Dictionary of Root Words: Greek and Latin Roots

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

Manik Joshi was born on Jan 26, 1979 at Ranikhet and is permanent resident of Haldwani, Kumaon zone of India. He is an Internet Marketer by profession. He is interested in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web designing (creating websites), and various online jobs (including ’self book publishing’). He is science graduate with ZBC (zoology, botany, and chemistry) subjects. He is also an MBA (with specialization in marketing). He has done three diploma courses in computer too. ManikJoshi.com is the personal website of the author.