Infer Meaning of Unfamiliar Affixed Words Using Word Parts |Chalk Talk PH

Root Word

A root word is a word or word part that can form the basis of new words through the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Understanding the meanings of common roots can help you work out the meanings of new words as you encounter them.

Many of the words we use in our daily language come from a root word. Once you pull off any prefixes or suffixes, the root is usually what remains. For example, "egotist" has a root word of "ego" plus the suffix "-ist." "Acting" has the root word "act"; "-ing" is merely the suffix. In the examples of root words below, we'll examine the basic (root) word as well as its additions.

 

The Difference Between Base Words and Root Words

Root words come from Latin or Greek words. They can also be known as a "word root" or just a "root." While these may have been whole words in Latin and Greek, root words can't be used alone in English. For example, aud is a Latin root word that has to do with hearing. This is the root of common English words like auditorium, audio, and audition - all of which have to do with hearing someone or something. Aud doesn't mean anything on its own in English - that is, you can't use it as a stand-alone word - but understanding the meaning of the root makes it easier to figure out what the English words that use it mean.

Base words, on the other hand, are always words that can stand alone in English. These words have meaning on their own, but they can also have prefixes and suffixes added to them to make new words. For example, cycle is a full word in English, but it can also be added to, to make words like bicycle and cyclist. Cycle is the base word, or the simplest form of the word without any prefixes or suffixes added.

 

Prefixes

Prefixes are letters which we add to the beginning of a word to make a new word with a different meaning. Prefixes can, for example, create a new word opposite in meaning to the word the prefix is attached to. They can also make a word negative or express relations of time, place or manner. Here are some examples:

PREFIX	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE
anti-	against	anticlimax
de-	opposite	devalue
dis-	not; opposite of	discover
en-, em-	cause to	enact, empower
fore-	before; front of	foreshadow, forearm
in-, im-	in	income, impulse
in-, im-, il-, ir-	not	indirect, immoral,  illiterate, irreverent
inter-	between; among	interrupt
mid-	middle	midfield
mis-	wrongly	misspell
non-	not	nonviolent
over-	over; too much	overeat
pre-	before	preview
re-	again	rewrite
semi-	half; partly; not fully	semifinal
sub-	under	subway
super-	above; beyond	superhuman
trans-	across	transmit
un-	not; opposite of	unusual
under-	under; too little	underestimate

 

Suffixes

Suffixes are the letter/s which are added at the end of a stem to make new words. The affixes used in the suffixed words are different from the affixes used in the prefixed words, and they make different kinds of words. Most of the affixes that are used in the suffixed words have no meaning of their own.

SUFFIX	DEFINITION	EXAMPLE
-able, -ible	is; can be	affordable, sensible
-al, -ial	having characteristics of	universal, facial
-ed	past tense verbs; adjectives	the dog walked,  the walked dog
-en	made of	golden
-er, -or	one who;  person connected with	teacher, professor
-er	more	taller
-est	the most	tallest
-ful	full of	helpful
-ic	having characteristics of	poetic
-ing	verb forms; present participles	sleeping
-ion, -tion, -ation, -ition	act; process	submission, motion, relation, edition
-ity, -ty	state of	activity,society
-ive, -ative, -itive	adjective form of noun	active, comparative, sensitive
-less	without	hopeless
-ly	how something is	lovely
-ment	state of being; act of	contentment
-ness	state of; condition of	openness
-ous, -eous, -ious	having qualities of	riotous, courageous, gracious
-s, -es	more than one	trains, trenches
-y	characterized by	gloomy

 

Using Word Part Strategy to Get the Meaning of Affixed Words

One useful method for building vocabulary through word analysis; it is to first look at a root word and then look for familiar prefixes and suffixes that go with that base.

Let's try an example: the root word “struct-.” It comes from the Latin word meaning “build.” Any English word you hear containing “struct-” will relate to building, developing or creating something. By itself, “struct” is not a word, but it is the basis for more than 30 words in English. For example, the word “construct” is a verb that means “to build.” The prefix “con” means “together” or “with.” So, "construct" means to put things together to build or create something.

Adding suffixes to “struct-” creates additional words. For example, adding “-ion” in English makes verbs into nouns. When we add "-ion" to “construct," we get "construction," which means the process, or act, of building something.

Adding the suffix “-ing” to “construct” makes “constructing.” That is the gerund form and has a similar meaning as the noun "construction."

Adding the suffix “-ive” to make “constructive” gives us the adjective form, and means helpful in developing or improving something.

Now, let's build onto “constructive." Adding the suffix “ly” to "constructive" gives us the word “constructively” and produces an adverb. It means doing something in a way that is helpful.

There are many other words that the base word “struct” produces. For instance, “destruction” is the opposite of “construction.” "Destruction" is the act of taking apart or damaging something that was built. "Instruction" means the act of building knowledge and has a similar meaning to the gerund "teaching."

And, just like with "construct," you can add many suffixes to "destruct" or "instruct" to get several more words. The suffixes may include -ion, -ing, -ive, ing+ly or -ive+ly.

So, you see, by knowing just one root word – “struct-” – you can get a better idea of the meaning of at least 15 words in English.

                                                                          

Sources: Retrieved at https://www.readingrockets.org/article/root-words-roots-and-affixes

Retrieved at https://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-root-words.html

Retrieved at https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar-rules-and-tips/are-base-words-and-root-words-the-same.html

Retrieved at https://www.learngrammar.net/english-grammar/suffixes

Retrieved at https://learningenglish.voanews.com/a/grow-your-vocabulary-by-learning-root-words/4113426.html