Transcript Roots and Affixes

Roots and Affixes
How words are created
Today’s Warm-up
• How do we figure out what a word means if we
don’t know it?
Learning Objective
• Define affix, prefix, suffix, and
root word
• Analyze the use of root words and
affixes
• Analyze the use of Greek and
Latin word roots to *determine
the meaning of words.
Vocabulary
• English vocabulary include short words like the
article a as well as longer word such as
inextricably and denunciation.
• Short word such as speak and solve are called
base words
• Base words cannot be reduced to smaller parts.
• Other words can be added to them to produce
longer words with various meanings.
Word Parts
• There are two kinds of word parts: roots and
affixes.
• A root is a word part that comes from another
language, such as Greek or Latin.
• An affix is a word part that can be attached to
either a root or a base word to create a new
word.
Affixes
• Affixes can be divided into two categories:
prefixes (appear at the beginning of words) and
suffixes (appear at the end of words).
Common Prefixes
Common Suffixes
Bi-
two
-al
adjectival suffix
Anti-
against
-fy
verb suffix
Inter-
between
-ic
adjectival suffix
Pre-
before
-ion
noun suffix
Super-
above
-ism
noun suffix
Trans-
across
-ize
verb suffix
Dis-
not
-ous
adjectival suffix
APK
Prefixes:
un- undo
re- refill
pro- for,
forward
Suffixes:
-ful
joyful
-ly
sadly
-ness kindness
Prefixes are at the
beginning of words.
pre- means before
fix means attach,
repair
Suffixes are at the end of words.
So, “prefix” means “attached
before.”
A root is a set of letters that have
meaning. It is the most basic form .
Affixes are added to the root to create a
new word.
Example:
The Latin root ject means “throw”
So project can mean “to throw forward”
• A root can be at the front, middle or end of a
word.
English words can have all three parts:
prefix + root + suffix
ab + duct + ed
away from + to lead/pull + verb: past tense
abducted means ”pulled or lead away from”
i.e. The general was abducted by masked gunmen.
Word
Meaning
geology
earth study / study of the earth
telegraph
distance writing / writing that travels far
tricycle
three wheels
asocial
not being companionable /
not wanting to join others
Check it out
Roots
Affixes
Latin Root: tang,
meaning “touch”
Prefix: in-, meaning
“not”
Greek Root: chrome,
meaning “color”
Suffix: -ible, meaning
“able to”
Apply
• For example one could analyze the word
intangible, using the chart shown previously.
• First break the word into its parts:
PREFIX ROOT SUFFIX ENGLISH WORD
In- + tang + -ible = intangible
Tang
In-ible
is a latin roots meaning “touch”
is a prefix meaning “not”
is a suffix meaning “able to”
Meaning
• The meaning of a word is related to the meaning
of its word parts.
• To unlock the meaning of an unfamiliar word,
break the word down into its component parts;
then think about the meaning of the word’s
affixes and root.
• Which one of the following shows a root with
an affix?
1.bicycle
How did you know?
2. hippopotamus
Word Families
• A group of English words may be derived from
the same word part of root. Such a group is
called a word family.
• You can use this knowledge to help you
determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Try this out:
Shared roots: solo, solitary, solitude
Root: sol= ?
Answer: Alone, can you think of other
words in the family?
• Solitare
• Soloist
• Based on your knowledge of the root and the
meaning of other words in the same family, try
to define the meaning of the above words.
• Solitare- a card game played by one person
• Soloist- one who performs alone
root + suffix
astrology
biology
astro = stars
-logy = study of
bio = life
-logy = study of
So it means:
"the study of stars”
So it means:
“the study of life”
prefix + root
empathy
enamor
em- = having
pathy = feeling
en- = having
amor = love
So it means:
“having feeling”
What does enamor
mean?
The soldier had empathy for the
prisoner.
“having love”
root + root
pseudonym
aqueduct
pseudo = false
nym = name
aque = water
duct = to lead/pull
”false name”
What is an aqueduct used
for?
How do you know that?
Samuel Clemens wrote under the
pseudonym “Mark Twain.”
Try one:
Words:
• Diminish
• Diminutive
• Minimum
• What do these words have in common?
• Which words do you know?
• What do you think the meaning of the root is?
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word family: ethnicity, ethnic, ethnographer
Root: ethn
Meaning:
▫ Ocean
▫ Nation
▫ Hesitation
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word family: maniac, maniacal
Root: mania
Meaning:
▫ Education
▫ Sanitation
▫ Madness
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word family: epidermis, dermatology
Root: derm
Meaning:
▫ Skin
▫ Body
▫ Mind
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word Family: laboratory, labor
Root: lab
Meaning:
▫ Work
▫ Good
▫ Weak
Let’s see what you know:
• Divide and indivisible are members of the same
word family. Which root so they share?
A. –visB. -visibleC. -div• What is the meaning of this root?
A. separate
B. shrink
C. junk
• What is another member of the same word
family?
A. December B. dividend
C. invisible