(DC) Lesson Topic 3: Greek and Latin Roots & Review
Lesson Topic 3: Greek and Latin Roots
Believe it or not, most of the words in the English language today were not originally English. These words were taken from other languages. The majority of English words have either Latin or Greek origins. When you know the meaning of a root word, it can help you to figure out the meaning of a word you don't know. Knowing familiar prefixes and suffixes can also help with this process as well.
| Description | Examples | |
| Root | The root is the base element of the word. It is the part of the word that contains the definition. |
The root -aud means to hear or listen. Words like auditorium, audio, and audition utilize this root word. If you didn't know the meaning of one of these words, you could figure it out by knowing that -aud has something to do with sound. |
| Prefix |
A prefix is a word element that is placed in front of a word. A prefix changes the words meaning or makes a new word. |
The prefix -bi means two. Words such as bicycle, binary, bipartisan all use this prefix, so you know that all three words have something to do with the word two. |
| Suffix |
A suffix is a word element that is placed after the root. The root changes the word's meaning as well as its function. |
The suffix -logy means study and science, so if you didn't know what words like biology, geology, and neurology meant, you could figure it out by knowing the suffix -logy. |
Prefixes and suffixes are called affixes because they are attached to a root.
Make it your goal to memorize as many of these roots as possible before the end of the school year.
Review
Now that you have completed the initial assessments for this module, review the lesson material with the practice activities and extra resources.
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