how words work(roots prefixes.doc

How Words Work廖家璇 12 号 1513490104End note: In my second year of Latin in high school, we were required to find twenty-five Latin word roots and for each root to find five English words containing the root. This exercise not only helped to increase my vocabulary, but it gave me a valuable insight into the way many English words are constructed. As technology advances, new words are coined to cover some new idea or thing, and often these words are created from existing roots. A little root knowledge here can therefore help us to begin to understand a new word even before we read about its meaning.Many words are made up of a root (or base word) and a prefix. Some words also have a suffix. For example, the root word port means to carry or to bear. Attach the prefix ex, meaning out or out of, and you have the word export, to carry out. Attach the prefix im, meaning in or into and you have import, to carry in. Attach the prefix trans, meaning across, and you have transport, meaning to carry across. Now let's attach the suffix able, meaning able to be, and you have importable, exportable, and transportable. The very words prefix and suffix are good examples, too. Pre means before and fix means to fasten or attach, so quite literally, a prefix is something attached to the beginning of something else. Suf is a variant of sub, below or under, so a suffix is something fastened underneath something else (in this case, behind the root). By learning the common roots and prefixes (and a few suffixes) you will be able to discern the meaning of many new words almost immediately. (But do look them up for confirmation.) Take the word abject, for example. If you know that ab means away or down and ject means to throw, you can easily figure out that abject doesn't mean something happy. Rather abject's root meaning of thrown down is quite close to the dictionary defintion of cast down in spirit or sunk into depression.Note that some modern words are formed by using abbreviated forms of other words. Thus, we see the use of the letter i for Internet in iPhone, iPod, and iTunes, indicating that these items or services work with the Internet. Similarly, the use of e for electronic appears in words such as elearning (and various forms: eLearning, E-Learning, and so on), e-commerce, and e-business. The "e-terms" seem to have been coined before the "i-terms" became popular. And note that most of the "i-terms" are trademarks, while the others are general descriptors: "I'm going to download some iTunes from Apple's e-commerce site because I love e-music." At any rate, these abbreviated forms are not traditional prefixes, but because they are indeed attached to the front of what amounts to root words, they could be considered functional prefixes. Enjoy this list, together with the discovery of new words and the secret code behind much of the English language.When you are ready, try the Word Roots Worksheet 1 to see how well you understand how roots and prefixes work.Then try Word Roots Worksheet 2 for more fun.And for a number challenge, try the Number Prefixes Worksheet. You'll love it.General Roots and PrefixesRoot or Prefix Meaning Examplesa, an not, without atheist无神论者；anarchy无政府状态，无秩序； anonymous匿名的，无名的，无个性特征的；apathy无兴趣，漠不关心，无感情；aphasia失语症；anemia贫血症；atypical非典型的，不合规则的；anesthesia麻醉，麻木；ab away, down, from, off absent缺席的，缺少的； abduction诱拐，绑架，诱导； aberrant异常的，畸变的，脱离常轨的，迷乱的；abstemious节约的，节省的，有节制的；abnormal反常的，不规则的，变态的；abstract摘要，抽象，抽象的概念；absorb吸收，吸引，承受，理解；acro acrobat杂技演员，特技演员；acrophobia恐高症，高处恐怖症；acronym首字母缩略词； acromegaly肢端肥大症； acropolis（古希腊都城的）卫城，城堡；actaction行动，活动，功能，战斗，情节；react,反应，影响，反抗，起反作用；transaction交易，事务，办理，会报，学报；proactive前摄的；activity活动；activation激活，活化作用； deactivate使无效，使不活动，遣散，复员；ad to, towardadmit承认，准许进入，可容纳； addition添加，加法，增加物； advertisement广告，宣传；adherent信徒，追随者； admonish告诫，劝告；address演说，从事，忙于，写姓名地址；adhesive胶黏剂，粘合剂；adept熟练的，擅长…的；adjust调整，使…适合，校准；alt highaltitude高地，高度；altimeter测高仪，高度计；alto男声最高音，中音乐器；contralto女低音，女低音歌唱家；altocumulus高积云；exalt提升，提拔，赞扬；ambul to walkambulatory流动的，走动的，非固定的；Amble（马）缓行，从容漫步；ambulance救护车，战时流动医院；somnambulist梦游者，梦游症患者；perambulate巡行，巡视，漫步； preamble序文，电报报头，先兆，作序文anima soul, life animation活泼，生气，激励； inanimate无生命的，无生气的； animal动物；anime日本动漫，芳香树脂； equanimity平静，镇定；animism万物有灵论；animus敌意，意图，基本态度；ante before anteroom前厅，接待室，候见室；Antebellum（美国南北)战争前的； antedate先于，前于；antecedent前情，先行词，祖先； antediluvian大洪水前的，远古的，陈旧的，旧式的；anti, ant against, opposite antisocial反社会的；antiseptic防腐的，抗菌的，反本性的；antithesis,对立面，对照，对仗； antibody免疫抗体；antichrist反对基督者，基督的敌人；antinomies自相矛盾antifreeze,防冻剂；antipathy反感，厌恶，憎恶，不相容；antigen免疫抗原；antibiotic抗生的，抗菌的；antidote解毒剂，解药，矫正方法；antifungal抗真菌的，杀真菌的；antidepressant抗抑郁剂；arm weaponarmy陆军，军队；armament武器，军备；disarm解除武装，裁军，缓和；rearm重新武装，重整军备；armistice停战，休战，休战协议；armor装甲，盔甲；armory军械库，兵工厂；arms臂，武器，纹章；audi to hear audience观众，听众，读者，接见；auditory听众，礼堂；audible听得见的；auditorium礼堂，会堂，观众席；audiovisual视听的，视听教学的；audition听力，听觉，试听；audiobook有声读物；auto self automobile汽车；automatic自动的，无意识的，必然的；autograph亲笔，手稿，亲笔签名；autonomous自治的，自主的，自发的；a。