Roots and Affixes How words are created. Vocabulary English vocabulary include short words like the article a as well as longer word such as inextricably.

Roots and AffixesHow words are created

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

Check it out

Roots Affixes

Latin Root: tang, meaning “touch”

Prefix: in-, meaning “not”

Greek Root: chrome, meaning “color”

Suffix: -ible, meaing “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.

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”

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, solitudeRoot: 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

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. –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