Starting January 21, get ready for our new series – ‘Roots Can be Fun’

Root: acer, acid, acri Meaning: bitter, sour, sharp Acerbic (mood) Acrimony (will) Acrid (smell)

Root: belli Meaning: war Rebellion Belligerent Bellicose (In ‘star wars’, the good guys fighting for the evil empire were called rebellion) (eager to fight)

Root: chrome Meaning: color Chromosome Polychrome Chromatic (Strand of DNA. They were named Chromosomes because they easily accept dye and take on patterns of light and dark when exposed to different stains) (many + colors) (example – beautiful chromatic sky)

Root: dox Meaning: opinion, praise Orthodox Heterodox Paradox (accepted as true + opinions/beliefs) (other + opinion) – Not in agreement with accepted beliefs (self contradictory opinion)

Root: erg Meaning: work, power Ergonomics Ergometer Ergograph Study of efficiency in working environment (To measure power) (Measure work capacity of a muscle during contraction)

Root: fin Meaning: end, finish Final, finite Confine Refine (Against + boundary/end ) Restrict within limits Reduce to pure/polished/final state

Root: gam Meaning: marriage Bigamy (two + marriages) Polygamy (many + marriages) Monogamy (single + marriage)

Root: helio Meaning: sun Helio graph Heliocentric Heliotrope (An apparatus for sending telegraphic messages by using the mirror to turn sun ray’s on & off) (Having the sun as center) Plants that turn towards sun

Root: ignis Meaning: fire Ignite Igneous Ignition (Cause to catch fire) Relating to volcanic process/fire (example – beautiful chromatic sky)

Root: ject Meaning: throw Eject Project Interject To throw out In front + throw Insert/throw in between

Root: levi Meaning: light Alleviate Levity To lighten/lessen /relieve (pain) Lightness of mind, lack of appropriate character/seriousness

Root: mega Meaning: great Mega phone Megalopolis Megaton Funnel shaped device to amplify voice/make it powerful A very large city 1 million tons (unit)

Root: nom Meaning: law, order Autonomy Astronomy Gastronomy Self + law Stars + low (scientific study of outer space) Belly + study (study of food, making good food, history of food)

Root: pel Meaning: force, drive Compel Expel Repel (together + force) Force someone to do something (from/out + force) To drive out, deprive of membership (Backward + Force) To turn away something, reject, refuse to accept

Root: rupt Meaning: break Rupture InterRupt AbRupt To break open, burst in say, tear/tissue/relations (Between + break ) Break the continuity Sudden/unexpected/surprisingly (abrupt decision)

Root: sed, sess, sid Meaning: sit Sediment Obsession Reside That settles/sit at bottom of glass/lakes Compulsive preoccupation with a fixe idea To live permanently in a place, to be inherently present

Root: tract, tra Meaning: draw, pull Subtract Attract Traction (under+ pull) To take away, deduct Being drawn, pulled

Root: umber Meaning: shadow Umbra Penumbra Adumbrate Complete shadow In lunar eclipse, the edge of earths’ shadow – the part that isn’t full dark is its penumbra To outline (to adumbrate themes in a novel)

Root: vert, vers Meaning: turn Avert, divert Controversy Reverse (Aggainst/opposite + direction) Public dispute where there is a strong disagreement Turn back, go the other way

Root: zo Meaning: animal Zoo Zodiac Zoomorphism Band divided into 12 imaginary parts, within which moon/planets move. Signs are represented animals Attribution of animal form/nature to a deity (like Ganesha)