Greek RootsSophomore English 2013-

2014

What is a root word?

A "root word" is the basic linguistic unit of a word, the form of a word after all affixes are removed. Also known as

the "stem word.”

Ex/ "export" has a root word "port"

Why do I need to learn root words from Greece???

Even if English is your native language, you'll find that learning Greek root words will increase your vocabulary. If you recognize the Greek root words and know what they mean, you'll be able to figure out the definitions of new words, even if you've never seen them before or see them out of context. English is based off Latin and Greek, so these root words are the building blocks of our language.

Greek root words make up much of our medical and scientific language, so you'll find these root words particularly helpful if you're going into one of those two fields.

Macro-, Macr

Large, greatLong (in extent or duration)

Enlarged or elongated

-mania, -maniac, -maniacal, -manic, -manically, -maniacally

Mental disorder

Mega-, Meg-

Large, big, great, powerfulA decimal prefix used in the

international metric system for measurement.

Meter-, Metro-, metr-, metrical-, metron-, metric-, metrist-, meters-, metry-, metre-

Measure

Micro-, micr-

Small, tinyA decimal prefix used in the

international metric system for measurement

Miso-, Mis-

Hater, hater, hatredUsed as a prefix

Mne-, Mne-, mnemon-, mnes-, -mnesia, -mnesiac, -mnesic, -

mnestic

MemoryTo remember

Mono-, mon-

One, alone, singleA number used as a prefix

Morph-

Shape, form, figure, appearance

Nau-

Ship, sailor

Neo-/Ne-

Recent, current, young

Odon/Odont

Tooth, Teeth

-Oid/-Ode

like, resembling, similar to, form

Olig-

few, small, abnormally few or small

Onomato-,onoma-, onomo-, ono-

name, word

Ortho-/Orth-

right, straight, correct, true; designed to correct

pachy-, pacho-, pach-

thick, dense; large, massive

pedo-, paedo-, ped-, paed-, paido-, paid-

Child

Note: The British tend to use “paed-” while those in the United States tend to use “ped-.” Remember that the Greek ped- means “child” while the Latin ped- means “foot.” Don't confuse this Greek element with another Greek pedo- that means “ground, soil, earth.”

pan-, panto-, pant-

all, every

patho-, -path-, -pathia, -pathic, -pathology, -pathetic, -pathize, -pathy

feeling, sensation, perception, suffering, [in medicine, it usually means “one who suffers from a disease of, or one who treats a disease”

peri-

around, about, near, enclosing; used as a prefix

petro-, petr-, peter-

stone, rock

phago-, phag-, -phag, -phage, -phagic, -phagia, -phagism, -phagist, -phagous

eat, consume

philo-, phil-, -phile, -philia, -philic, -philous, -phily, -philiac, -philist, -philism

love, loving, friendly to, fondness for, attraction to, strong tendency toward, affinity for

Note: under some circumstances, -philia means “unwholesome-sexual attraction” to something or someone, as in pedophilia (paedophilia).

-phobia, -phobe, -phobic

Extreme fear, irrational fear or terror

-phon, -phony, -phonic

Sound; voice

-photo, phot-, -photic, -phote

Light

Podo-, pod-, -poda, -pod, -pody, -podous

Foot or feet

Polis-, polit-, poli-

City, method of government

Poly-

Many, much; too many, too much, excessive

Often used as a prefix

-poly, -pole, -polism, -polist, -polistic, -polistically

Sale, selling; one who sells; pertaining to selling

Used as a suffix

seismo-, seism-, -seism, -seisms, -seisma, -seismically, -seismical, -seismal, -seismic

Greek: shake, earthquake [move to and fro’; to shake, move violently

soma-, som-, somat-, somato-, -soma, -some, -somus, -somia, -

somic, -somal, -somite, -somatous, -somatia, -somatic

Greek: body; mass

sopho-, soph-, sophic, -soph, -sopher, -sophy, -sophical, -sophically, -sophist

Greek: wise, wisdom; knowledge

stereo-, stere-

Greek: solid, firm, hard; three-dimensional

syn-(sy-, sym-, syl-, sys-)

Greek: together, with, along with

By extension, syn- may also mean: together, with; united; same, similar; at the same time.

tacho-, tach-, tachy-

Greek: fast, speed, swift, rapid

techno-, techn-, tect-, -technic[s], -technique, -technology, -technical, -

technically

Greek: art, skill, craft; techne, art, skill, craft; tekton, “builder”

Tele-, tel, telo-, -tect, -telical

• Greek: far away, far off, distance

Thanato-, thanat-, thanas-, -thanasisa, -thanasic

• Greek: death, dead

Theo-, the-, -theism, -theist, theistic-

• Greek: God, god, deity, divine

Therap-, -therapeutics, -therapeutically, therapy, -therapies, -therapist

• Greek: far away, far off, distance

Thermo-, therm-, thermi-, -thermia, -therm, -thermal, -thermic, -thermous, -thermy

• Greek: heat

Toxico-, toxic-, toxi-,tox, toxin-, -toxically, -toxaemia, -otxemia, -toxaemic, -toxemic, -toxical, -toxy, -toxis, -toxicosis, -toxism, -

toxia, -toxin, -toxicity

• Greek: poison

Xeno-, xen

• Greek: foreign, foreigner, stranger, stranger, and by extension– guest.

Xero- xer-, xir-

• Greek: dry

Zoo-, zo-, -zoic, -zoite, -zoal, zooid, -zoon, -zoa, -zoan

• Greek: animal; living being; life

Pro-, por-

• Greek: before, forward, for, infavor of, in front of, in place of

Pseudo-, pseud-

• Greek: false, deception, lying, untrue, counterfeit; used as prefix

Pyscho- psych-, -psyche, -psychic, -psychically

• Greek: mind or the metal process