Etymology: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Etymology Introduction

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(Word within the Word)

A note about English...

• About 60% of English words derive or come from Latin.  These are usually the more difficult words in English, the words people use more in writing than in speaking. 

• About 25% of English words come from Germanic languages (Old Norse, Old English, etc.) Most English words that we commonly use (such as in conversation) are Germanic.

• About 6% of English words come from Ancient Greek (often scientific and medical terms).

• The other 9% come from indigenous languages, people's names, sounds (onomatopoeia), or other languages that English speakers came into contact with as a result of war, colonization, or cultural exchange.

• ​English is a great grandchild (direct descendant) of Anglo-Saxon or Old English, which is why our most common words are Germanic. If you were drowning, would you shout "help me" or "assist me"? When describing your relationships with friends, do you use the word "friendship" or "amity"? (Both mean "friendship" but "friendship" is Germanic and "amity" is Latinate.​)

• English and Latin share a common ancestor (but English does not descend from Latin).​ Latinate words entered English at many times in its history, but most entered during a period of French rule of England (after the Battle of Hastings in 1066) and through people who knew Latin (writers, scientists, etc.) who added the words consciously.

• As science and medicine developed, people looked towards Latin and Greek to name things such as animal species, bones of the human body, etc.

Language families: a metaphor

(for those who are interested...)​

​Why learn stems?

Learning stems is a faster way to learn more words in less time.  No one can memorize every word in an English dictionary, but each stem you learn helps you understand many unfamiliar words.

​What are root words?

​Root words are the core pieces of any word. Root words are words on their own!

​Example: unchanging

​Change is the ROOT word. Change is a word on its own! Un and ing are not words on their own.

Multiple Choice

Question:

Do you think the words “instructor” and “destruction” are related? 

If you don’t think they are related, be prepared to explain why not.

If you think they are related, be prepared to explain how.

• yes

• no

• not sure

​Yes! Instructor and destruction ARE related!

The words “instructor” and “destruction” are composed of smaller bits of meaning sometimes called "stems." Each part contributes to the overall meaning. "Struct" is a ROOT WORD.

• Words can have prefixes, roots, and suffixes, or just one of these.  If a word has all three, the stems will be in this order:

 

(prefix) ROOT [suffix]

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​*prefixes give direction, negation, or intensification

*roots are just that--the main meaning of a word

​*suffixes help determine part of speech (noun, verb, adjective, etc.)

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Open Ended

What do you think "STRUCT" (the root common to "instructor" and "destruction") means? (hint: think of another common word that has "struct" in it.)

STRUCT=build

(in) struct [or]

on build a person who​

*now: read the definition backwards: "a person who builds on" (piles on, adds to...)​

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(de) struct [ion]​

down/ build act of​

​off

​"act of building down"

Multiple Choice

Question: What do you think "constructive" means?

• relating to something inside a building

• tending to build up or together

• tending to be negative

• none of the above

Root words

Multiple Choice

Pick the root word

unreadable

• un

• read

• able

Multiple Choice

Pick the root word!

unreliable

• un

• rely

• able

Using parts of words to understand meaning

unmoving​

​Prefix -un

​Root -move

​Suffix -ing

​Un means Move means ing making it

​not or won't to not be still present tense

​Now we can understand that unmoving means something or someone who will not move at this time.

He tried to push me but I'm unmoving.

​reinvented

​Prefix -re means root Invent means Suffix -ed means past

​to do again to create something

​Now we see reinvented means something was created again!

​I reinvented the light bulb to be more energy efficient!

Multiple Choice

what is the root word?

unchanging

• un

• change

• ing

Multiple Choice

What is the prefix

unchanging

• un

• change

• ing

Multiple Choice

What is the suffix?

unchanging

• un

• change

• ing

Multiple Choice

-ing in unchanging means the tense is...

• past

• present 

• future

Multiple Choice

What does unchanging mean?

• can be changed

• will not change

• was already changed

• Is changing now

Multiple Choice

Try this!

What do you think "circum" means? (think of a word you know that looks like it)

• before/in front of

• around

• down from

• outside/beyong

Multiple Choice

What do you think "extro" means?

• before/in front of

• around

• down from

• outside/beyond

Multiple Choice

What do you think "anti" means?

• between

• equal

• apart

• against

Multiple Choice

What do you think "inter" means?

• between

• down from

• outside/beyond

• before

Multiple Choice

What do you think "bi" means?

• before/in front of

• down

• two

• together

Multiple Choice

What is the root word?

unknowingly

• un

• know

• tingly

Multiple Choice

What is the prefix?

unknowingly

• un

• know

• ingly

Multiple Choice

What is the suffix?

unknowingly

• un

• know

• ingly

Multiple Choice

What tense ?

Unknowingly

• past

• present

• future

Multiple Choice

What does unknowingly mean?

• To not know what is happening now.

• To not know what already happened.

• To know what is happening now.

• To know what already happened.