A Little Etymology - Greek and Latin Roots and a Little Etymology - Stems...

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Ancient / Classical History

A Little Etymology
Stems, Prefixes, and Affixes If you recognize the parts, you'll understand the whole: learn the Greek and Latin roots, the prefixes and affixes.

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"As someone trained in foreign languages and theoretical linguistics, I completely agree with the experts quoted in Why your kids should learn Latin. I would add that the study of Ancient Greek stems and affixes is equally valuable. As a follow-up to this article, I would suggest that you compile a short course on the meanings of Greek and Latin stems and affixes, focussing upon their value as reading aids in English and the Romance languages." - Anonymous, from Users Feedback This feature (from May 1998) is meant to be an introduction to Classical stems and affixes -- not an introduction to linguistics. Following the advice of William Harris, the major expert quoted in my feature named above, I found the small, but dense 1953 gem, Scientific Terminology, invaluable. In ordinary life, knowing Greek and Latin components of English enhances understanding and facilitates communication, but in the sciences, particularly in areas of medicine, it could be more serious. Hypothetically, Why You Need to Know Your Affixes You've all heard the story about the fellow who went in for a routine exam only to land on the operating table. This could conceivably happen to a patient seeking a routine colonoscopy. Way back, when I was TAing Medical Terms, there were many students who wouldn't have selected the right tools -- or even the right orifice for the colonoscopy. There are many who would have gone straight for a woman's reproductive organs, searching for growths to cut away, mistaking not only the colon for the vagina, but an examination for a cutting procedure. The confusion went the other way as well, with students mistaking a colposcopy (examination of the cervix and vagina) for a colectomy (the removal of the large bowel). -Why Study Terminology ([http://www.naturalhealthschool.com/medical-etymology.html#why] - Accessed October 28, 2010). How knowing the etymology of rhinoceros will help you understand your doctor's diagnoses: "Sometime during the 14th century someone decided to give this mammal its present day name. The characteristic of the animal that struck them the most was the large horn that grew from its nose. The Greek word for nose is rhis, and the combining form (the form that is used when it is combined with other word elements) is rhin-. The Greek word for horn is keras. So this animal was named a "nose-horn animal" or a 'rhinoceros.'" ... "You take a peek in your file and discover that ... [the doctor] wrote 'acute rhinitis' as your diagnosis. Now having taken this course, you know that 'acute' just means sudden onset ... and you know that "-itis" simply means an inflammation." Root + Suffix=Word The suffix on please is an e. Does that surprise you? It did me. But if you look at the word pleas-ure, it makes sense, since removing its suffix leaves the same root as in pleas-e. As John Hough, in Scientific Terminology, points out, roots rarely exist alone. They usually precede suffixes. The same is true of Greek and Latin, even if, when borrowing, we sometimes drop the suffix. Thus, the word cell in English is really the Latin cella, from which we've dropped the a suffix. Not only do almost all English words contain roots plus suffixes, but, according to Hough, suffixes can't stand alone. A suffix does not have meaning on its own, but needs to be connected to the root. Suffix - Definition: A suffix is an inseparable form that cannot be used alone but that carries an indication of quality, action, or relation. When added to a combining form, it makes a complete word and will determine whether the word is a noun, adjective, verb, or adverb.... Compound Words A suffix combined with a root is different from a compound word which, in loose English usage, is usually thought of as just another case of root + suffix. Sometimes two Greek or Latin words are put together to form a compound word. Often we think of these words as suffixes when they aren't, technically, although they may be thought of as end forms. End Forms

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A Little Etymology - Greek and Latin Roots and a Little Etymology - Stems...

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The following is a chart of some common Greek "end forms." An example is the word neurology (study of the nervous system) which comes from the Greek neuro- the combining form of the noun neuron (nerve) plus -logy, listed below. We think of these end forms as merely suffixes, but they are fully productive words.

Greek Word Ending Meaning -algia -be -cele -pain life tumor

-ectomy cut -(a)emia blood -logy -oid -poesis -scope -stomy study form make see into mouth

(Note: breathing marks are missing. These forms and the other tables are excerpted from Hough's book but have been modified based on corrections submitted by readers.)

And from the Latin, we have:

Latin Word Ending Meaning fugere -fuge flee

Root + Suffix/Prefix=Word Prefixes are usually adverbs or prepositions derived from Greek or Latin that can't be used alone in English and appear at the beginnings of words. Suffixes, which appear at the ends of words, aren't usually adverbs or prepositions, but they can't be used alone in English, either. While suffixes are often joined to the the end of roots by separate connecting vowels, the transformation of these prepositional and adverbial prefixes is more direct, even though the final letter of the prefix may be changed or eliminated. In 2-letter prefixes, this can be confusing. Among other changes, n can become m or s and a final b or d may be changed to match the first letter of the root. Think of this confusion as designed to ease pronunciation. This list won't help you figure out antipasto, but it will prevent you from describing the antonym of precedent as antident or polydent. Note: Greek forms are capitalized, Latin in normal case.

Latin Prefix/ GREEK PREFIX Meaning A-, ANabadambiANAanteANTIAPObi-/bisCATAcircumconcontradeDIDIAdisDYSe-, ex- (Lat.) EC- EX- (GK.) "alpha privative", a negative away from to, towards, near both up, back again, throughout, against before, in front of against away from twice, double down, across, under around with against down, from, away from two, twice, double through apart, removed hard, difficult, bad out of

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ECTOEXOENendoepiextraEUHEMIHYPERHYPOin-

outside outside, outward in within on, upon outside, beyond, in addition to well, good, easy half over, above, below, under in, into, on You often see this prefix as im. Used with verbal roots. not; occasionally, beyond belief below between within within with, after, beyond not behind again along side of, beside through, thorough, complete around, near after, behind in front of, before before, in front of onwards, in front back, again backward half under, below above, upper with across beyond

ininfrainterintrointusMETAnonOPISTHOPALINPARAperPERIpostprePROPROSOreretrosemisubsuper-, supraSYNtransultra-

Adjective + Root + Suffix=Word The following tables contain Greek and Latin adjectives in the form used to combine with English words or with other Latin or Greek parts to make English words -- like megalomaniac or macroeconomics, to take examples from the top of the table. Meaning in English GREEK & Latin MEGA-, MEGALO-, MAKRO-; magni-, grandi- big MICRO-; parviMACRO-, DOLICHO; longiBRACHY-; breviEURY, PLATY-; latiSTENO-; angustiCYCLO-, GYRO; circuliquadrati- rectanguliPACHY-, PYCNO-, STEATO-; crassiLEPTO-; tenuiBARY-; graviSCLERO-, SCIRRHO-; duriMALACO-; mollilittle long short wide narrow round square thick thin heavy hard soft

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A Little Etymology - Greek and Latin Roots and a Little Etymology - Stems...

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HYGRO-, HYDRO-; humidiXERO-; sicciOXY-; acriCRYO- PSYCHRO-; frigidiTHERMO-; calidiDEXIO-; dextriSCAIO-; scaevo- levi, sinistriPROSO-, PROTO-; frontaliMESO-; medioPOLY-; MULTIOLIGO-; pauciSTHENO-; validi-, potentiHYPO-; imi-, intimiPALEO-, ARCHEO-; veteri-, seniNEO-, CENO-; novi CRYPTO-, CALYPTO-; opertiTAUTO-; identiHOMO-, HOMEO-; similiEU-, KALO-, KALLO-; boniDYS-, CACO-; maliCENO-, COELO-; vacuoHOLO-; totiIDIO-; proprio-, suiALLO-; alieniGLYCO-; dulciPICRO-; amariISO-; equiHETERO-, ALLO-; varioColors

wet dry (Xerox) sharp cold hot right left front middle many few strong bottom old new hidden same alike good bad empty entirely one's own another's sweet bitter equal different

A medical example of a Greek-based color word is erythrokinetics (erythrokinetics), which Your Dictionary Medical Definitions defines as "A study of the kinetics of red blood cells from their generation to destruction." Meaning in English GREEK & Latin COCCINO-, ERYTHTO-, RHODO-, EO-; purpureo-, rubri-, rufi-, rutuli-, rossi-, roseo-, flammeo- Reds of various shades CHRYSO-, CIRRHO-; aureo-, flavo-, fulviXANTHO-, OCHREO-; fusci-, luteoCHLORO-; prasini-, viridiCYANO-, IODO-; ceruleo-, violaceoPORPHYRO-; puniceo-, purpureoLEUKO-; albo-, argentiPOLIO-, GLAUCO-, AMAURO-; cani-, cinereo-, atriMELANO-; nigriNumerals Here are more combining forms that are important to know since they are numbers. If you've ever had trouble remembering whether millimeter or kilometer was closer to an inch, pay attention here. Note that the milli- is Latin and the kilo- is Greek; the Latin is the smaller unit, and the Greek the larger, so millimeter is a 1000th part of a meter (.0363 of an inch) and the kilometer is 1000 meters (39370 inches). Some of these numerals are derived from adverbs, most from adjectives. Meaning in English GREEK & Latin SEMI-; hemiHEN- ; unisesqui1/2 1 1-1/2 orange yellow green blue violet white gray black

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A Little Etymology - Greek and Latin Roots and a Little Etymology - Stems...

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DYO (DI-, DIS-) ; duo- (bi-, bis-) 2 TRI-; triTETRA-, TESSARO- ;quadriPENTA-;quinque HEX, HEXA-;sexHEPTA-;septemOCTO-;octoENNEA-;novemDECA-;decemDODECA-; duodecim HECATONTA-;centiCHILIO-;milliMYRI-, MYRIAD-; 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12 100 1000 any large or countless number

Source: John Hough, Scientific Terminology; New York: Rhinehart & Company, Inc. 1953. Terms Related to Stems, Prefixes, and Affixes Q. General Writing and Grammar Help: How Do You recognize the Root? Etymology - English Words with Latin Prefixes Greek Letters in HTML Terms Related to Stems, Prefixes, and Affixes "Words and Ideas", by William J. Domink - Review Etymology - English Words with Latin Prefixes Why your kids should learn Latin Elsewhere on the Web Roots vs Affixes Minimal Greek Elements Minimal Latin Elements

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