Greek and Latin Roots of English

Expanding the vocabulary in a non-English speaking environment is one of the challenges that haunts English as a foreign language learner.

During my search for effective ways to learn English as a second language, I stumbled upon a valuable discovery — a quick and easy method for acquiring thousands of advanced English words. This secret weapon involves using Greek and Latin roots, which can greatly aid students in their language studies.

Let me tell you how

The word “magnanimous” comes from two Latin roots: magn, which means large or great, and anim, which means spirit or soul. The roots and the adjective-forming suffix -ous, which means “full of,” gives the word its meaning of a big-hearted, generous person.

Demagogue is a word derived from the Greek roots “dem” meaning “people” and “agogue” meaning “lead to something.” It refers to a popular leader who appeals to emotions and prejudices.

The 60 percent of English words contains Latin and Greek roots. In the science and technology vocabulary, the percentage rises to 90%.

To comprehend the meanings of certain words, it can be helpful to examine their origins. Take, for instance, “necropolis”, which comes from the Greek roots “necro” (referring to “dead”) and “polis” (meaning “city”). Another example is “ecology”, which combines “eco” (meaning “house”) and “logos” (meaning “study”). Meanwhile, in “economics”, “eco” signifies “house” and “nomy” refers to law or principle.

Below are some examples of English words that have been formed from specific roots:

- Automobile: This word comes from the Greek word “auto” and the Latin word “mobilis,” which mean “self-moving.” An automobile is a vehicle that moves using its own power.
- Philosophy: The word “philosophy” comes from the Greek roots “phil,” which means “love,” and “sophia,” which means “wisdom.”
- Chronic: This word comes from the Greek root “chronos,” which means “time.” Something that is chronic lasts for a long time or happens repeatedly.
- Geology: The word “geology” comes from the Greek words “geo” and “logos,” which mean “study of the earth.” Geology involves studying the Earth’s physical makeup, composition, and history.
- Hydrology: The word “hydrology” comes from the Greek words “hydro” and “logos,” which mean “study of water.” Hydrology involves studying water and its properties.
- Logarithm: This word comes from the Greek words “logos,” meaning “ratio,” and “arithmos,” meaning “number.” A logarithm is a mathematical function that helps express the relationship between two quantities.
- Macroeconomics: This word comes from the Greek word “makros,” meaning “large,” and the word “economics,” which refers to the management of a household. Macroeconomics is the study of the economy as a whole, rather than just individual businesses or households.
- Microbiology: This word comes from the Greek word “mikros,” meaning “small,” and the word “biology,” which refers to the study of life. Microbiology is the study of microscopic organisms.
- Monochrome: The word “monochrome” comes from the Greek words “mono,” meaning “one,” and “chroma,” meaning “color.” A monochrome painting or photograph is one that uses only one color.
- Photograph: The word “photograph” comes from the Greek words “photos,” meaning “light,” and “graphein,” meaning “to write.” A photograph is an image that is created by exposing a light-sensitive film or plate to light.
- Telephone: The word “telephone” comes from the Greek words “tele,” meaning “far,” and “phone,” meaning “sound.” A telephone is a device that enables people to communicate over a distance by transmitting sound waves.
- Zoogeography: This word comes from the Greek words “zoo,” meaning “animal,” and “geography,” which refers to the study of the Earth. Zoogeography is the study of the distribution of animals on Earth.

You can consult The Greek & Latin Roots of English Sixth Edition by Tamara M. Green, available on Amazon.

Salient features of the book I recommended:

• After providing a brief overview of world languages and the history of Greek, Latin, and English, it linked above groups vocabulary into different subject areas, such as politics, government, psychology, medicine, biology, ancient culture, religion, and philosophy.

For teachers, I would suggest Building Vocabulary with Greek and Latin Roots: A Professional Guide to Word Knowledge and Vocabulary Development (Professional Resources) 2nd Edition

By adopting the strategies in this book, teachers will help students read more effectively, setting a foundation for lifelong learning and reading success.

Here are some of the linguistics benefits of learning Latin and Greek roots:

• Improved vocabulary: Many English words are derived from Latin and Greek roots. By learning these roots, you can better understand the meanings of these words.
• Improved spelling: Many English words have regular spelling patterns that are derived from their Latin and Greek roots.
• Improved verbal reasoning and comprehension: Learning Latin and Greek roots can help you to better understand the relationships between words.
• Improved critical thinking skills: Learning Latin and Greek roots can help you to better understand the structure of language. This can help you to think more critically about language and to better understand the arguments that are made in writing and speech.
• Improved memory: Learning Latin and Greek roots can help you to improve your memory. This is because roots are often used in multiple words. For example, the root “auto” (meaning “self”) is used in the words “automobile”, “autobiography”, and “autonomy”. By learning this root, you will be able to remember these words more easily.
• Increased interest in language: Learning Latin and Greek roots can increase your interest in language. This is because it can help you to see the beauty and complexity of language. It can also help you to appreciate the history of language and the way that it has evolved over time.

The relationship between English words families and Greek and Latin root words:

English word families are groups of words that are related to each other in some way, such as through their meaning, etymology, or form. Latin and Greek roots are the basic units of meaning from which many English words are derived.

By understanding the relationship between English word families and Latin and Greek roots, you can learn numerous new words with relatively little effort. For example, if you know that the Latin root word for “bookaholic” is “aholic” you can easily learn the definitions of the following words:

• Shopaholic.
• foodaholic.
• sexaholic.
• chocaholic.
• refreshaholic.
• spendaholic.
• Workaholic

Here are some other examples of English word families that are based on Latin and Greek roots:

• Latin root word “audio”: audio, audible, auditorium, audience
• Latin root word “aqua”: aquatic, aquarium, aqueduct
• Greek root word “chron”: chronological, chronic, anachronism
• Greek root word “geo”: geography, geology, geocentric
• Greek root word “logos”: logic, dialogue, monologue

By following these tips, you can use your knowledge of Latin and Greek roots to build your English vocabulary and become a more articulate and sophisticated communicator.

Disclaimer:

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.