Etymology of the English language

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Learning roots helps your vocabulary expand!

Online search engine for the roots of different English words:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php

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:sl:

I've decided to expand this thread by covering some Latin roots.

:)

For all those kiddos studying for SATs or maybe some other standardized test. Put down those flashcards, and learn your roots!

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Latin Root:

ag, agi, ig, act

Definition:

to do, move, go


Words:
agent, agenda, agitate, navigate, ambiguous, action. mitigate

Mitigate:–verb (used with object)
1. to lessen in force or intensity, as wrath, grief, harshness, or pain; moderate.
2. to make less severe: to mitigate a punishment.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Great thread! :)



I never listened during my Latin and Greek lessons at school. We had a great teacher - perhaps the best teacher I ever had - but I just couldn't see the point of studying it, and so didn't get on with the work.

But somehow, some of it sunk in. I now use that knowledge on what seems an almost daily basis, to work out unfamiliar words. It's amazing the things you can find out, if you can read.

If you know these three Greek words:

dendros = tree
chronos = time
logos = word (connected with writing and knowledge)

you'd be able to have a pretty good guess at what a fearsome-looking word like

Dendrochronology


means.



Have a look at this for a profusion (Latin: a pouring out) of these roots:


Greek and Latin Roots in English


Look down the list on the right-hand side and see where loads of the English words you know came from. :)


Peace

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Greetings!

I'm glad you're a fan of roots too! Roots always comes handy in any language.
Here's something you reminded me of to add to the list.

Dendros: tree

Dendrite
–noun
1. Petrology, Mineralogy.
a. a branching figure or marking, resembling moss or a shrub or tree in form, found on or in certain stones or minerals due to the presence of a foreign material.
b. any arborescent crystalline growth.
2. Anatomy. the branching process of a neuron that conducts impulses toward the cell.


Hint: think branches of a tree!

[Whatsthepoint]

You gotta love them roots.

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^ intentional pun?

From the dendros post ...you know tree...to roots...geddit?

Yeah I'm probably thinking too hard on that one.

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Root: Pen

PENUMBRA - almost
pe·num·bra (pĭ-nŭm'brə) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. pe·num·brae (-brē) or pe·num·bras

1. A partial shadow, as in an eclipse, between regions of complete shadow and complete illumination. See Synonyms at shade.
2. The grayish outer part of a sunspot.
3. An area in which something exists to a lesser or uncertain degree: "The First Amendment has a penumbra where privacy is protected from governmental intrusion" (Joseph A. Califano, Jr.)
4. An outlying surrounding region; a periphery: "Downtown Chicago and its penumbra also stand rejuvenated" (John McCormick).


[New Latin pēnumbra : Latin paene, almost + Latin umbra, shadow.]


Umbra : shadow
penumbra: before the shadow


In spanish, they have the word, "penultima" which means right before the last.