NCEE/SAT Words

Roots of the Day: CON vs. DIS CON- [CO-, COL-, COM-, COR-] = together, with, very DIS- [DIF-, DI-] = apart, in different directions, not, very

Examples: convocation = an assembly, meeting (literally, “a calling together” from Latin vocāre = to call) cooperation = to work together (from Latin opus = a work) collaborate = to work together (from Latin laborāre = to work) commerce = exchange of ideas or goods (literally, “merchandise together” from Latin merx = merchandise) corroborate = make more certain (literally, “strengthen with” from Latin robur = strength) converge = to move towards a point (literally, “bend together” from Latin vergere = to bend) dissonance = different sounding (from Latin sonāre = to sound, resound) diffuse = to pour out (from Latin fundere = to pour) digress = to turn aside (literally, “to step in a different direction” from Latin gredī = to step) distrust = not to trust diffident = lacking confidence (literally, “not trusting” from fidere = to trust)

Roots of the Day: SUPER vs. SUB SUPER- = above, over, more than SUB- [SUC-, SUF-, SUG-, SUM, SUP-, SUR-, SUS-] = under, below, up from below

Examples: superb = splendid, special superable = capable of being overcome (from Latin superāre = to overcome) superior = situated above superlative = surpassing all others (literally, “carry over” from Latin fero, ferre, tuli, latus = to bring, carry) superconfident = overly confident subterranean = below the earth (from Latin terra = land) suffice = to be enough (literally, “to under do” from Latin facere = to do, make) suggest = to bring up, prompt (literally, “to carry up from below) from Latin gerere = to carry)

Roots of the Day: CONTRA vs. TRANS CONTRA- = against TRANS- = across, through

Examples contrarian = a person who always take the opposite or unpopular opinion contradict = to deny the truth of (literally, “to speak against” from Latin dicere = to say, speak) contraband = forbidden goods (literally, “against a decree” from Latin banum = ban, decree) transfer = = to change from one form to another (literally, “to carry across” from Latin fero, ferre, tuli, latus = to carry) transcribe = to make a written copy (literally, “to write across” from Latin scribere = to write) transact = to carry through (literally, “to drive through” from Latin agere = to do, drive, act, etc.) transept = the shorter part of a cross-shaped church (literally, “across the partition” from Latin saeptum = fence, partition)

Roots of the Day: DE vs. PRO DE- = from, down from PRO- = forth, before, instead

Examples: dejected = to depressed (literally, “thrown down” from Latin iacere = to throw) despise = to hate, loath (literally, “to look down (at)” from Latin spectare = to look (at)) desist = to cease (literally, “to stop from” from Latin sistere = to stop) despair = to lose hope from Latin (de)sperāre = to (lose) hope project = to put forth (literally, “to throw forth” from Latin iacere = to throw) pronoun = a word used to rename a noun (literally, “in place of a noun” from Latin nomen = name, noun) protect = to defend (literally, “to cover before” from Latin tegere = to cover)

Root of the Day: RE vs. PER vs. OB RE- = again, back; anew PER- through, bad; very OB- [O-, OC-, OF-, OP-] = against, towards, to; very

Examples: reticent = reluctant to speak (literally, “silent again” from Latin tacēre = to be silent) refract = to bend from a straight course (literally, “to bend back” from Latin frangere = to break) remit = to send money (literally, “to send back” from Latin mittere = to send) regress = to return (literally, “to step back” from Latin gredī = to step, move) recapitulate = to go over again (literally, “main part again” from Latin caput = head) perfidy = wickedness (literally, “bad faith” from Latin fidus = trust) perennial = through the year (from Latin annus = year) obviate = to remove (literally, “to be against the way of” from Latin via = road, way) obverse = the principal side of something (literally, “turned toward” from Latin vertere = to turn) occur = to be found or met with (literally, “to run against” from Latin currere = to run) oppose = to be against (literally, “to put against” from Latin ponere = road, way) offend = to do wrong (literally, “to strike against” from Latin fendere = to strike)