| Using
Word Parts
Roots,
Prefixes & Suffixes
Roots
| Root |
Meaning |
Origin |
Usage |
| tekne |
Greek |
skill |
Computer
technology seems to improve yearly. |
| alere |
Latin |
to nourish |
After ingesting
food, it passes through the alimentary
canal. |
| putare |
Latin |
to think |
I need
to compute my tax deductions. |
| videre |
Latin |
to see |
The video
was fun to watch! |
| dominium |
Latin |
property |
Include
your domicile, or legal residence,
on that form. |
| bene |
Latin |
well |
The program
will benefit my favorite charity. |
| dicere |
Latin |
to say |
He likes
to dictate his work in the afternoon,
when the office is quieter. |
| facere |
Latin |
to do,
make |
The company
assembles the product at their newest factory. |
| volens |
Latin |
wishing |
Supposedly,
attending the meeting was voluntary. |
| unus |
Latin |
one, single |
I hope
the government parties can unite to
fight corruption together. |
| signum |
Latin |
sign |
The flashing
light we saw was a signal of the ship’s
arrival. |
| portare |
Latin |
to carry
|
I’m
taking the portable television set
on the with me on the trip. |
| manu |
Latin |
by hand |
On that
machine, manual mode means that the
operator must turn it on and off. |
| ferre |
Latin |
to carry |
Mildred
Jackson accepted the transfer to the
Chicago office. |
| ducere |
Latin |
to lead |
The exocrine
glands discharge their fluids through ducts. |
| scribere |
Latin |
to write
|
Because
we have a word processor now, you won’t have to interpret
what I scribble. |
| arch |
|
to rule |
monarch |
| belli |
|
war, warlike |
belligerent |
| bene |
|
good |
benevolent |
| chron |
|
time |
chronology |
| dic |
|
to say |
indicative |
| fac |
|
to make,
to do |
artifact |
| graph |
|
writing |
telegraph |
| mort |
|
to die |
mortal |
| port |
|
to carry |
deport |
| vid, vis |
|
to see |
invisible |
Prefixes
| Prefix |
Meaning |
Usage |
| pre- |
before
|
This manuscript
predates the bible. |
| in- |
not |
The work
is still incomplete. |
| im- |
not |
It will
be impossible to finish it on time. |
| dis- |
not |
Many people
dislike working overtime. |
| ex- |
out of |
Excommunication
is a severe penalty. |
| un- |
not |
Right now,
earning a Ph.D. is an unrealistic goal. |
| a-
|
not
|
January's
low productivity was atypical for our firm.
|
| auto-
|
self, same
|
Have you
read Margaret Mead's autobiography? |
| re-
|
again
|
Then new
tenant wants us to redesign the first floor.
|
| mal- |
bad |
One more
malfunction and I am getting rid of this computer!
|
| il-
|
not
|
A major
problem in our society is illiteracy.
|
| ir-
|
not
|
These blouses
are inexpensive because they are irregular.
|
| co-
|
with
|
Marisol
has requested our cooperation. |
| mis-
|
wrong
|
The child
was scolded for misbehavior. |
| de- |
away, from |
deter |
| inter- |
between |
interstate |
| ob- |
against |
objection |
| in- |
into |
instruct |
| mono- |
alone,
one |
monolith |
| epi- |
upon |
epilogue |
| mis- |
wrong |
mistake |
| sub- |
under |
submarine |
| trans- |
across,
beyond |
transcend |
| over- |
above |
overbearing |
| ad- |
to, toward |
advance |
| non- |
not |
nonentity |
| com- |
together,
with |
composite |
| re- |
back, again |
regress |
| ex- |
out of |
expel |
| in- |
not |
insufficient |
| pro- |
forward |
propel |
| anti- |
against |
antidote |
| omni- |
all, everwhere |
omniscient |
| equi- |
equal,
equally |
equivalent |
| homo- |
same, equal,
like |
homogenized |
| semi- |
half, partly |
semicircle |
| un- |
not |
unneeded |
| bi- |
two |
bicycle |
| poly- |
many |
polymorphous |
| retro- |
backward |
retrograde |
| mal- |
bad |
malfunction |
| hyper- |
over, too
much |
hyperactive |
| hypo- |
under,
too little |
hypodermic |
Suffixes
| Suffix |
Meaning |
Usage |
| -ness
|
state of |
Happiness |
| -ly |
every,
like |
hourly,
carefully |
| -ous |
full of,
having |
famous |
| -able,
-ible |
capable
of |
reasonable |
| -ive |
forms adjectives
or nouns from verbs |
creative |
| -er, -or |
one who
does |
competitor |
| -ism |
the practice
of |
rationalism |
| -ist |
one who
is occupied with |
feminist |
| -less |
without,
lacking |
meaningless |
| -ship |
the
art or skill of |
statesmanship |
| -fy |
to make
|
dignify |
| -ness |
the quality
of |
aggressiveness |
| -tude |
the state
of |
rectitude |
| -logue |
a particular
kind of speaking or writing |
prologue |
|
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2003 ESLisland.com |
