Etymology: Common Prefixes, Roots, and Suffixes

WORD CONSTRUCTION STRATEGIES

Much of our vocabulary originated from ancient Latin and Greek. Many English words were created by combining prefixes, roots, and suffixes drawn from two or more of these languages. Your ability to recognize and define some of these common derivatives will help you to unlock the meanings of many words.

I. PREFIXES

A prefix is one or more letters (of Latin, Greek, or English origin) that can be attached to the beginning of a word to give it meaning; for example: unicycle bicycle tricycle

Review the following lists of common prefixes, their meanings, and example words; then complete each exercise that follows.

COMMON PREFIXES DEALING WITH NUMBERS
Prefix	Meaning	Origin	Example
uni	One	Latin	unique / one of a kind
mono	One	Greek	monogamy-having only one husband or wife
bi	two	Latin	bilingual-speaking two languages
tri	three	Latin	triangle: a figure having three straight sides and three angles
quad	four	Latin	quadruped- a four-footed animal
milli/mille	One thousand	Latin	million - one thousand times one thousand
			millennium - one thousand years
semi	half; partly	Latin	semi-circle - half a circle
			semi-skillled - partly skilled
hemi	partly	Greek	hemisphere -half a sphere

Exercise 1:

1	......plane	an airplane with two sets of wings, one above the other
2	.........son	together as one
3	................ury	a period of 100 years
4	...............pod	a three-legged stand for a camera
5	.......conscious	partly conscious
6	..............rail	a railroad whose train runs on a single rail
7	..............second	one thousandth of a second
8	.............tone	a single unvaried tone
9	.............focals	eyeglasses having two portions, one for near and one for far vision
10	.............foliate	having three leaves, leaflets, or leaf-like
11	.........lateral	parts involving or done by only one person or group
12	........sphere	half of the terrestrial globe or celestial sphere
13	........nary	consisting of, indicating, or involving two
14	........rant	a quarter of a circle
15	........rilateral	a four-sided figure

By referring to the list of common prefixes dealing with position, add the appropriate prefix to create the word that suits the given definition.

1. ...............marine

2. ..............vent

3. ..............cede

4. .............vene

5. .............script

6. .......scholastic

7. .............pathy

8. .............locution

9.............plus

10............ject

11. ...........abortion

12. ...........standard

13. ..........operative

14. ..........feit

15. ..........ition

a warship designed to operate under the sea

go around

go before

act against

an addition to a letter written after the writer's name (referred to as P.S.)

between or among schools

a feeling against

a roundabout way of speaking

an amount over or above what is needed

throw or cast forward

in favor of abortion

below standard

occurring after a surgical operation

an excessive amount; overindulgence

passage from one position or state to another

• EXERCISE 4-REVIEW
By relying only on your knowledge of prefixes or by reference to the various lists previously given, choose the appropriate meaning for each of the following words.

1. subliminal
a) an ointment used for superficial burns
b) a happy state
c) below the conscious state

2. interim
a) a storm without hail
b) a time between
c) a shout of warning to those ahead

3. postprandial
a) an instrument for telling the time by the position of the sun
b) after dinner
c) a person or vehicle that carries mail

4. quadraphonic
a) reproduction of sound over four separate transmission channels
b) not genuine or real
c) an attractive subject in a photograph

5. unilingual
a) remaining in a place
b) joining together
c) having knowledge of only one language

6. misnomer
a) an error in naming
b) a proper title of an important person
c) a group of musical notes in the lower clef

7. impervious
a) kingly or regal
h) not able to be influenced or affected
c) rational and informed

8. collusion
a) anything thin and slight such as a spider’s web
h) a conspiracy; an acting together for some wrong purpose
c) a glue-like liquid that dries very rapidly and leaves a tough waterproof transparent flu

10. microfiche
a) an instrument that measures distance
b) a very small flat sheet of film that contains a very tiny copy of printed or other graphic matter
c) a special cooker for seafood

11. bicuspid
a) a tooth having two points
b) past or gone by
c) guardianship or care

12. centenarian
a) a mythical creature having the head, trunk, and arms of a human and the body and legs of a horse
b) a person who has reached the age of 100
c) a member of a business and professional club

13. contravene
a) an artery in the leg
b) a minor offence
c) do or act against

14. retrogress
a) forward action
b) go backward into a worse condition
c) a meeting for Members of Parliament

15. inane
a) not sensible
b) with consideration
c) like achild