Dictionary of Root Words

What are “Root Words”? -- A root, or root word is a word which is used to form another word. It is also called a base word. A root does not have a prefix (a letter or group of letters added to the beginning of a word) or a suffix (a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word). The root is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family. For example, pure is a root. By adding prefixes and suffixes, the following words could be made: impure, purity, pureness. Similarly, play and move are root words. By adding prefixes and suffixes, the following words could be made: plays, played, playing, player moving, movement, moved, movable, mover, movingly. In this book, I have given the most common Greek and Latin roots which are used in the English language. Sample This: Root Words – A -- **AGG – Origin: Latin Meaning: collected - Examples: agglomerate -- to collect things and form them into a mass or group related word: agglomeration; aggrandize -- to increase your importance or power related word: aggrandizement; aggregate -- to put together different items, amounts, etc. into a single total related words: aggregation, aggregator ** ALTR/ALTER – Origin: Latin Meaning: other - Examples: altruism -- caring about the needs of other people related word: altruistic; alterable -- that can be changed related word: unalterable; altercation -- noisy argument; alternate -- to follow one after other related words: alternately, alternation, alternative ** ANIM – Origin: Latin Meaning: breath; life; soul - Examples: animal -- a living creature; animate -- having life; to make something full of liveliness related words: animated, animatedly, animation, animato, animator, inanimate; animateur -- a person who promotes social activities; animism -- the belief that natural objects have a living soul related words: animist, animistic; animosity -- strong feeling of opposition; equanimity -- calm state of mind; magnanimous -- kind, forgiving, generous related words: magnanimity, magnanimously; pusillanimous -- lack of courage; unanimous -- agreeing with others related word: unanimously** Some More Root Words – A -- Root Word [Origin] -- Meaning Example(s) (Related Words in Bracket) -- a [Greek] -- not atheism, apolitical, atypical **ablat [Latin] -- remove ablation **ablut [Latin] -- wash ablutions **abort [Latin] -- born too soon abortion **abras [Latin] -- rub off abrasion (abrasive, abrasively, abrasiveness) **abstemi [Latin] -- controlled; moderate abstemious **abund [Latin] -- overflow abundance (abundant, abundantly) **ac [Latin] -- to, toward accept (acceptability, acceptable, acceptably, acceptance, acceptation) **acanth [Greek] -- thorn acanthus **acet [Latin] -- vinegar acetate, acetic, acetone **achr [Greek] -- colorless achromic **acid [Latin] -- sour acidic, acidify, acidosis, acidulate (acidulation, acidulous) **acm [Greek] -- summit acme **aco [Greek] -- relief acoustic (acoustical, acoustically, acoustician, acoustics) **adama [Greek] -- invincible adamant (adamantly) **ade [Greek] -- enough adequate (adequacy, adequately) **adip [Latin] -- fat adipose **adolesc [Latin] -- growing up ** aer [Greek] -- air or atmosphere aerate (aeration), aerial, aerialist, aerobic (aerobics, anaerobic) ** agr [Latin] -- field agrarian, agriculture (agriculturist, agricultural) --Other Root Words – A -- Root Word [Origin] – Meaning -- aapt [Greek] -- indomitable, unfriendly **abact [Latin] -- driven away **abdit [Latin] -- secret/hidden **abr [Greek] – delicate **abscis [Latin] -- cutoff; absit [Latin] – distant **aca [Greek] -- a point; silence **acar [Greek] – tiny **accip [Latin] -- allow, snatch **accliv [Latin] -- steep; up-hill **accresc [Latin] -- increase**ace [Greek] – heal **acer [Latin] – sharp **acerv [Latin] – pile **acest [Greek] -- healing; remedy

Manik Joshi was born on Jan 26, 1979 at Ranikhet and is permanent resident of Haldwani, Kumaon zone of India. He is an Internet Marketer by profession. He is interested in domaining (business of buying and selling domain names), web designing (creating websites), and various online jobs (including 'self book publishing'). He is science graduate with ZBC (zoology, botany, and chemistry) subjects. He is also an MBA (with specialization in marketing). He has done three diploma courses in computer too. ManikJoshi.com is the personal website of the author.