Latin root words

Which of the following sentences contains a word with a Latin root that means 'to carry'?

• My new laptop is so light and portable, I can take it anywhere.

• It is important to be polite to your teachers.

• The portion of pizza I ate was huge.

• She drew a portrait of her dog.

Answer explanation

The word 'portable' contains the Latin root 'port', which means 'to carry'. Therefore, something that is portable is able to be carried easily. The other options do not contain this root.

Match each Greek root to its correct meaning.

• star

• hydro

• life

• geo

• earth

• bio

• water

• astro

Answer explanation

Each Greek root is matched with its correct meaning: 'bio' means life, 'geo' means earth, 'astro' means star, and 'hydro' means water.

The sound from my headphones was so low it was barely ____. Which word, containing a Latin root that means 'to hear', best completes the sentence?

• audible

• awesome

• awful

• automatic

Answer explanation

The word 'audible' contains the Latin root 'aud', meaning 'to hear'. Something that is audible is able to be heard, which fits the context of the sentence.

Sort these words based on their root's origin: Greek or Latin.

Groups:

(a) Greek Origin

,

(b) Latin Origin

• century

• civilian

• biology

• geography

Answer explanation

Words with Greek roots ('bio', 'geo') are grouped together, and words with Latin roots ('civ', 'cent') are grouped together.

In the word 'spectator', the Latin root 'spect' means...

• to look or see

• to speak or say

• to build or create

• to throw or send

Answer explanation

The root 'spect' means 'to look or see'. A spectator is someone who watches an event.

Match each word to the meaning of its Latin root.

• To bring a group of people to a stage of social development as citizens

• centennial

• A 100-year anniversary

• aquatic

• To form a mental image by seeing

• civilize

• Relating to water

• visualize

Answer explanation

Each word is matched to the meaning derived from its Latin root: 'aquatic' from 'aqua' (water), 'visualize' from 'vis' (see), 'centennial' from 'cent' (hundred), and 'civilize' from 'civ' (citizen).

A student specializing in botany would be considered an expert in which field of study?

• The study of plant life

• The study of ancient robots

• The study of boats and ships

• The study of the human body

Answer explanation

The word 'botany' is derived from the Greek root 'botan', which relates to plants. Therefore, botany is the scientific study of plant life.

Sort these words into groups based on the meaning of their shared Greek root: 'Study of' or 'Writing about'.

Groups:

(a) Root means 'study of' (-logy)

,

(b) Root means 'writing' (-graph)

• autograph

• biography

• biology

• geology

Answer explanation

Words ending in '-logy' relate to the 'study of' something, while words containing '-graph' relate to 'writing'.

Many technologies use the Greek root 'tele' in their names to indicate that they operate over a long distance. Which of the following activities relies on a technology whose name uses this root?

• Watching a live concert in person

• Talking to a friend on the telephone

• Reading a book from the library

• Telling a story to your family

Answer explanation

The word 'telephone' combines the Greek roots 'tele' (far off) and 'phon' (sound). It describes a device used for communicating over a long distance, which matches the activity.

Based on your knowledge of the Latin root 'civ', which word describes a person who is part of the general population and not a member of the military?

• civilian

• captain

• official

• volunteer

Answer explanation

The word 'civilian' comes from the Latin root 'civ', meaning 'citizen'. It refers to a citizen who is not in the armed services or police force.