Dictionary of Root Words: Greek and Latin Roots

by Manik Joshi

Overview

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 [Greek] -- tiny
accip [Latin] -- allow, snatch
accliv [Latin] -- steep; up-hill
accresc [Latin] -- increase
ace [Greek] -- heal
acer [Latin] -- sharp
acerv [Latin] -- pile
acest [Greek] -- healing; remedy

Product Details

BN ID:	2940046118858
Publisher:	Manik Joshi
Publication date:	08/20/2014
Series:	English Word Power , #17
Sold by:	Smashwords
Format:	eBook
Sales rank:	694,535
File size:	376 KB

About the Author

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.