Greek and Latin roots in the English language
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One of the reasons that the English language has flourished in recent centuries is because of its ability and willingness to absorb words from other languages. In its way, English survives as a living language because it is, put simply, very spongy. When English sees a word with no appropriate English equivalent, which is functionally necessary to the language, it adopts it. Sometimes spelling changes, and sometimes alphabets do – because not all languages we borrow from use our standard, A–Z Roman alphabet – so our absorbed words, or ‘loanwords’ aren’t always obvious to the naked eye. Loanwords are a key part of the English language. Loanwords don’t always follow the rules of English grammar and spelling and this contributes to difficulties in learning English anew. However, at the same time, loanwords provide non-English speakers in an English-speaking environment with a pool of mutually intelligible words. English is an Indo-European language that belongs to the Germanic family of languages. The Germanic languages are subdivided into West Germanic, North Germanic and East Germanic branches – although East Germanic languages are extinct. The West Germanic and North Germanic languages used today are as follows. West Germanic Afrikaans Dutch English Frisian German Yiddish
North Germanic Danish Faroese Icelandic Norwegian Swedish
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The Germanic languages were originally spread across parts of Europe. Today, native speakers of Germanic languages can be found across the globe. Figure 1 Native speakers of Germanic languages today
Like human beings, human languages have common ancestors. These Germanic languages date back to a ‘protolanguage’ called Proto-Germanic, and even further back to another protolanguage, called Proto Indo-European. Proto Indo-European, or just Indo-European, is also the most recent common ancestor of all of the Celtic, Romance, Hellenic, Baltic, Slavic, IndoIranian, Armenian and Albanian languages. Figure 2 Native speakers of Indo-European languages today
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From the Indo-European language tree, it might seem that English split off from other branches a long time ago. Although this is true, the proximity of speakers of other languages to English speakers – whether through invasion, colonisation, trade or travel – has meant that English never stopped adopting words from other languages.
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We have a great many words and parts of words that come from Latin and Ancient Greek. The following table shows only a few of them. Root ab– a– abs– aqu–
Meaning Away, from, off, without
arthr– arthro– bi– bio–
of the joints and the limbs
Language of origin Example words Latin absent abandon aversion Latin aquarium aqueduct Greek arthrogram
Life
Greek
bi–
Two
Latin
calc– cardi– cardio– dict–
Stone Heart
Greek and Latin Greek
To say or to speak
Latin
dys–
Bad, badly, sick
Greek
eco–
house, dwelling, habitat
Greek
Water
abduct abnormal abate aquatic aqueous arthroplasty
biology biosphere biodegradable binoculars bipolar calculus cardiovascular echocardiogram dictionary dictator dystopia dysfunctional economy ecosystem encephalogram
bionic biopsy
equal equitable appendectomy
equate equator mastectomy ethnicity feminist fracture fraction fractal
binary bipartisan calcium predict dictum dyslexia dystrophy ecology ecotourism encephalic
encephal– of the brain encephalo– equ– level, balanced, even
Greek
–ectomy
surgical removal of a body part race, people, tribe, nation woman, female break
Greek Greek Latin Latin
ethnoreligious feminine fragment fringe fragile
Earth writing, letter, book, alphabet, drawing, record equipment or equipment to record data the process of recording data blood
Greek Greek
geology geomatics grammar diagram epigram gramophone electrocardiograph
Greek
computerised tomography angiography haemorrhage haemophilia
other, different, second, another
Greek
heterogeneous
ethn– femin– frang– frac– frag– fring– ge– gram– –graph –graphy haem– haemo– heter–
Latin
Greek Greek
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heterotrophic
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Root hyster– hystero–
Language of origin Example words Greek hysteria hystereurysis
hypo– ign–
Meaning of the uterus, the womb, of women (archaic, derogatory) above, beyond, extreme, too much too little, below normal fire
in– im–
within, on (first meaning) not (second meaning)
Latin
inter–
between, among, mutually, together inflammation joining, joint
Latin
near, close to, beside movement, motion, gesture milk of the abdomen, the flank free a field of academic study, the study of hand, handwriting
hyper–
–itis jung– junct– juxta– kine– lact– lapar– laparo– liber– –logy manu–
hysterical
Greek Greek Latin
igneous rock
Latin Greek Latin Greek
ignite ignition coil invite meaning) impossible (second meaning internet interactive appendicitis conjunction juncture juxtapose kinetics lactose laparoscopy
Latin Greek
liberal etymology
liberty psychology
Latin
manuscript labour manubriums melanin
manual
mortal mortal sin narration narrative therapy nominalisation sarcoma carcinoma omnivorous omniscient synonym pseudonym osteoarthritis osteopathy
mortician mortgage narrator
sympathise pathos philosophy
empathy pathetic Francophile
Greek Latin
melan– melano– mort–
dark, black in colour
Greek
death, subject to death
Latin
narr–
tell, speak, recount, report
Latin
nomin– –oma –omata omni–
name growth, tumour, mass
Latin Greek
all
Latin
–onym
word, name
Greek
ost– oste– osteo– patho– –pathy phil–
of the bones
Greek
feeling, pain, suffering, passion, disease love, affection, friendship,
Greek Greek
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import (first immutable interpersonal intercept bronchitis junction kinesiology lactation
manufacture
nominate adenoma omnipotent omnipresent antonym acronym osteology
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Root –phile –phob phob– phleb– phlebo– –plasia
Meaning enjoyment fear
Language of origin Example words
veins, blood
phobia
Greek
arachnophobia claustrophobic phlebotomy
development, growth, formation porous, absorbent, pore, cavity, opening similar to but not actually, resembling, as if
Greek
dysplasia
hyperplasia
Greek
porotic
Latin
qui–
quiet, at rest, repose
Latin
quot–
how great a part? how many times? back, again, repetition
Latin
nose
Greek
rump– rupt– sacr– secr–
break, tear, bend, rend, burst, destroy, force sacred, bone
Latin
salv–
Latin
schis– schiz–
save, rescue, safe, unharmed, sound, alive split, break, divide, rift, fissure
semi–
half
Latin
sept– septen– septim– septuagen– somn–
seven seven each seventh seventy each sleep
Latin
sorb– sorpt–
suck
Latin
quasiparticle quasi-experiment quasi-intellectual quasi-democratic quiescent quiet requiem quit quotient quota quote repeat rebirth reprint redact rhinoplasty rhinoceros rhinitis otorhinolaryngology interrupt abrupt corrupt eruption sacrifice consecrated sacrosanct sacrilege sacrum sacral salvage salvation salve schism schizotypal schizophrenia schizocarp schizogenesis semi-trailer semifinal semicolon semibreve semilunar septet septuple septenary septimation septuagenarian insomnia somnolent somnambulist somniferous sorbet absorbency self-absorption
tac– tic– tax–
silence, quiet, left unsaid
Latin
taciturn
reticence
order, appraise, arrange,
Greek
taxes
taxicab
por– poro– quasi–
re– red– rhin–
Greek
Latin
Latin
Greek
Latin
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Root
Meaning arrange, battle, rank
techn–
ability, skill, craft, art, trade, means, cunning (stretch of) time, occasion, of the head
tempor–
Language of origin Example words chemotaxis taxonomy taxidermy Greek technical technology geotechnology technique Latin tempo temporary temporal lobe temple temporise temporomandibular joint Greek hypothermia ectotherm thermometer thermal socks Greek colostomy episiotomy Greek stereotype typical typography archetype phenotype typify Latin (super) ubermensch uber-trendy Greek (hyper)
therm–
warmth, heat, temperature
–tomy typ–
to cut, an incision model, mould, stamp, type, impression, blow
uber– ultim–
the most extreme, highest or greatest, fruitful, over, above farthest, last, ended
urb–
city, town
Latin
vac–
empty, blank
Latin
verb–
word
Latin
xen– xeno– –y
strange, alien, foreign
Greek
condition, in the process of, state, quality (forms action nouns with verbs) of animals, living beings
Latin (–ia) Greek (–iα)
zo– zoo–
Latin
Greek
penultimate ultimatum ultima suburb urban exurb urbanisation vacuum vacant vacancy verbose verbal non-verbal communication verbatim verbiage xenon xenoglossia xenagogy xenogenesis inquiry jealousy surgery cookery zoo zooid
zoology zoography
Using the chart above, provide definitions for the following words, break each word down into its component parts, and use it in a sentence. Apathy
1
Parts Meaning Sentence
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Pathology
2
Parts Meaning Sentence
Haematology
3
Parts Meaning Sentence
Encephalitis
4
Parts Meaning Sentence
Hysterectomy
5
Parts Meaning Sentence
Arthritis
6
Parts Meaning Sentence
Osteoporosis
7
Parts Meaning Sentence
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Laparotomy
8
Parts Meaning Sentence
Xenophobia
9
Parts Meaning Sentence
Geography
10
Parts Meaning Sentence
Encephalography
11
Parts Meaning Sentence
Ethnography
12
Parts Meaning Sentence
Hypoplasia
13
Parts Meaning Sentence
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Haematoma
14
Parts Meaning Sentence
Melanoma
15
Parts Meaning Sentence
Immortal
16
Parts Meaning Sentence
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