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A Little EtymologyIf you recognize the parts, you'll understand the whole: learn the Greek and Latin roots, the prefixes and affixes.by N.S. Gill
As someone trained in foreign languages and theoretical linguistics, I completely agree with the experts quoted in Why your kids should learn Latin. I would add that the study of Ancient Greek stems and affixes is equally valuable. As a follow-up to this article, I would suggest that you compile a short course on the meanings of Greek and Latin stems and affixes, focussing upon their value as reading aids in English and the Romance languages. Today's feature is meant to be an introduction to Classical stems and affixes -- not an introduction to linguistics. Following the advice of William Harris, the major expert quoted in my feature named above, I found the small, but dense 1953 gem, Scientific Terminology, invaluable. Hypothetical Examples You've all heard the story about the fellow who went in for a routine exam only to land on the operating table. This could conceivably happen to a patient seeking a routine colonoscopy. Way back, when I was TAing Medical Terms, there were many students who wouldn't have selected the right tools -- or even the right orifice for the colonoscopy. There are many who would have gone straight for a woman's reproductive organs, searching for growths to cut away, mistaking not only the colon for the vagina, but an examination for a cutting procedure. The confusion went the other way as well, with students mistaking a colposcopy (examination of the cervix and vagina) for a colectomy (the removal of the large bowel). Root Suffix=WordThe suffix on please is an e. Does that surprise you? It did me. But if you look at the word pleas-ure, it makes sense, since removing its suffix leaves the same root as in pleas-e. As John Hough, in Scientific Terminology, points out, roots rarely exist alone. They usually precede suffixes. The same is true of Greek and Latin, even if, when borrowing, we sometimes drop the suffix. Thus, the word cell in English is really the Latin cella, from which we've dropped the a suffix.Not only do almost all English words contain roots plus suffixes, but, according to Hough, suffixes can't stand alone. A suffix does not have meaning on its own, but needs to be connected to the root. A suffix is an inseparable form that cannot be used alone but that carries an indication of quality, action, or relation. When added to a combining form, it makes a complete word and will determine whether the word is a noun, adjective, verb, or adverb.... This is different from a compound word which, in loose English usage, is usually thought of as just another case of root plus suffix. Sometimes two Greek or Latin words are put together to form a compound word. Often we think of these words as suffixes when they aren't, technically, although they may be thought of as end forms. The following is a chart of some common Greek "end forms."
If you choose to ignore Hough's caveat about end forms vs. suffixes (and you might well question whether it really matters), you might find this [www.cyberhealth.org/suffixes.html] Medical Suffixes page helpful. If you don't care whether it's a root, prefix or suffix, you might derive some benefit from [www.mirrors.org.sg/neuron/neuropre.html] Prefixes to Commonly Used Terms in Neuroscience. Root Suffix Prefix=WordPrefixes are usually adverbs or prepositions derived from Greek or Latin that can't be used alone in English. While suffixes are often joined to their roots by separate connecting vowels, the transformation of these prepositional and adverbial prefixes is more direct, although often the final letter of the prefix is changed or eliminated. In two-letter prefixes, this can be confusing. Among other changes, n can become m or s and a final b or d may be changed to match the first letter of the root.This list won't help you figure out antipasto, but it will prevent you from describing the antonym of precedent as antident or polydent.
Adjective Root Suffix=WordThe following tables contain Greek and Latin adjectives in the form used to combine with English words.
Colors
Numerals
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