1、Double Your Vocabulary in a MonthThe 100 most common Latin and Greek roots figure in more than 5,000 English derivatives just beyond the average persons vocabulary of 10,000 words. They are the ones in all CAPITAL letters. By memorizing these 100 CAPITALIZED Latin and Greek prefixes, suffixes and ro
2、ots, you will have a short cut to sight read an additional 5,000 words. If you learn all of them (both the caps and non-caps roots), you can double this to 10,000 additional words. Most of these words are used in medicine, law, business, science and technology. These are all words you must know in o
3、rder to excel on the PSAT, SAT I and GRE, to do well in college and to have a successful career. The most important of these derived words are in CAPITALIZED BOLD print. You must know their meanings. Look these words up in your dictionary to get all the definitions. Put them on your index cards; the
4、 word on the front and definitions on the back. Many will not have the same exact meaning as the original Latin or Greek words but they will be close. When you use your dictionary, pay close attention to the Latin or Greek words from which they are derived. The Romans also combined prefixes and root
5、s to derive new words. Many were borrowed straight from the Greek language, but most were combined with Latin to make additional words with similar but distinctive meanings. Try to get a feel for the ETYMOLOGY of these words.By breaking a word apart into root, prefix and suffix, you will be able to
6、determine its literal meaning. Since you have encountered the word in context, you can then guess at its present meaning. For example, take the word “interposition.“ The prefix is INTER-, the suffix is ION and the root word is POSIT. Inter- means between, -ion is the act of and POSIT is from Latin m
7、eaningto place. Therefore, interposition literally means the act of placing between. Another example is the word “antipathy.“ The prefix is ANTI-, the Greek root word is PATH and the suffix is -Y. Anti- means against, the suffix,-y, is the state of and PATH means to feel. Antipathy therefore means t
8、he state of feeling against. Not all derived words have both a prefix and a suffix, many will have one or the other, some will use just the root word and others will combine two root words, as in manuscript and astronaut. Man- is the Latin root for hand and script is the Latin root to write. Astro i
9、s the Greek word for star and naut means sailor.The secret to increasing your vocabulary is not by memorizing a lot of words. The secret is in knowing how combining different prefixes and suffixes with a root word makes new words. For example, lets take the Latin word gressum which means to walk, to
10、 step or move forward and by combining the prefixes, A(D)-, CON-, DI-, E-, PRO-, RE-, RETRO- and TRANS- with the combining word “-GRESS-“, we get 8 more words. If we add the suffixes ION, -IVE, and OR in turn to each of these words we derive 24 additional words for a total of 32 words. By knowing th
11、e meaning of the root word, and the 8 prefixes and 3 suffixes you also know the meaning of the 32 derived words. I use this example of making words to show you how easy it is to take words apart and thereby learn their meaning. As an exercise, combine these prefixes and suffixes with the root word t
12、o form the 32 words, write them down and look up their meanings.Since many Greek words were assimilated by the Romans and Latin words also come down to us through French, Italian and Spanish, the modern spelling of some of these words can be quite different from the original Latin or Greek.The Latin
13、 and Greek prefixes, suffixes and root words are listed alphabetically.1. Latin PrefixesThe prefixes listed below are from Latin prepositions. They are attached to nouns, adjectives and especially to verbs. When taking apart compound verbs and defining them, it is best to translate the prefix as adv
14、erbial rather than prepositional. For example, abduct divides into ab (away) and duct (lead) and so means lead away and not away from leading. Some of these prefixes have different forms depending on the initial letter of the root word. This makes the derived word more pronounceable and is known as
15、assimilation. A prime example is the prefix SUB- which also has SUC-,SUF-,SUG-,SUM-, SUP-, SUR-, and SUS- as different forms.Prefix Meaning ExamplesA- not, without amoral, APATHY, ANOMALYAB-, ABS- away from, off, apart abrupt, ABSCOND, ABSTRACTAD-, AC-, AN-, AS-toward, against advent, accurate, ANNO
16、TATE, assentAMBI-, AMB- around, about, on both sidesAMBIGUOUS, AMBIVALENTANTE- before, in front of, early antecede, antedate, antebellumARCH main, chief archangel, archbishop, archenemyBI- two bifurcate, biannuallyBENE- well BENEFACTOR, benefit, beneficialCIRCUM-, CIRA- around, about circumflex, cir
17、cumference, circaCIS- on this side of cislunar, cisalpineCON- with, together concur, concede, CONSCRIPTCOM-, COR-, COL- together, with, very COMPRISE, corrode, colleteralCONTRA- against contradict, controversy, contraveneCOUNTER- against counterfeit, counterclockwiseDE- down, down from, off, deforme
18、d, defoliate, descend, utterly depressDEMI- half, partly belongs to demisemiquaver, demigodDIS-, DI-, DIF- apart, in different directionsDIGRESS, divorce, dispute, DISCERNDU-, DUO- two duet, duplicateEM- EN- in, into embrace, encloseEX-, E-, EF-, EC- out, out of, from, away EXTOL, event, expel, evad
19、e, ELUCIDATEEXTRA-,EXTRO- outside of, beyond extraordinary, extrovert, EXTRAPOLATEFORE before forestall, forgo, forebearIN-, I-, IL-, IM-, IR-in, into, on, toward, put into,incision, impel, impulse, irrigate,not, lacking, without illegal, ignominious, impure, immoral,(same as above) immodest, indece
20、nt, INCOHERENTINDU-, INDI- a strengthened form of IN-indigentINFRA- below, beneath, inferior to, afterinfrared, infrasonicINTER-, INTEL- among, between, at intervalsintercede, intercept, intellectINTRA- in, within, inside of intramural, intravenousINTRO- in, into, within introduce, introspectiveJUXT
21、A near, beside juxtapose, juxtapositionMAL-, MALE- evil, badly malformed, malicious, malaise, maladroitMEDI-, MEDIO- middle median, mediocreMILLI-, MILLE- thousand millennium, millimeterMONO- one MONARCH, MONOTONEMULTI-, MULTUS- much, many multifaceted, multiply, multilevelNE- not neuter, NEUTRALNON
22、- not (less emphatic than IN or UN)nonresident, nonconformityNUL-, NULL- none, not any nullify, nullificationOB-, OF-, OC-, toward, against, across, down, foroblong, OBDURATE, offer, occasion, occurOP-, O- toward, against, across, down, foroppose, opposite, omit, offerOMNI- all, everywhere omniscien
23、t, omnivorousPED-, PEDI- foot pedestrian, pedicurePER-, PEL- through, by, thoroughly, awayPERMEATE, perfidy, pellucidPOST- behind, after (in time or place)postpone, postnatal, postorbitalPRE- before, early, toward precedent, precept, prepositionPRO-, PUR- before, for, forth proceed, purport, pursue,
24、 PROLONGQUADRI-, QUADR-four times, four fold quadriceps, quadrisect, quadrangleRE-, RED- back, again, against, behindrepel, RELEGATE, redeem, redemptionRETRO- backwards, behind retrogressive, retrofit, retrogradeSE-, SED- aside, apart, away from secure, seduce, seclude, sedition, selectSEMI- half se
25、micircle, semiprivateSINE without sinecureSUB-, SUC-, SUF- under, beneath, inferior,suffer, SUBMISSIVE, succumb,SUG-, SUM-, SUP- less than, in place of, secretlysuggest, subtract, suffuse, supportSUR-, SUS- (same as above meanings)suspend, surplusSUBTER- beneath, secretly subterfugeSUPER-, SUPRA- ov
26、er, above, excessivelySUPERFICIAL, SUPERCILIOUSSUR- over, above, excessivelysurcharge, surtax, surplus, surrealismTRANS-, TRA- across, over, beyond, throughtransoceanic, transgression, transit, transitionTRI- three triangle, tricepsULTRA- beyond, on other side ultrasound, ultraconservativeUN- (Old E
27、nglish) no, not, without unabashed, unashamed2. Latin SuffixesYou will also find a few Old English suffixes here since they are used quite freely with Latin and Greek root words.Suffix Meaning Examples-ABLE, -ABLY able to, capable of being.unalienable, insuperable-ACY state or quality of beingintric
28、acy, democracy-AGE belonging to, related to marriage, acreage, postage-AL pertaining to, act of infinitesimal, EPHEMERAL-ANA sayings, writtings, facts ofAmericana-AN, -ANT, -ENT one who is charlatan, blatant, strident-ANCE act of, state of being, thing thatABEYANCE-ARY belonging to, a relation to.he
29、reditary, subsidiary-ATE having alienate, incarnate, insensate-ATION, -ITION the act of, result of alteration, compilation, nutrition-AR relating to, like; the nature ofsingular, polar, vicar, scholar-BULUM, -BLE means, instrument, placefable, stable-CIDE, -CIDAL killer; having power to killinsectic
30、ide, suicidal-CRAT, -CRACY to govern bureaucracy, plutocracy-CULUM, -CLE means, instrument, placecurriculum, fulcrum-EN to become, or cause to bedarken, weaken-ENCE act, fact, quality, state conference, excellence, despondence-ENCY state of being clemency, dependency-ER, -OR one who interlocutor, vo
31、lunteer-ENT has, shows, or does circumvent, INADVERTENT-ERY, -RY a place to/for; occupation oftannery, vinery, dentistry, jewelry-ESCE becoming obsolescent, COALESCE-FY to make, cause to be, or becomeCLARIFY, horrify-HOOD state, quality; group of childhood, priesthood-IAN belonging to, a relation to
32、vulgarian, plebian-IER a person concerned withsoldier-IBLE able to be. susceptible, flexible-IC pertaining to ASCETIC, PROSAIC, ENDEMIC-ICE state or quality of beingavarice-IL, -ILE having to do with docil, missile, civil, fossil-ION the act or result of, legion, opinionone who-IUM, -Y, -CE, -GE the
33、 act of colloquium, colloquy, refuge-CIUM, -TIUM, -GIUMsomething connected with the actconsortium, compendium-ISH of, or belonging to; like devilish, boyish, foolish, bookish-IST a person who does, makes, practicesALTRUIST, artist-ITIOUS having the nature of. nutritious, seditious-ITUDE, (-TUDE) sta
34、te of being. verisimilitude, aptitude-ITY state, character, conditionANIMOSITY, stability-IVE one who, that which is pensive, ELUSIVE, deductive-LESS (OE) without, lacking. relentless, tireless-LIKE characteristic of; suitable formanlike, childlike, godlike-LY specified manner, extent, directionhars
35、hly, hourly-MEN result, or means acumen, specimen-MENTUM, -MENT result, or means of an actarmament, impediment, moment-NESS state, quality of being greatness. sadness-OON one who buffoon-OR act, or condition of error, terror, PRECURSOR-ORY relating to, thing which, place whereAMBULATORY, laboratory-
36、OSE, -OUS having, full of, characterized byIMPERVIOUS, unctuous, perilous-SHIP quality, condition, state offellowship, friendship-SOME like, tending to be tiresome, lonesome-TION state of that which convocation, commotion-TUDE state of being verisimilitude, aptitude-ULUS, -ULOUS tending to CREDULOUS
37、, pendulous-URE state or act of CENSURE, tenure-UUS, -UOUS tending to INNOCUOUS-VOROUS, -VORE eating, feeding on omnivorous, herbivore-WISE direction, manner, in regard toclockwise-Y state of being. nullity, APATHY3. Latin number formsSuffix Meaning ExamplesUNI- one UNIFORM, unicorn, unilateralPRIM-
38、, PRIMO- first primary, primitive, primogenitorDU- two duet, dualBI-, BIN- two, twice bicycle, binocularsSECOND- second secondaryTRI- three triangle, tricycle, trinityTERTI- third tertiaryQUADR(U)- four quadrangle, quadrupleQUART- fourth quarterQUINQUE-, QUINT-five, fifth quintet, quintessenceSEX-,
39、SEXT- six, sixth sextet, sextantSEPT(EM)- seven septet, SeptemberOCT- eight octet, OctoberOCTAV- eighth octave, octagonNOVEM- nine NovemberNON- ninth nonagonDECEM- ten DecemberDECIM- tenth decimal, DECIMATECENT- hundre century, centennialMILL- thousand millimeter, millenniumSESQUI- one and a half ti
40、mes sesquicentennialSEMI- half, partly semiannual4. Latin Base WordsLatin word Meaning Examplesabstinere to hold back abstain, ABSTINENCEaccollare to embrace ACCOLADEacerbus, AC, ACR sharp, bitter, sour acerbic, acrid, acumen, acrimonyactuare to do, to move ACTUATEactus, ACT drive, lead, to do, to a
41、ctactive, activate, activism, reactacurer to sharpen ACUTE, acumen, acuityadbaetere witness, judge ARBITERadjacere to lie near adjacentaemulus trying to equal, excel EMULATEaequus equal EQUIVALENTaffecere, AFFE a state of feeling, to feignAFFECTATION, AFFECTEDager, agri, agro, AGR field agronomyager
42、e, AG drive, lead, to do, to actagility, agitate, AGENDAalacer eager, quick, brisk ALACRITYalbus white albino, albedo, albescentalere, altum,AL, ALT grow, nourish altricalalius other, else alias, ALIENATEalienus, ALIEN of another, other alien, alienation, unalienablealludere to joke, jest allude, AL
43、LUSIONalter, ALTER other, another alternative, altercation, ADULTERATEalter other of two ALTERNATIVEaltus high, deep alto, altimeter, exaltationamare, AM, AMAT to love, friend AMIABLE, enamored, amorousambulare, AMB to walk, to go amble, preamble, AMBULATORYamicus friend AMITYamplus large, spacious
44、ampleanecdota unpublished ANCEDOTEangere, anxius to give pain ANXIOUS, ANXIETYangulus a corner angle, ANGULARanima breath, spirit, soul ANIMOSITY, inanimate, unanimousanimus, ANIM reason, mind, soul, life ANIMATE, magnanimousannus, ANNU, ENNI year annual, biennial, centennial, PERENNIALanomalia inequality ANOMALYantiquus old, ancient antiquity, antique, ANTIQUATEDapertum, APERT open, uncovered apertureapparere to come forth apparent, appearance, APPARITIONappellare, APPELL address, entreat, call appellationapprehendere to take hold of apprehend, APPREHENSIVEapprenare to teach APPRISE
