What are "Root Words"? -- A root, or root word is a word which 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). 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; 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 **acid [Latin] -- sour | acidic, acidify, acidosis, acidulate (acidulation, acidulous) **acm [Greek] -- summit | acme **aco [Greek] -- relief | acoustic (acoustical, acoustically, acoustician, acoustics) **adama [Greek] -- invincible | adamant (adamantly) **ade [Greek] -- enough | adequate (adequacy, adequately) **adip [Latin] -- fat | adipose **adolesc [Latin] -- growing up | Other Root Words - A -- Root Word [Origin] - Meaning -- aapt [Greek] -- indomitable, unfriendly **abact [Latin] -- driven away **abdit [Latin] -- secret/hidden **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
