Roots and Affixes

1
Roots and Affixes

• How words are created

2
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.

3
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.

4
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
5
Check it out
Roots Affixes
Latin Root tang, meaning touch Prefix in-, meaning not
Greek Root chrome, meaning color Suffix -ible, meaing able to
6
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 words
  affixes and root.

7
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 is a latin roots meaning touch
• In- is a prefix meaning not
• -ible is a suffix meaning able to

8
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 ?

9
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

10
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?

11
Word Family Practice Questions

• Word family ethnicity, ethnic, ethnographer
  Root ethn
  Meaning
• Ocean
• Nation
• Hesitation

12
Word Family Practice Questions

• Word family maniac, maniacal
  Root mania
  Meaning
• Education
• Sanitation
• Madness

13
Word Family Practice Questions

• Word family epidermis, dermatology
  Root derm
  Meaning
• Skin
• Body
• Mind

14
Word Family Practice Questions

• Word Family laboratory, labor
  Root lab
  Meaning
• Work
• Good
• Weak

15
Lets see what you know

• Divide and indivisible are members of the same
  word family. Which root so they share?
• A. vis- B. -visible-
  C. -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