1. Parts of Words
ACDV B70F - Vocabulary

2. Word Parts
Learning word parts is very useful in building one’s vocabulary.
Roots and prefixes come from Greek and Latin words.
One Latin or Greek word may provide the clue to a dozen or more English words.

3. Word Parts
Words can be made of combination of different parts called PREFIXES/ROOTS (BASES)/SUFFIXES.

4. Word Parts
Roots, prefixes, and suffixes have their own separate meaning and can be looked up individually in a dictionary.
These meanings suggest the overall meanings of the words they compose.

5. Prefix
A PREFIX is a letter or group of letters that come at the beginning of a word.
A prefix alters the meaning of a word.

6. Prefix
Adding the prefix un to the word “happy” changes the meaning of “happy” to the opposite of happy.
Adding the prefix dis to the adjective “able” which produces the verb “disable.”

7. Frequent Prefixes in School
1. unable
2. review
inedible (impotent, illegal, irresponsible)
distrust
enlighten (empower)
nonsense
inside, implant
overcome
misguided
submarine
prefix
interrupt
forewarn
derail
transfer
supersonic
semicircle
antitrust
midterm
underfed
Analysis: White, Sowell, and Yanagihara 1989
Susan Ebbers 2005

8. Prefixes: Meaning and Connotation
Often Negative
dis-, de-
non-
sub-
in-
un-
mis-
mal-
anti, contra a-
Somewhat Positive
pro-
co-
bene-
super-
com-
be-
en-, em-
ad-
Susan Ebbers 2005

9. Suffix
A SUFFIX is a word part added to the end of the word.
When the suffix -ness is placed after the adjective “kind,” the results is the noun “kindness.”

10. Derivational Suffixes
words ending with –tion are often nouns
words ending with –ive are often adjectives
words ending with –ish are often adjectives
words ending with –ity are often nouns
Susan Ebbers 2005

11. Root
A ROOT is a basic word to which prefixes and suffixes can be added.
It cannot be further separated into parts and is fairly constant in form and meaning.
It can be found at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.

12. Word Parts
Be aware that there are times when a group of letters appears to be a prefix, suffix, or root, but it is not.
For instance, the prefix anti- means “against” or “opposite of” as in “antisocial.”
However, anti- is not a prefix in the work “anticipate” or “antique.”

13. Word Parts
One expert said that ten Latin words and two Greek words are the basis for 2,500 English words.
The prefix pseudo which means “false” is at the beginning of 800 words.

14. Word Parts
The root anthrop which means “mankind” is used to begin 112 words.
Therefore, studying word parts is an efficient way to improve a person’s word knowledge.

15. Content-Specific Greek Terms
Anatomy and Medical Terms
esophagus, thyroid, diagnosis, psoriasis, dyslexia
Studies and Sciences
biology, seismology, morphology, geochronometry
Animals and Plants
arachnid, amphibian, chlorophyll, dinosaur, nectar
Theatre and the Arts
charisma, drama, chorus, muse, symphony, acoustics
Susan Ebbers 2005

16. Greek Roots hydro graph geo pyro polis neuro ortho scope photo therm
crat
psych
chron
phobe
pseud
onym
crypt
helio
logy
sphere
the, theo
Susan Ebbers 2005

17. Counting in Greek and Latin
mono
uni di bi
du, duo
tri
tetra
quadri
penta
hexa
sept
oct
nove
deca
deci
cent
milli
poly
multi
semi
hemi
Susan Ebbers 2005

18. away from + to lead/pull + verb: past tense
prefix + root + suffix
ab + duct + ed
away from + to lead/pull + verb: past tense
abducted means ”pulled or lead away from”
i.e. The general was abducted by masked gunmen.
Concept

19. Roots Roots can appear more than once, and anywhere in the word.
Meaning
geology
earth study / study of the earth
telegraph
distance writing / writing that travels far
tricycle
three wheels
asocial
not being companionable /
not wanting to join others

20. Steps to Breaking Apart Words
Highlight the word root (or roots).
What does the word root mean?
Look at the remainder of the word:
What does the prefix mean?
What does the suffix mean?

21. Look Inside—Look Outside
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Look inside the word for known word parts: prefixes, roots or combining forms, suffixes.
Use the analogy strategy: “I don’t know this word, but I know pneumonia and I know volcano, so by analogy, this word might have something to do with lungs and heat.”
Look outside the word at context clues, visuals: The coal miners, coughing and wheezing, suffered from pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
Susan Ebbers 2005

22. What do the following words mean?
hydro phobia
mono gamy
eu logy
tele pathic
sym pathetic
photo graph