By Matthew J. Glavach, Ph.D.
While Latin and Greek word root study typically is found in more advanced academic English classes, it offers great benefit for English language learners, struggling readers, and younger students as well. Latin and Greek word root study is an important way to accelerate vocabulary and reading proficiency.
Latin and Greek Word Root Study to Accelerate Spelling, Vocabulary, and Reading Proficiency for All Students presents a unique approach to Latin and Greek word roots for spelling, decoding, and vocabulary (comprehension) development that can be used with a wide range of student skill levels in middle school and high school. An extensive list of Latin and Greek word roots and their meanings is included.
Knowing Interesting Facts about Latin and Greek Word Roots
-Most of the academic words in math and science are derived from Latin and Greek.
-Most of the challenging multisyllable words in English are derived from Latin and Greek.
-One Latin or Greek affix can be found in and aid in the understanding of 20 or more English words.
-Spanish is a Latin-based language. Latin word roots can be used to help Spanish-speaking students use their native language to learn English. 1
Teaching Brain Efficient Latin and Greek Word Roots
Brain research shows that a similar word pattern can prime the next word if it has the similar pattern, which can accelerate reading. 2 Latin and Greek word roots are especially powerful because they not only have identical spelling patterns, they have identical meanings.(See Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Word Examples
automobile
automatic
autobiography
The Greek root auto (meaning self and same) is in all three example words. The root auto is found in many other words and offers hints to their meanings. As each pattern is added and stored, students are developing categories that can be attached to new words. 3
While students are reading, many things are happening at the same time. They are identifying similar letter patterns within words and how they overlay onto other word patterns. The patterns help with pronunciation because the brain tends to naturally break words into syllables. Students do not divide words into syllables by using complex rules. They decode longer words by looking for familiar patterns. 4 As students identify syllables, they also learn to cross syllable boundaries (where syllables divide) when they see similar word parts associated with meaning. (See Figures 2 and 3.)
Figure 2. Syllable Example
au / to / bi / og / ra / phy
Figure 3. Meaning Word Parts Example
auto bio graph y
An easy way to figure out the meanings of many words is by knowing the word roots. Looking at the word autobiography:
Auto means self, bio means life, and graph means written.
Autobiography means the story of one’s life written by oneself.
If students cannot see the meaning patterns within words, they are not likely to link the new information with preexisting information. 5
Designing a Program for Latin and Greek Word Roots
While teaching in a high school with many underachieving students and many English language learners, the article’s author, Matthew J. Glavach, Ph.D., developed a unique program to present Latin and Greek word roots.
The author began research for the program atypically by reviewing middle school and high school core textbooks to determine core content reading requirements. During the textbook review, he found that core textbook meaning was carried by multisyllable words, most with Latin and Greek word roots. According to Henry (1997), “Latin and Greek word roots make up sixty percent of the words in English text.” Knowing Latin and Greek word roots makes it possible for students to read and understand key concepts in textbooks.
In reviewing resources, the author found that many lists of Latin and Greek word roots and their meanings were readily available. Yet words in the list did not easily translate into specific word meanings. (See Figure 4.)
Figure 4. Word Root Examples
aster = star
auto = self
bio = life
geo = earth
graph = to write
path = feel, hurt
Students needed a more problem solving activity so that they could identify the word parts in actual words. The author noticed that when words included two or more word roots, the meaning was much clearer and easier to identify. He made a word list of words, most containing two or more word roots, to teach word roots and their meanings. See Page 6, Latin and Greek Word Lists. Following is an activity page that can be used with the word roots. (See Figure 5.)
Figure 5. Word Root Activity Page
GUESS THE WORD ROOT MEANINGS
1. Read the word roots and their meanings. Write what you think the word means on line 1.
2. On line 2 write the word card definition.. (See Figure 6, Word Card Example.)
auto – self, same
auto + graph (write) = autograph
1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
auto + mat (acting) = automatic
1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
For all of the Latin and Greek words presented, the program included word cards with definitions, arranged alphabetically. (See Figure 6.)
Figure 6. Word Card Example
Greek
auto
self
autograph (graph – writing) – writing the name of oneself; signature
automatic (matos – acting) – moving or acting by itself, without help [Does this car have an automatic transmission?]
automobile (mobile – move) – a self-moving vehicle
The students enjoyed the problem solving word root activity pages. They also enjoyed game activities. A favorite for the students was a concentration-type card game made from the Latin and Greek roots and their English meanings. The figure below is a partial example. The complete game had 15 cards and covered a standard sized piece of paper. (See Figure 7.)
Figure 7.Word Root Concentration Game Example
Word Root Concentration Game A, B, C
Cut out the word cards. Place face down, and match the pairs. Say the sample words.
|
aster, astro
asteroid astronomy astronaut |
bio
biology biography autobiography
|
cent
century centennial percent
|
|
star |
life living things |
hundred hundredth
|
Students enjoyed the program and made exceptional progress in vocabulary, spelling, and reading proficiency. Teaching Latin and Greek word roots offers students an advantage and is an important way to accelerate vocabulary, spelling and reading proficiency. The strategies used were engaging, meaningful, and well sequenced. They supported and compensated for students’ individual differences.
NOTE: The program focused on using stems or bases in the English words, rather than on the actual Greek or Latin words. For example, in the word sympathy, pathy is used rather than pathos, the actual Greek word.
References
(1) Rasinski, T.V., Padak, N., Newton, J., Newton. E. (2011) The Latin-Greek Connection.
The Reading Teacher (p.134). New Jersey: International Reading Association
(2) Dehaene, S.D. (2009). Reading in the brain (p. 42). New York: Viking/Penguin Group.
(3) Willis, J. (2008) Teaching the brain to read (p.27). Virginia: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
(4) Dehaene, S.D. (2009). Reading in the Brain (p. 24). New York: Viking/Penguin Group.
(5) Willis, J. (2008) Teaching the brain to read (p.22). Virginia: Association for Supervision
and Curriculum Development.
(6) Henry, M. (1997). The decoding/spelling continuum: Integrated decoding and
spelling instruction from pre-school to early secondary school. Dyslexia 3.
The author has developed two programs for Latin and Greek word roots; Latin and Greek Word Roots 1, a Course of Study, and Latin and Greek Word Roots 2, a Course of Study, for middle and high school students. They are available at his website www.StrugglingReaders.com.
Following is the Latin and Greek Word Root List with words derived from middle school and high school core textbooks.
Latin and Greek Word Roots List
© Matthew J. Glavach, Ph.D.
Permission is granted for parents and teachers to make copies, cards, or posters of the following Latin and Greek Word Lists for individual home and classroom use.
a, an – not, without, Greek
anarchy (arch – rule) – without any rule or form of government; lawlessness; disorder
apathy (pathy – feeling) – without feeling or emotion; lack of desire or interest
amoral – without moral principles, not acceptable behavior
anorexia – (orexis – appetite) – without an appetite; lack of appetite
aster, astro – star, Greek
aster – star-shaped flower
asterisk – star-shaped mark *used to call attention to something written and printed
astronomy (nomy – scientific study) – scientific study of the stars, moon, etc.
asteroid (oid – resembling) – planets in the shape of a star, resembling a star
astronaut (naut – sailor) – star sailor; a person who travels in a spacecraft
astronomer (er –one who) – one who studies the stars, moon, ets.
auto – self, Greek
autograph (graph – writing) – writing the name of oneself; signature
automatic (matos – acting) – moving or acting by itself, without help [Does this car have an automatic transmission?]
automobile (mobilis – move) – a self-moving vehicle
bio = life, living things, Greek
biology (logy – study of) – the study of life
biotic – pertaining to life
biography (graph – written) – the story of one’s life written by another
autobiography (auto – self) – the story of one’s life written by oneself
antibiotic (anti – against) – against living forms which invade the body
bi = two, twice, Latin
biped (ped – feet) – a two-footed animal
bilingual (lingu – language) – able to speak two languages
bisect (sect – to cut) – to cut into two equal parts
biplane – an airplane with two sets of wings, one above the other
bibli/o = book, Greek
Bible – the book of the Christian religion
bibliography (graph – written) – a list of books written on a particular subject
bibliophile (phile – love) – one who loves books or collects them
bibliophobia (phobia – fear) – a fear of or dislike for books
cent = hundred, hundredth, Latin
century – a period of 100 years
centenarian (enn – years); (ian – one who) – one who is 100 years old or more
bicentennial (bi – two) (enn – years)– occurring once every two hundred years
percent – number of parts per hundred, 20 cents is 20 percent of a dollar
circum = around, Latin
circumference – the distance around a circle, figure, etc.
circumscribe (scrib – write, draw) – to draw a line around
circumnavigate – to sail or fly completely around
circumvent (vent – to go) – to bypass or go around
chron = time, Greek
chronic – lasting a long time, as in a disease or a disorder
chronicle – a record of events in a given sequence or order
chronology (logy – study ) – to study or order events by time from the earliest to the latest
synchronize (syn – together, same) – to happen at the same time
dem/o = the people, the citizens, Greek
democracy (cracy – government) – government run by the people
epidemic (epi – among)) – rapidly spreading disease among people
dict = speak, say, word, Latin
dictate – speak; command [Did the teacher dictate the spelling words?
dictator (or – one who) – one whose word has absolute authority
predict (pre – before) – to say what will happen beforehand
contradict (contra – against) – to say or speak against
verdict (ver – true) – to speak the truth
dictionary – a book listing words and their meanings
benediction (bene – good, well) – a blessing; a wish for well being
dec = ten, tenth, Latin
decade (ad – group) – a period of ten years; a group or series of ten
decathlon (athlon – contest) – an athletic contest with ten events
decimal – based on the number ten; a decimal fraction like .5 or .008
e = out, Latin
eject (ject – to throw) – to throw out with force
erupt (rupt – break, burst) – to break or burst out violently
emigrate (migrare – move) – to move out of a country and settle in another
evacuate (vacuous – empty) – to empty out; to move out of danger
emancipate (manu – hand) – to take out of slavery or bondage; to liberate
ex = out, from, Latin
exit – a way to go out
expel – (pel – drive) to drive or throw out
extend (tend – stretch) – to stretch out
exclaim – to cry out; to shout out
excel – to do very well; to be better than
equ = equal, Latin
equal – exactly the same
equality – the condition of being equal; same
equilateral (latus – side) – having all sides equal; an equilateral triangle
equilibrium (libra – balance) – a state of balance
equator – an imaginary line of equal distance between the North Pole and the South Pole
ex – out, from, Latin
exit – a way to go out
expel – (pel – drive) to drive or throw out
extend (tend – stretch) – to stretch out
exclaim – to cry out; to shout out
excel – to do very well; to be better than
geo – earth, Greek
geography (graph – write, draw) – writings and drawings (maps) about the earth; the science that tells about the earth
geographer (er – one who) – one who writes and makes maps about the earth
geology (logy – study of) – study of the earth’s structure and formations, rocks, minerals, etc.
geologist (ist – one who) – one who studies the earth’s structure and formations, rocks, minerals, and so forth.
geometry (metron – measure) – ways to measure the earth; measurement
graph – write, draw, Greek
biography (bios – life) – the story of one’s life written by another person
biographer (er – one who) – one who writes the story about another’s life
autobiography (auto – self) – the story of one’s life written by oneself
bibliography (biblio – book) – a list of books or writings by a particular author, or publisher, etc.
gon – angle, Greek
polygon (poly – many) – a closed plane figure with three or more angles and sides
pentagon (penta – five) – a closed plane figure with five angles and five sides
hexagon (hexa –six) – a closed plane figure with six angles and six sides
octagon (octa – eight) – a closed plane figure with eight angles and eight sides
hydr, hydro – water, Greek
hydrant – water pipe used for fighting fires, a fire hydrant
dehydrate (de – down, remove) – to remove all the water from
rehydrate (re – back) – to put water back; to restore
hydroelectric – electricity produced by moving water
hydrophobia (phobia – fear) – an excessive fear of water. Also rabies
hyper – excessive, over, beyond, Greek
hyperactive – overly active
hypersonic (son – sound) – moving at a speed equal to or over five times the speed of sound
hypertension (tens – stretched tight, pressure) – high blood pressure
homo, homi – same, Greek
homicide (cide – to kill) – to kill another human being [He was arrested for committing a homicide.)
suicide – to kill oneself
homonym (nym – word) – words that are pronounced the same but have different spellings and meanings, deer – dear and bear – bare.
homogenous (gen – kind) formed by parts of the same kind [For training, the swimmers were put into homogenous groups.]
il, ig, in, im,ir – not, without, Latin
illegal (leg – law) – not legal; prohibited by law
ignorant (gnos – knowledge) – without knowledge or training
inequality (equ – equal) – to be not equal
infinite (finis – limit) – without limits or ends; vast; limitless
irresponsible – not responsible; careless
irresponsible – not responsible; careless
il, ig, in, im,ir – not, without, Latin
invincible (vinc – toconquer) – not able to be conquered
incorrupt – not corrupt; not dishonest
impossible – not possible, cannot be done
irregular – not regular, having different sized parts
inter – between, among, Latin
interstate – between two or more states
international (natio – nation, race) – between two or more nations
interrupt (rupt – break) – to break in when someone is speaking; to break into a conversation between two or more persons
Intersection – the place where two roads or lines meet and cross
intersect (sect – to cut) – to divide by cutting through, between, or across
jur, jus – law, Latin
jury – a group of 12 who are sworn to give a just verdict in a court of law
juror (or – one who) – one who serves on a jury in a court of law
justice – a just judgment
adjustment – settlement
ject – to throw, Latin
eject (e – out) – to throw out; to dismiss
inject (in – in, into) – to throw, to force, or to drive into something
interject (inter – between) – to throw between; to make a sudden remark between others.
object (ob – against) – to throw against; to be against
reject (re – back, again) – to throw back; refuse to accept
junct – join, unite, connect, Latin
junction – the place where things join, a railroad crossing
conjunction (con – together) – a word joining two parts of a sentence, and, but, for, or, yet, and so
juncture – a critical point in time; events that are connected
less – without, Greek
careless – without care; slovenly
fearless – without fear; unafraid
hopeless – without hope or expectation
regardless – without regard or respect
liber – free, Latin
liberty – freedom from outside control
liberate – to set free
liberation (ion – the act of) – the act of setting free
leg – law, Latin
legal – lawful
illegal (il – not) – not legal or lawful
legalize (ize – make) – to make legal
legislate (lat –bring forward) – to bring forward; to enact or make laws
legislature – the body of people who have the right to make and to change laws
legislation (ion – the act of) – the act of making laws; a group of laws
matri, mater – mother, Latin
maternal – motherly; related through the mother’s side of the family
matrimony (monia– state of) – marriage; state from which motherhood develops
maternity – the state of being a mother; motherhood
matriarch (arch – chief, rule) – the mother and ruler of the family or clan
magni, magna – great, large, Latin
magnify (fy – to make) – to make larger
Magna Charta (charta – paper, charter) – the great charter of 1215 that gave liberties to the English
magnitude – greatness of size or importance
magnificent – great in deed or character; grand
magnate – a person of great wealth
nat – birth, born, Latin
native – someone who is born in a particular place
prenatal (pre – before) – before birth
postnatal (post – after) – existing or occurring after birth
naturalize – to give citizenship to one foreign born
ology – study of, science of, Greek
biology – (bio – life) – the study of life
chronology – (chron – time) – the science of arranging events according to time
ecology – (eco – environment) – the scientific study of the relationships of plants, animals and people to each other and to their environments
psychology – (psych – mind) – the study of the science of the mind and the way it works
pro – forward, in place of, Latin
proceed (ceed – to go) – to go forward
progress (gress – to go) – going forward toward a specific goal
pronoun – a word used in place of a noun, I, we, he, she, it, and you
propel (pel – to drive) – to move, drive, or push forward
pre – before, Latin
predict (dict – say) – to say beforehand
precaution (caut – on guard) – being on guard beforehand
prejudge (jud – judgment) – to judge beforehand
prejudice (jud – judgment) – making a judgment beforehand
quadr, quadri – four, Latin
quadruped (ped – foot, feet) – an animal with four feet
quadrilateral (latus – side) – a figure having four sides
quadruple (ple – times) – four times as great
quadruplet (ple – times) – each of four offspring born at a single birth
rupt – break, burst, Latin
abrupt (ab – off) – to suddenly break off
erupt (e – out) – to burst or break out violently, as the action of a volcano
disrupt (dis – apart) – to break apart; to throw into disorder
interrupt (inter – between) – to break the flow of something; to come between
corrupt – to cause to break, to change from good to bad
re – again, back, Latin
repay – to pay back
reelect – to elect again
reconstruct (struct – build) – to build again after destruction or damage
resurgence (surg – rise) – to rise again
recapture (capt – take, seize) – to capture again; to take or seize
scrib, script – write, Latin
scribble – to write carelessly
script – writing; the written text of a play or motion picture
describe (de – down) – to write down; to give a word picture
prescription (pre – before) – something written ahead
postscript (post – after) – addition to a letter below the signature; afterthought
sub – down, below, Latin
submerge (merge – sink in) – to sink in; to go below the surface of the water
subway – an underground railway system
submarine (mar-sea) – a ship which can stay under water
subversive – that which undermines the government; that which destroys those in power
son – sound, Latin
sonic – of or concerning sound waves
sonar – device to hear sound under water
unison (uni – one) – having one harmonious sound
trans – across, change, Latin
transport (port – carry) – to carry across
transportation – a system of carrying passengers or goods from one place to another
transmit (mit – send) – to send across; to broadcast
transform – to change in form or appearance
translate – to change from one language to another
tele – far away, distant, Greek
television (vis – see) – the transmission of visual images from far away
telephone (phone – sound)- transmitting sound from distant locations
telescope (scope – to look at) – a device for looking at objects far away
telecommunication – communicating from a distance; internet, radio, satellite
tempo – time, latin
tempo – time in music; rate of speed at which a piece of music move
temporary – a limited amount of time
contemporary (con – with) – with the times; modern (She is my contemporary; we went to school together.) (contemporary art)
tempo – time in music; rate of speed at which a piece of music moves
un – not, opposite of, Latin
unusual – not usual; not common
unemployed – not employed; without a job
unhealthy – not healthy; not generally in good health
unfortunate – not fortunate; unlucky (an unfortunate accident or remark)
unpack – the opposite of pack (I am going to unpack my suitcase.)
uncover – to remove a cover from (The police uncovered the bank robbers’ plan.)
unify (fy – make) – to make into one (Was England unified in the 16th century?)
uni, unum – one, Latin
unilateral (latus – side) = happening on one side only; effecting only one group in an agreement
united – together as one (the United States of America)
E –out pluribus – many unum – one “one out of many” states; U.S.A motto
unify (fy – make) – to make into one (Was England unified in the 16th century?)
urb, urbis – city, Latin
urban – a town or city (Do you prefer to live in an urban or a rural area?)
suburb (sub – below, near) – outer area of a town or city (I live in the suburbs.)
urbanites – people who live in the city
vis, vid – see, Latin
vision – the ability to see; eyesight
visible – that which can be seen (The stars are not visible tonight.)
visit – a view, or what is seen from a distance
video – picture part, or what is seen, on television
evident – can easily be seen (It’s evident that you are not feeling well.)
viv, vit – alive, life, Latin
revive – (re – back) – to bring back to life; to resuscitate
survive – to continue to live (He survived the terrible accident.)
evidence (e – out) – out of what can be seen and noticed (Is there enough evidence to convict him?)
vivid – full of life, lively, bright and distinct (vivid red hair) (a vivid imagination)
vital – essential to life; of great importance (The bullet entered a vital organ.)
ver – true, Latin
viviparous (parous – to produce) – producing live young rather than eggs
verify – to prove to be true; to confirm (The detective must verify the prisoner’s statement.)
verifiable – can be proven to be true
verdict – (dict – to speak) – to speak the truth; the official decision made by a jury in a court of law (Members of the jury, what is your verdict?)
vers, vert – turn, Latin
revert (re – back) – to turn back (He promised not to revert to his former ways.)
reverse ( re – back) – to turn back (The judge decided to reverse his position.)
divert (di – away) – to turn away (The police diverted the traffic from the accident.)
adversity (ad – toward) – turning toward hardship; misfortune (This year had been filled with adversity.)
advertise (ad – toward) – to turn attention toward
invert (in – not) – to turn upside down; to put in the opposite position or order
zo, zoo – animal, Latin
zoo – a park where many kinds of animals are kept for show
zoology (ology – study of) – the scientific study of animals
hydrozoan (hydro – water) – small aquatic animals such as coral, etc.
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