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Greek and Latin Root ListA a-, ab-, abs- Latin: from, away, away from; used as a prefix in a nerative. ad- Latin: to, a direction toward, addition to, near; used as a prefix acantho- Latin: thorn actino- acro- at a height aero- Greek: air, mist, wind aesth- Greek: feeling, sensation, perception agri-, agrio- Greek > Latin: fields algia- pain amat-, amor-, am- Latin: love, loving; fondness for ambi-, amb- Latin: both, on both sides; around, about ambul- Latin: walk, take steps, move around; from “to wander, to go astray” ami-, amic- Latin: friend anima-, anim- Latin: animal life; breath; soul; mind amph- Greek: around, about, both, on both sides of, both kinds anni-, annu- Latin: year, yearly ant- Greek: against, opposed to, preventive; used as a prefix /// Latin: before, in front of, prior to, forward; used as a prefix antho- flower apo- away from, or separate arc- arch arch(ae/i)- ancient arct(i/o)- north, bear are- space areni- sandy arg(en/lyr)- silver arthro- joint artic- jointed artio- even-numbered arundin- reed-like aqua-, aquatic-, aqui-, aqu-, -aquatically, aque-, -aqueous Latin: water asc- sac asper- rough aspid- shield astr- Greek: star, star shaped; also pertaining to outer space astrag- dice (originally a knuckle bone) ater, atra- black atr(ium)- vestibule audio-, aud-, audi-, audit- Latin: hearing, listening, perception of sounds aur- ear, gold austral- southern aut- Greek: self; directed from within aux- grow avi- bird axi- azyg- unpaired B baca- small berry baccatus- berried baena- walking balan- acorn barb- beard baro- weight basi- at the bottom bat(is) skate, ray bdella- sucker bell- pretty bi- two biblio- book bi(ola)- life blast- germ, embryo, bud. Also, cell with nucleus (e.g. sideroblast) bore- north botane- plant botry- small bunch of grapes bov- ox brachi- arm brachy- short brady- slow branch- gill brevi- short brizo- to nod bromo- oats, broom, shadow bronch- windpipe bucca- mouth cavity bulbos- bulbous bulla- bubble, flask bullat- wrinkled buno- hill bursa- pouch, purse C caduci- temporary caec- blind caerul- sky blue caespit- tufted calam- reed, aspen calc- stone calli- beautiful callos- callous calor- heat calyx- cup, chalice camp- field campanula- bell (instrument) cand- white, pure cani- dog cap(it)- head capill- hair capsella- small box card- heart carin- keel cam- flesh carotid- producing stupor carp- seed, wrist cary- nut cata- down cauda- tail cav- hollow centi- hundred ceph(al)- head cera(s)(t)- horn cerc- horns, lobes, short tail cerebro- brain cerv- neck ch(e)ir- hand/arm chaero- to please chaet- bristle chamae- on ground chel- turtle cheno- goose chiasm- crossing chil/cheilos- lip chlamy- outer garment chlor- green choan- funnel chondr- cartilage chord- cord chorion- membrane chrom- color chrys- golden chyl- fluid chym- juice cili- eyelash ciner- ashen, grey cipit- head circum- around cirr- tentacle (originally curl) cl(e)ist- closed clad- branch clast- broken clav- key cleid- key cleithr- bar, key clin- bed, recline cloaca- sewer coccus- berry, grain cogn- know cochl- shell coel- hollow col(on)- large intestine coll- neck collat- borne together columella- little column com- with commis- sent out communis- colonial commutat- changed compact- compact compress- flattened con- with conch- shell condyl- knuckle cono- cone contra- opposite convolvo- to entwine copro- dung cora(xlg)- raven corb- basket cord- heart corium- leather corn- horn coron- crown corp- body cort- bark cost- rib cotyl- cup crani- skull crass- thick crep- shoe cribi- sieve cric- crispus- curled crist- crest crosso- fringe, tassel cru(rals)- shank cruci- cross-like crypt- hidden cten- comb cune- wedge cusp- lance, point cuti- skin cyan- blue cycl- circular cyno- dog cyst- capsule cyt- cell D dactyl- finger dasy- shaggy deci- ten decid- falling off decuss- cross banding deka- ten delph- womb delphis- dolphin demi- half demoliri- to pull down; destroy dendr- tree dent/don/dont- tooth/teeth derm- skin dero- persisting desmo- band deut- second dextro- right di(a)- two dia- through didym- twin digit- finger dino- terrible diplo- double dipso- thirst dissect- deeply cut dodeca- twelve dont- tooth dors- back drom- quick running dubi- doubtful dulci- sweet duo- two dur- hard dys- difficulty E echino- spiny echis- viper eco- house ecto- outside effer- carrying away effusus- loosely spreading ejacul- throw out elasmo- plate, flat elat- tall -ell- diminutive ellucid- shining through embio- living embol- thrown in endo- inside engy- narrow ensi- sword entolenter- inside eo- dawn, east epi- upon equi- horse, equal erect- upright erythr- red esculent- edible ethm- sieve eu- well, very eury- wide ex- from exiguus- slender exo- outside extens- draw out extra- beyond extrins- coming from F fab- bean falc- sickle-shaped fallax- false fasc(ic)- bundle fatuus- foolish, useless feli- cat fer- carry ficar- fig-like fil- thread fistul- hollow, tube flacc- flabby flav- yellow flexu- wavy flocculus- lock of wool fluitans- floating foen- hay foetid- foul smelling foli- leaf fontan- fountain foramen- opening fornix- vault fovea- shallow round depression fruticans- shrubby fund- to pour furc(ul)- fork G gal- milk gale- weasel gall- of France gangli- knot gano- shining gast(e)r- stomach, pouch gemin- twins gemm- bud genu- knee, joint geranium- crane gerro- shield gladi- sword glen- socket glia- glue glom(er)- half of yam glo(ss/tt)- tongue glut- sticky gl(uly)c- sweet glypt- carved, engraved gnaph- wool gnath- jaw goni- angle gono- seed gracil- slender gram- of grass graph- to write or draw gymn- naked gyn- woman gyr- turning H haem- blood hal- salty hallu(x/ci)- big toe hamat- hook haplo- single, simple hasta(t)- spear-tip shape hect- hundred heira- hawk helios- sun helminth- worm helo- wart hemi- half hepa(r/t)- liver hepta- seven hetero- different hex- six hibem- winter hippo- horse hirsut- hairy hispid- bristly histri- actor holo- complete, whole homo- human/man (Latin) homo- same (Greek) homal- flat hormon- that which excites hortens- of gardens humus- ground hyal- glassy hydr- water hyemal- winter hyo- U-shaped hyper- above hypo- beneath I ichthy- fish -ida- like -idae- ending of zoological family names ileum- twisted impar- unpaired in- in, not -in- diminutive -inae- ending of zoological sub-family names incarnat- flesh coloured incis- cutting in incus- anvil inermis- unarmed inflexis- rigid infra- under inter- between intra- within iod- violet -iola- diminutive iris- rainbow iso- equal iter- passage J jug- yoked together jungoljunc- to bind K ket- ketone kilo- thousand kinesis- put, place, or position Krinein- to seperate; to decide; to judge L labi- lips labyrinth- tortuous passage lacer- torn lacrim- tears lact- milk lacuna- space laevo- left lagena- flask lamella- leaf, layer lan(at)- wool lanceol(at)- lance-shaped lati- broad lecith- egg yolk lemm- skin, husk lens- lentil, bean leo(n)- lion lepid- scale lepto- slender leuc- white levator- lifter lign- wood ligul- strap-shaped lin- line ling- tongue lip- fat lith- stone log(y)- discourse loph- crest lumen- cavity luna- moon lupus- wolf lute- yellow lymph- clear water lysis- loosen M macr- large macula- spot magni- large maj- greater mala- cheek malleus- hammer, mallet mamma- breast mandib- lower jaw manu- hand maritim- of the sea marsupium- pouch masseter- chewer mast- nipple mat(e)ri- mother maxi- large maxill- jaw maxim- greatest meatus- passage medi- middle medull- marrow mega- large mel(l)i- honey melan- black menin(x,g)- membrane meno- moon mer- part meso- middle meta- after, beyond metum- fear micro- small milli- thousand min- smaller minim- smallest mirabile- wonderful miss- sent mito- thread mixi- mingle moll- soft monil- string of beads mono- one Monty- a man of idiotic pretences morph- form motor- mover multi- many mural- walls muri- mouse myo- muscle, mouse myri- countless myx- mucous myz- sucker N na(rls)- nose necro- dead necto- swimming nema- hair nemoral- in woods neo- new nephr- kidney neur- nerve nictitat- winking nigr- black non- not nona- nine noth- spurious notho- southern noto- back, south nu(clx)- nut nuch- back of neck nucle- little nut nud- naked nulli- none nutans- nodding O obtect- concealed obturat- closed obtusi- blunt occiden- Western occip- back of head oct- eight -ode- way or path odont- tooth odor- fragrant oecious- house of oed- swollen oen- wine oesoph- gullet officinal- used in medicine -oid- like olecran- skull of elbow oleo- oily olfact- smelling oligo- few oliva- olive omaso- paunch oment- fat skin omm- eye omo- shoulder omphalo- navel onto- existing oo- egg op(t)- eye operculum- little cover ophi- snake ophthalmo- eye opistho- behind opoter- either or- mouth orbi- circle orch- testicle oriental- Eastern ornith- bird ortho- straight os(ti)- mouth os(s/t)- bone ostrac shell ot- ear ovi- sheep ovo- egg oxys, oxus- sharp, pointed P pachy- thick palae- old palli(um)- mantle pallid- pale palustri- in marshes pan- ali par(a)- near parie- wall parvi- little patella- small dish patens- spreading pect(or)- chest pectin- comb-like ped- foot, child pene- almost penia- deficiency pent- five per(i)- through, beyond peregrin- foreign peri- around persic- peach petr- rock phaeo- dark phag- eat phalan(g/x)- close formation of troops phalar- shining phanero- visible pher- carry phil- love phloe- tree bark phor- carry pho(s/to)- light phragm- fence phren- diaphragm, mind phyl- tribe phyll- leaf physa- bladder physio- nature phyto- plant pil- hair pinea- pine cone pinnat- feather-shaped pisum- pea pisc- fish plac- plate, tablet plagio- oblique plan- flat platy- flat, broad plec(o/t)- twist, pluck plesio- near pleth- full pleur- side plex- interwoven plica- fold plum- feather pneu(mo/st)- air, lung pod- foot pogo- beard polio- grey polit- polished poll(ex)- thumb poly- many pons- bridge porc- pig porphyr- purple porta- gate post- after potam- river potero- drinking cup praeco- early pratens- in meadows pre- before prim- first pro- in front of proct- anus procumbens- lying flat profund- deep proliger- bear offspring prom- first proso- front prostratus- lying flat prot- first prunus- plum psamma- sand pseud- false psycho- mind psychro- cold pter- wing, fern ptyal- sahva pubescens- downy pubi- sexually mature pulmo- lung pungens- pungent pusill- very small pygo- rump pyl- gate pyo- pus pyr- heat, fire pyrus- pear Q quadr- four quart- four quin(t/que)- five R rach- spine radi- root ram- branching ran- frog rapa- turnip raph- seam rect- straight reflex- bent back ren- kidney repens- crawling reptans- crawling retic- network retina- little net retro- behind, backward rhabd- rod rhach- spine rhage- tear, rent rhin- nose, snout rhiz- root rhodo- red rhynch- snout -rrh- flow rode- gnaw rogos- wrinkled rostr- beak, prow rota- tum, wheel rub(e)r- red rumen- throat S sapien- thinking, wise, knowing sacchar- sugar saccul- little sac sacr- sacred sagitta- arrow sal- salt sanguini- bloody sapon- soap sarc- flesh sativus- cultivated saur- lizard/reptile scala- ladder scalene- uneven scaph- anything hollow, bowl, ship schizo- split scler- hard scop- gaze, small owl, broom, shadow scut- shield scyph- cup seba- tallow, wax sect- cut segetum- in cornfields selen- moon sella- saddle, seat semi- half sept- seven, wall ser(olu)- any body fluid serot- late serrat- saw-toothed set- hair sex- six simi- monkey sinus- hollow, bay sipho- tube sol- sun soma- body somni- sleep spec- see specios- showy sperm- seed sphen- wedge sphinct- closing spinos- spiny spondyl- vertebra squalid- squalid squam- scale squarros- spreading at tips stae(rlt)- fat sta(silt)- standing steg- covering stell- star steno- narrow stereo- solid steril- sterile stern- breastbone stom- mouth strat- layer strept- twisted strictus- upright, stiff strigos- having stiff bristles stroph- turning stupor- wonder styl- column sub- below sucr- sugar sulc- furrow super- beyond supin- lying back supra- above sutur- seam sym- with syn- with syrin(glx)- pipe sys- with T tachy- fast tact- touch taenia- ribbon talus- ankle tapetum- carpet tard- late tarsus- ankle tect- covered tegmen- covering tel (e/o)- far, end teleo- complete temno- cut tenacul- holding tentor- spread like a tent tenuis- slender ter(ti)- three teres- round tetr- four textilis- of textiles thalam- chamber, bed thalass- sea theca- case thel- nipple, female therm- heat thero- breast, mammal thyreo- large shield tinctori- of dyes torn- cut tomentos- densely woolly torpe- numb toxo- arrow, dart trab- beam trachy- rough trago- goat trans- across trapez- four sided, table trema- hole tremulans- trembling tri- three trich- hair trivialis- trivial troch- wheel trop- turning troph- feed tussi- cough U uliginosus- in marshes -ul- diminutive ulo- wooly ultra- above umbilic- navel un- one unc- hook ungui- nail, claw ungul- hoof, claw universitas- universe urens- bum uro- tail urs- of bears utricul- little skin bag uv(ela)- grapes uxor- wife V vagus- wandering vas- vessel velum- veil ven- vein ventr- belly verd- green veris- true verm- worm vern- spring versi- various vesic- blister vesper- evening, western vid- to see vill- shaggy hair, velvet virens- green visc- organs of body cavity vita- life vitell- yolk vitr- glass vora- devour vulgaris- common vulp- fox X xanth- yellow xen- stranger xeno- foreign xer- dry xiphi- sword xyl- wood Z zoo-, zo-, -zoic, -zoid, -zoite, -zoal, -zonal, -zooid, -zoon, -zoa, -zoan Greek: animal; living being; life zon- girdle zyg- yoke | ||||||||
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