We have been learning a lot about the English language and its extensive vocabulary. It is one of those interesting languages that have many root words.
Now, do you know that not all those root words have an English origin? Some root words have different origin such as Greek, Sanskrit, Latin and many more. With that said, English has lots of Greek and Latin roots. While these Greek and Latin root words help the students to figure out just other English words.
We at Englishbix bring you some of the common Greek and Latin root words that are used in English. It is the best way to learn to identify the root words and decipher the vocabulary.
Common English Words of Greek and Latin Origin
Let’s see the list of words in English formed using the base of Greek root words along with an example.
10 English Words Derived from Greek Origin
1. Root Word: Anti – It means old
- Antique: After the castings were attached, the entire frame was gilded in antique gold.
- Antiquated: The work evokes an antiquated industrial machine, the slowness suggesting its imminent halt.
2. Root Word: Arch – It means first and ancient.
- Archetype: However, it begins to fall apart if presentational elements do not fall easily into the predetermined buckets for each archetype.
- Archangel: The show of spring flowers, in particular bluebells, yellow archangel, and stitchworts, is not to be missed.
3. Root Word: Athl – It means a prize
- Athlete: The athlete completed his routine with a level of legerity that astounded even the harshest of judges.
- Athletic: Athletic women who are underweight at the start of the pregnancy commonly gain more weight, while overweight women may gain less.
4. Root Word: Auto – It means self
- Automatic: The luxury lavatory has even been embellished with an automatic air-freshener.
- Automobile: Then the administration canceled an agreement requiring automobile companies to make the leap to more fuel-efficient vehicles.
- Autonomous: They have also tested fully autonomous landings and semi-autonomous take-offs for the gas-powered rotorcraft.
5. Root Word: Basi – It means the bottom
- Basic: The basic structure of the villa is aulic, with perpendicular rooms at either end of the main hall.
Now as we have known about the Greek root words along with the examples, let’s move ahead to check out Latin root words that find their application in English Vocabulary.
12 English Words Derived from Latin Origin
1. Root Word: Ann, -enne- , annus – It means something that refers to year or yearly.
- Anniversary: A couple approaching their golden anniversary have thanked the Lord for 50 years of marital bliss.
- Annual: A trellis covered with flowering annual vines, such as morning glories and nasturtiums, provides birds both food and shelter.
- Millennium: For the first millennium of mankind’s navigation of the seas, we only skimmed the surface.
2. Root Word: Aqu – It means water
- Aqua: He had painted the ceiling and window and doorframes an aqua green, the walls eau-de-nil.
- Aquamarine: The colors ranged from pale blue to aquamarine to dark green, and there were dark brown or black strands woven throughout.
- Aquarium: He was much more at home in rumpled khakis or a wet suit and in the aquarium with the dolphins.
- Aqueduct: Just as my vehicle crossed an aqueduct, they detonated a homemade bomb by remote control and it tore through the floor of my car.
3. Root Word: Argent – It means silver
- Argent: His name was Sir John Cliseton, and he bore for arms a field argent, fretted azure, with a mullet argent in chief.
- Argentina: The game was played in front of a very vocal Brazilian delegation cheering loudly for Argentina.
4. Root Word: Audi- It means hearing or listening or sound. You might come across a word in Latin ‘audire’ which literary means ‘to hear’.
- Audible: While attending the lectures, the din of clashes outside the campus was audible.
- Auditorium: It’s kind of an open concept, like a half-covered, tiered, outdoor auditorium.
- Auditory: The preference of auditory learning indicates your basic reflectiveness coupled with a tendency to process information sequentially.
Quite confusing humm!, Don’t worry you don’t have to learn them all at once. Take your time….. Bookmark this guide for your future reference and have it saved for your root words English vocabulary.