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 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 ****** 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, magnanimously pusillanimous -- lack of courage unanimous -- agreeing with others | related word: unanimously ****** 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 acet [Latin] -- vinegar | acetate, acetic, acetone achr [Greek] -- colorless | achromic acid [Latin] -- sour | acidic, acidify, acidosis, acidulate (acidulation, acidulous) acm [Greek] -- summit | acme aco [Greek] -- relief | aconite acous [Greek] -- hear | acoustic (acoustical, acoustically, acoustician, acoustics) adama [Greek] -- invincible | adamant (adamantly) ade [Greek] -- enough | adequate (adequacy, adequately) adip [Latin] -- fat | adipose adolesc [Latin] -- growing up | adolescent (adolescence) aer [Greek] -- air or atmosphere | aerate (aeration), aerial, aerialist, aerobic (aerobics, anaerobic) agr [Latin] -- field | agrarian, agriculture (agriculturist, agricultural) ****** 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
