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Richard
Nordquist is a freelance writer and former professor of English and Rhetoric
who wrote college-level Grammar and Composition textbooks.
Updated August
31, 2018
In English
grammar, a root is a word or portion of a word from which other words
grow, usually through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. By learning root words, you can decipher
unfamiliar words, expand your vocabulary, and become a better English
speaker.
The Roots of Words
Most words in
the English language are based on words from ancient Greek and Latin. The root
of the word "vocabulary," for example, is voc, a Latin root
meaning "word" or "name." This root also appears in
such words as "advocacy," "convocation,"
"evocative," "vocal," and "vowel." By dissecting
words such as these, etymologists can study how a word has evolved over time
and tell us about the cultures they came from.
Root words are
also useful for creating new words, especially in technology and medicine,
where new innovations occur frequently. Think of the Greek root word tele,
which means "far," and inventions that traverse long distances, such
as the telegraph, telephone, and television. The word "technology"
itself is a combination of two other Greek root words, techne, meaning
"skill" or "art," and logos, or "study."
Greek Root Words
The table below
defines and illustrates 25 of the most common Greek roots.
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