, like

cent, centi hundred derm, derma skin vor eat greedily -or, -er, -e one who

carn meat chron time soci joining in, being together

ex- out of

omni all, every meter measure ped, pod foot, footed bi- two

struc, struct build cent hundred con, com together, with tri- three

hydro water trans across -ly in the manner of

Skill Steps

1. Highlight the word root (or roots).• What does the word root mean?

2. Look at the remainder of the word:• What does the prefix mean?

• What does the suffix mean?

3. Use the word root table to determine the meaning.

Ski

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Look Inside—Look Outside pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

1. Look inside the word for known word parts: prefixes, roots or combining forms, suffixes.

2. Use the analogy strategy—“I don’t know this word, but I know pneumonia and I know volcano, so by analogy, this word might have something to do with lungs and heat.”

3. Look outside the word at context clues, visuals

The coal miners, coughing and wheezing, suffered from pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.

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Developing content-specific, academic vocabulary depends on a basic understanding of Greek and Latin root words.

Sixty percent of the words in English texts are of Latin and Greek origin Bear et al., 1996; Henry, 1997

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Content-Specific Greek Terms

Anatomy and Medical Termsesophagus, thyroid, diagnosis, psoriasis, dyslexia

Studies and Sciencesbiology, seismology, morphology, geochronometry

Animals and Plantsarachnid, amphibian, chlorophyll, dinosaur, nectar

Theatre and the Artscharisma, drama, chorus, muse, symphony, acoustics

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Counting in Greek and Latin

mono uni di

bi du, duo tri

tetra quadri penta

hexa sept oct

nove deca deci

cent milli poly

multi semi hemi

Learning Objective• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.4b Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots

as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).

“I can use Greek and Latin word roots to *determine the meaning of words.”

*determine = figure out

What are we going to do today?

Closure

• What do we call the most basic form of a word that has meaning?

• What does portable mean?

• Why do you think knowing and using Greek and Latin word roots is important?