HOW WILL WE LEARN ALL THESE WORDS? ETYMOLOGY AND VOCABULARY
ACROSS THE CONTENT AREAS B.Selah Lee-Bey
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What is Etymology The key to developing ones vocabulary is
etymology. Etymology: The study of the origins of words. Etym (true
sense; origin) + ology (the study of ) Etymology consists of Word
Parts (Affixes and Roots) Word Origins (Latin; Greek; German; etc)
How words change over time Word cognates in various languages
within a language family.
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Why Etymology Students are able to learn up to 50 words per
week by studying 4 word parts.
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Word Parts: Prefix A prefix is a word part that is placed at
the beginning of a word. Pre (before) + fix (to fasten) Other
Examples: Review React Interview Interact
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Word Parts: Prefix A prefix changes the meaning of a word
Examples: construct; reconstruct; deconstruct Struct (the root)
means to build Con + struct: to build together/with Re + con +
struct: to build together again De + con + struct: to build
down
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Prefix Rules A prefix can function as an intensifier. Example:
Confirm: con + firm (to make more firm). Firm is a root indicating
strength. Obtain: ob + tain (a stronger version of attain). The
root tain means to stretch and hold.
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Word Parts: Suffix A suffix is a word part that is placed at
the end of a word. Suff (after) + fix (to fasten) hopeful
goodness
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Word Parts: Suffix A suffix can change the part of speech of a
word Noun Suffix Endings -age: mileage; postage; damage -ship:
fellowship; friendship; sportsmanship Verb Suffix Endings -ate
(calculate; meditate; evaporate) - ize/ise (memorize; sympathize;
comprise)
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Word Parts: Suffix A suffix can change the part of speech of a
word Adjective Suffix Ending - able (capable; lovable) -al
(national; natural; seasonal) Adverb Endings -ly (nationally;
naturally; swiftly) - where (somewhere; anywhere)
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Suffix Rules A word can have as many as three suffixes Example:
constitution; constitutional; constitutionality Root: sti: to stand
Con (prefix) + sti(tu) + tion Con (prefix) + sti(tu) + tion + al
Con (prefix) + sti(tu) + tion + al + ity
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Suffix Rules Like Musical; comical; classical Fantastic;
realistic; Slavic State of/Condition/Quality Appointment;
retirement Insistence; patience; inheritance One who: Physician;
musician; politician Teacher; barber; carpenter Artist; pianist;
astrologist Suffixes have meanings
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Word Parts: Roots The root is the main part of a word. It is
the part of the word which the prefix and suffix are fastened.
Remember: pre (before) + fix (fasten) suf (after) + fix (fasten)
Think of the roots as the anchor that carries the basic meaning of
a word. What is the Root? The root word part is like the root of a
plant. It carries meaning or nutrients to allow a word to blossom
and grow.
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Word Parts: Roots Cred: to believe Incredible: In (not) + cred
(believe) + ible (able) Definition: not able to believe Creditor:
Cred(it) + or (a person who) Definition: a person that determines
whether you can be trusted or believed
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Word Parts: Roots Ject: to throw Reject: Re (back) + ject
(throw): Definition: to throw back Project: Pro (forward) + ject
(throw) Definition: to throw forward Interject: Prefix: Inter
Definition: to throw between
Conspicuous con + spic + uous: visible, open to view, striking
Resist Re + sist To stand against Whats the Root of this Word?
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Respect Re + spect To look back (and see someone); to regard
Institute In + stit + ut(e) + ion To cause to stand (i.e.
establish) Whats the Root of this Word?
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Establish E + stabl(e) + ish To make stable Whats the Root of
this Word?
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Regard Re + gard (as in guard) To look or to heed Speculative
Spec + (ul) + at(e) +ive Describing something that has been looked
at or examined intellectually Whats the Root of this Word?
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1. Which words have similar meanings Speculative; conspicuous
Establish; institute Respect; regard Semantic Discussions
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3. The word resist has the same root form as consist, insist,
and assist. Based on the change in prefix, what is the meaning of
the each of the three words mentioned above? Semantic Discussions
(con)
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The Matrix Map (Beginner)
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The Matrix Map (Advanced)
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The Matrix Map (Beginner)
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The Matrix Map (Advanced)
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Denotation vs Connotation Denotation: This is the literal
meaning of a word. It translates as from the letters/markings. That
is, the meaning is from the original markings (see etymology).
Connotation: This is the shaded/colored meaning. It translates as
added letters/markings
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What is the Connotation? Stench Definition: a smell, a scent,
an odor. Etymology: O.E. stenc; Old Saxon stanc; Old German stank-
to emit a smell. Evil odor meaning applied in 1200 c. Scent
Definition: what can be smelled. Etymology: O.F. sentir; Latin
sentire- to feel, perceive, sense, discern, hear, see
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Liberal Arts: Music Music Old French: musique (12 c.) Latin:
musica Greek: mousikos, pertaining to the Muses Same root as
mind
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Liberal Arts: Music Forte and Fortissimo strong
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Liberal Arts: Music Crescendo and Descrescendo to grow loudly
or quietly in sound
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Liberal Arts: Music Dolce sweetly Remember, Latin- based or
Romance languages (from Rome) have cognates that follow a similar
spelling format as in English. Thus, dolce means to play sweetly,
similarly to dulce, which is sweet in Spanish.
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Liberal Arts: Music Grave heavily Similar to the words gravity;
gravitate; and gravitas- all of these refer to weight
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Biological Sciences: Botany Etymology can help students to
recall the scientific names of various plant families, genera, and
species.
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Biological Sciences: Botany Using the system of scientific
classification, botanists identify plants by their family, genus,
and species. Today, plants scientific names are based on binomial
nomenclature system using the generic and the specific
epithets.
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Biological Sciences: Botany This flower is called the Rosa
canina. It is classified as follows: Family: Rosae Genus: Rosa
Species: Canina This is a dog rose (canina refers to the dog)
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Biological Sciences: Botany Most plant names are Latin or Greek
in origin. The family names have the suffix aceae, which means
belonging to, having the nature of Examples Asteraceae Fabaceae
Apiaceae Solanaceae Zingiberaceae
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Biological Sciences: Botany Most plant names are Latin or Greek
in origin. The family names have the suffix aceae, which means
belonging to, having the nature of Family NameDerivational Meaning
AsteraceaeStar-shaped Fabaceaebean Apiaceae/Umbellif eraceae Celery
bearing umbells SolanaceaeNight-shade; soothing effect
ZingiberaceaeGinger
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Biological Sciences: Botany Asteraceae: Aster=star Star-shaped
flowers, such as sunflowers, dandelions, etc Fabaceae: Faba=bean
Family of beans, peas, and legumes
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Biological Sciences: Botany Genus Latin in form Ends in a, -um,
or us Seven classes of distinction Species Latin in form
Descriptive: albus (white), bellus (pretty), odoratus (scented)
Geographical: anglicus (English), hispanicus (Spanish) Personal
names: davidii (A.David)
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Biological Sciences: Anatomy and Physiology Anatomical
terminology is rooted in Indo-European languages; thus, etymology
will help students readily define given terms.
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Biological Sciences: Anatomy and Physiology Anterior
Ante=before Posterior Post=after
Biological Sciences: Anatomy and Physiology - plasty (surgical
repair) Angioplasty Rhinoplasty Palatoplasty -ectomy (remove part
of the body) Craniectomy Iridectomy Hysterectomy Surgical
Procedures
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Biological Sciences: Anatomy and Physiology - itis
(inflammation) Gingivitis Arthritis Chondritis - algia (sensitivity
to pain) Fibromyalgia Arthralgia Cardialgia Diseases
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Social Sciences: Psychology Psychology Psych: the mind ology:
the study of
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Social Sciences: Psychology Bipolar: two poles bi (two) + pol
(poles) + ar Insomnia: not able to sleep in (not) + som (sleep)
Schizophrenia schizo (split) + phren (mind) + ia
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Social Sciences: Psychology Mania mind of passion, fury, and
rage Kleptomania klepto: thief Pyromania pyro: fire
Trichotillomania tricho: hair till: pull Dermatillonmania derma:
skin till: pull
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Social Sciences: Psychology Phobias Phobia is Greek for fear
claustraphobia claus: closed arachnophobia arachno: spider
algophobia fear of pain
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Mathematics Etymology can assist students in understanding
mathematical concepts.
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Mathematics Bisector Bi means 2 sect means cut or refers to a
thing or person (noun) Bi + sect + or something that cuts a shape
into two parts.
Algebra 1550s, from Medieval Latin algebra, from Arabic al jabr
("in vulgar pronunciation, al-jebr" [Klein]) "reunion of broken
parts, as in computation
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Mathematics Trigonometry tri: three gon: angle (shape) metry:
measure the relationship between lengths and angle measurements of
triangles
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Mathematics Algorithm and Arithmetic have the same root. Can
you guess what it is? rit, meaning number
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Social Sciences: Political Science Etymology can help students
identify various forms of government in political science
classes.
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Social Sciences: Political Science -cracy From Latin kratos
meaning rule -archy From Greek arkhos, meaning rule
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Social Sciences: Political Science Oligarchy: Oligos (few) +
cracy (rule) Anarchy: An (no) + archy (rule)
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Social Sciences: Political Science Aristocracy: Aristo (rich) +
cracy (rule) Democracy: Demo (people) + cracy(rule)
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Social Sciences: Political Science Theocracy: Theo (God ) +
cracy (rule) Monarchy: Mon(o) (one) + cracy(rule)
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Social Sciences: Political Science Kleptocracy: Klepto
(theives) + cracy (rule) Meritoctacy: Merit (earned/assigned) +
cracy(rule)
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Social Sciences: Political Science and Sociology Patriarchy:
Patri (father/male) + cracy (rule) Matriarchy: Martri
(mother/female) + cracy(rule)
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Social Sciences: Economics Oligopoly trade with a few Monopoly
trade with one
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion Philosophy Lover of
Wisdom (philos: love; soph: wisdom)
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion God Latin: divinus
Greek: theos theology; divinity; atheist; polytheism; monotheism;
deity
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion -ology: study of
Doxology: beliefs Epistemology: knowledge from experience
Cosmology: the world Mythology: myths or stories ology comes from
logos, which means the word
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion Paradox Para: contrary
dox: belief Orthadox Ortha: straight dox: belief
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion Dogma that which one
things is true This word has a similar root as doxology. They share
a Proto-Indo European root, thus sharing meaning as well.
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion Utilitarian look within
the word and see util utilize; utility something you use
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Social Science: Philosophy and Religion Nihilism nihilim: no
small thing nil: none Have students think of annihilate (to reduce
to nothing)
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English is a Western Germanic language that follows a Latin
spelling pattern; thus, it appears to be a Romance language, which
is linguistically classified as Italic. We often look
Proto-Indo-European roots of words because their cognates in
various languages hold the same meaning. For example:
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Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is not a language, but a
reconstruction of a language said to be the ancestor of modern
Indo-European Languages. It was spoken in an (as of yet)
unidentified area between eastern Europe and the Aral Sea around
the fifth millennium B.C. American Heritage Dictionary PIE roots
are the most basic form of the root of a word to which it can be
traced back to throughout the Indo European family of languages.
The map provides a good indication of how this works.
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[Looking in the Brackets]
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The roots gen, nat, nasc, and kin all share a PIE root. The PIE
for the above root is gen - which means Birth, Source, or
Origin
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The roots sti, sta, stat, sis, sist, and syst all share a PIE
root. The PIE root for the above roots is Hint: look up words with
the roots named above. Constitute; Station; Statistic; System;
Consistent Sta - Which means to stand or remain in place
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The roots fac, fec, fic, and fy all share a PIE root. The PIE
root for the above roots is Hint: look up words with the roots
named above. factory; perfection; efficient; clarity Dhe- Which
means to make, place, or do
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Works Cited Pierson, H. Using Etymology in the Classroom. ELT J
(1989) 43 (1): 57-63 Rasinski, Tim. Greek & Latin Roots: Keys
to Building Vocabulary. Shell Education (2008)
