Latin Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Latin was the language spoken by the ancient Romans. As the Romans conquered most of Europe, the Latin language spread throughout the region. Over time, the Latin spoken in different areas developed into separate languages, including Italian, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. These languages are considered “sisters,” as they all descended from Latin, their “mother” language.

In 1066 England was conquered by William, duke of Normandy, which is in northern France. For several hundred years after the Norman invasion, French was the language of court and polite society in England. It was during this period that many French words were borrowed into English. Linguists estimate that some 60% of our common everyday vocabulary today comes from French. Thus many Latin words came into English indirectly through French.

Many Latin words came into English directly, though, too. Monks from Rome brought religious vocabulary as well as Christianity to England beginning in the 6th century. From the Middle Ages o­nward many scientific, scholarly, and legal terms were borrowed from Latin.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, dictionary writers and grammarians generally felt that English was an imperfect language whereas Latin was perfect. In order to improve the language, they deliberately made up a lot of English words from Latin words. For example, fraternity, from Latin fraternitas, was thought to be better than the native English word brotherhood.

Many English words and word parts can be traced back to Latin and Greek. The following table lists some common Latin roots.

From the example words in the above table, it is easy to see how roots combine with prefixes to form new words. For example, the root -tract-, meaning “to pull,” can combine with a number of prefixes, including de- and re-. Detract means literally “to pull away” (de-, “away, off”) and retract means literally “to pull back” (re-, “again, back”). The following table gives a list of Latin prefixes and their basic meanings.

Words and word roots may also combine with suffixes. Here are examples of some important English suffixes that come from Latin:

HOW TO USE THE INDEX: Many technical terms, names of biological structures, and names of taxa, are formed from Greek and Latin roots. If you are familiar with these roots, you can 'translate' the technical terms into English. One particularly useful example is the names of taxa. The formal taxonomic names for many animal groups (from phylum down to species) are often formed from roots that refer to distinctive features of the animals. When used in pairs, such as in the familiar Latin binomials for genus and species, both the genus and species names are often descriptive.

EXAMPLES: Echinodermata, a phylum name that means 'spiny-' (echino-) 'skin' (derm), or the 'spiny skinned' animals Arthropoda, a phylum name that means 'joint-' (arthro-) 'foot' (pod), or the 'jointed-foot' animals Archaeopteyx, a genus name that means 'ancient-' (archae-) 'wing' (pter), or the 'ancient-winged' animals Amphioxus, a common name that means 'double-' (amphi-) 'pointed' (oxus), or the 'double-pointed' animals (originally it was a genus name for the lancelets, which are pointed o­n both ends) Homo erectus a genus & species combination that means 'man' (homo) 'upright' (erectus), or 'upright man' Use the index below to help locate Greek and Latin roots and their translation into English. | A-C | D-F | G-K | L-N | O-R | S-Z |* * The entries in these lists are reproduced from Bailey, B. 1999. Bull. Malacol. Soc. Lond. 32:6-7

A	B	C
a(n)- without ab- away from abduc- lead from acanth- prickle acer- without horns acetabul- vinegar cup aceto- acid acin- cluster of grapes acri- acrid, sharp acro- summit, top actin- ray acust- of hearing ad- towards adipo- fat adventit- coming to aegopod- goat-foot aestiv- summer affer- carrying to agrest- rural, wild agro(st)- field al(i)- wing alb- white allant- sausage allium garlic alopec- fox altissim- tall alve- pit, socket ambly- blunt ambul- walk ammo- sand amnio- fetal envelope amoeb- change amphi- both amplex- clasping ampulla- flask amygdala- almond shaped organ amyl- starch an- without ana- up, back, again anatol- east Anagallis- delightful anchus- bend, bay andr- male anemo- wind angi- vessel angul- angle angusti- narrow ankylo- stiff jointed annu- annual anomo- lawless, irregular anser- geese ante- before antho- flower anthro- human anti- against, opposite antr- cave apo- separate, from aqua- water aguilin- eagle-beaked arach- spider arbor- tree 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 asc- sac asper- rough aspid- shield ast(e)r- star astrag- dice (originally a knuckle bone) ater, atra- black Atlas= a Titan(mythical giant) who supported the world o­n his shoulders atr(ium)- vestibule Atropos= o­ne of the Fates who cut the thread of life aur- ear, gold austral- southern auto- self aux- grow avi- bird axi- axis azyg- unpaired	baca- small berry baccatus- berried baena- walking balan- acorn barb- beard basi- at the bottom bat(is) skate, ray bdella- sucker bell- pretty bi- two bi(ola)- life blast- germ bore- north 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	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 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 chaero- to please chaet- bristle chamae- o­n ground chel- turtle cheno- goose chiasm- crossing chil- lip chlamy- outer garment chlor- green choan- funnel chondr- cartilage chord- cord chorion membrane chrom- colour 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 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- ring 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	E	F
dactyl- finger dasy- shaggy deci- ten decid- falling off decuss- cross banding deka- ten delph- womb delphis- dolphin demi- half dendr- tree dent- tooth 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 don't- tooth dors- back drom- quick running dubi- doubtful dulci- sweet duo- two dur- hard	echino- spiny echis- viper eco- house ecto- outside effer- carrying away effusus- loosely spreading ejacul- throw out elasmo- plate, flat elat- tall -ell- diminutive 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- out of exiguus- slender exo- outside extens- draw out extra- beyond extrins- coming from	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	H	I, J, K
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 gymn- naked gyn- woman gyr- turning	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- man, same homal- flat hormon- that which excites hortens- of gardens humus- ground hyal- glassy hydr- water hyemal- winter hyo- U-shaped hyper- above hypo- beneath

L	M	N
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	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- medium medull- marrow mega- large mel(l)i- honey melan- black menin(x,g)- membrane meno- moon mer- part meso- middle meta- after micro- small milli- thousand min- smaller minim- smallest mirabile- wonderful miss- sent mito- thread mixi- mingle moll- soft monil- string of beads mono- o­ne montan- of mountains morph- form motor- mover multi- many mural- walls muri- mouse myo- muscle, mouse myri- countless myx- mucous myz- sucker	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	P	Q, R
obtect- concealed obturat- closed obtusi- blunt occiden- Western occip- back of head oct- eight 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	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 pellucid- shining through pene- almost 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 pyro- heat, fire pyrus- pear

S	T	U - Z
sacchar- sugar saccul- little sac sacr- sacred sagitta- arrow sal- salt sanguini- bloody sapon- soapy sarc- flesh sativus- cultivated saur- lizard 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 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 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	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	uliginosus- in marshes -ul- diminutive ulo- wooly ultra- above umbilic- navel un- o­ne unc- hook ungui- nail, claw ungul- hoof, claw urens- bum uro- tail urs- of bears utricul- little skin bag uv(ela)- grapes vagina- sheath 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 vill- shaggy hair, velvet virens- green visc- organs of body cavity vita- life vitell- yolk vitr- glass vora- devour vulgaris- common vulp- fox xanth- yellow xen- stranger xer- dry xiphi- sword xyl- wood zo- animal zon- girdle zyg- yoke

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