How to prepare for verbal ability and reading comprehension - Sharma Arun, Upadhyay Meenakshi 2014

Roots, prefixes, suffixes and foreign words
Section 1: Vocabulary
Part 2: Verbal Ability

Every word in the English language has a history. In this section, you will find that words can be understood in a better manner if you can break them down to their roots and relate them to their core meanings. Therefore, when you come across words using the same roots/prefixes or suffixes, you can relate them, thus understanding the words and the text in a more structured manner.

Besides, knowing the origins of important words often gives us clues to interpret the meaning of an entire family of words derived from them.

For example, in Latin, the word for “other” is “alter”, and a number of important words in English are built on its Latin root.

We will begin with a list of root words and their meanings and go on to the words derived from these roots.

Many a time, knowing root words helps us in guessing the probable meaning of a word. This chapter lists out root words in detail to help you hone this skill further.

Greek roots

I. Root = ’chron’.

The Greek root “Chron” means or denotes “time”. Some of the words derived from this root are:—

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Chronology	arrangement of events in order of occurrence
2.	Chronicle	historical record
3.	Chronograph	a stop watch, that records time with great accuracy
4.	Chronic	lasting a long time (of illness)
5.	Chronometer	time piece
6.	Asynchronous	occurrence of two or more processes at different times

II. Root = ’macro, mega’.

Greek root “macro/mega”, which means “large” or “big”. Some of the words derived from this root are:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Macroscopic	Visible to the naked eye
2.	Megalith	huge stone
3.	Mega star	very great
4.	Mega hertz	one million hertz
5.	Mega phone	instrument needed to amplify voice
6.	Megalopolis	universe, very large city containing many cities.

III. Root = ’micro’.

Greek root “micro” means “small”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Microbe	tiny organism
2.	Microcosm	miniature representation of something
3.	Microfilm	miniature record of documents or a film
4.	Microlight	very small, light aircraft with large wings

IV. Root = ’morph’.

The Greek root “morph” means “form”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Morphology	form and structure of an organism; study of the form
2.	Metamorphosis	change of form
3.	Morphogenesis	development of species of an organism

V. Root =’poly’.

Greek root “poly” means “many”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Polyglot	competent in many languages
2.	Polygon	a geometrical plane figure with three or more straight lines
3.	Polynomial	used to describe a mathematical expression with more than two terms
4.	Polymath	knowledgeable in a variety of subjects.

VI. Root = ’pan’.

Greek root “pan” means “all”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Panhuman	for all humanity
2.	Pantheism	belief that God is everything
3.	Panorama	an all round view
4.	Pantropic	found throughout the tropics.

VII. Root = ’meter’.

Greek root “meter” means “measure”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Ammeter	device used to measure current
2.	Voltmeter	device used to measure voltage
3.	Altimeter	device that measures altitude
4.	Pedometer	instrument used to measure distance covered by walking
5.	Meteorology	scientific study of earth’s atmosphere

VIII. Root = ’Neo’.

Greek root “neo” means “new”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Neophyte	beginner, recent convert
2.	Neologism	new word or meaning, newly coined word
3.	Neonate	a new born child.

IX. Root = ’andr/gyn’.

Greek root “andr” means “man”.

Greek root ’gyn’ means woman.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Androgen	male hormone
2.	Gynecoid	characteristic of a woman
3.	Polyandry	having multiple husbands

X. Root = ’pyr’.

Greek root “pyr” means “fire”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Pyre	pile of burning material
2.	Pyrogenic	producing heat
3.	Pyromaniac	person who sets fire to things
4.	Pyrotechnics	relating to fireworks.

XI. Root = ’astro’.

Greek root “astro” means “star”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Astronomy	science of stars
2.	Astrologer	person who practices and studies Astrology
3.	Astronaut	space traveler

XII. Root = ’ped’.

Greek root “ped” means “child”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Pediatrician	Doctor who treats children
2.	Pedodontics	concerned with dental care and treatment of children
3.	Pedology	study of physical and mental development of children

XIII. Root = ’soma’.

Greek root “soma” means “body”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Somato type	body type
2.	Somatic	of body
3.	Psychosomatic	physical illness which is mentally induced
4.	Somatology	study of physiology and anatomy of body

XIV. Root = ’ideo’.

Greek root “ideo” means “idea”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Ideology	system of social beliefs
2.	Ideologue	an ideologist
3.	Ideography	use of graphical symbols to convey ideas.

XV. Root = ’gam’.

Greek root “gam” means “marriage”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Monogamy	married to one person
2.	Bigamy	married to two people
3.	Polygamy	married to many
4.	Gamete	a specialised male or female cell

XVI. Root = ’theo’.

Greek root “theo” means “God”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Theology	study of God or religion
2.	Theocracy	government by Gods
3.	Theomacy	battle among Gods

XVII. Root = ’onym’.

Greek root “onym’’ means “name”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Pseudonym	pen name
2.	Antonym	word opposite in meaning
3.	Synonym	word similar in meaning
4.	Toponym	word derived from name of place
5.	Homonym	word with same spelling or sound

XVIII. Root =’path’.

Greek root “path” means “feeling”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Sympathy	compassion for someone else’s pain
2.	Empathy	feel someone else’s pain and sympathise
3.	Apathy	indifference, lack of interest or enthusiasm

XIX. Root = ’bibli’.

Greek root “bibli” means “book”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Bibliopole	book seller
2.	Bibliophile	lover of books or collector of books
3.	Bibliography	a list of books and articles consulted, book sources
4.	Bibliomania	extreme fondness or obsession for books

XX. Root = ’soph’.

Greek root “soph” means “wisdom”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Philosophy	love of wisdom
2.	Sophist	ancient Greek philosopher
3.	Sophisticated	urbane, classy, complex

XXI. Root = ’Misein’.

The root “misein” is a Greek root which means “to hate”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Misanthropist	one who hates mankind
2.	Misogynist	one who hates women
3.	Misogamist	one who hates marriage

XXII. Root = ’Anthropos’.

The root “anthropos” is a Greek word meaning “mankind”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Anthropology	study of development of human race
2.	Philanthropist	one who loves mankind

XXIII. Root = ’Phil’.

The Greek root “phil” means “to love”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Philology	love of language /words
2.	Philosophy	love of wisdom
3.	Philanthropy	love of mankind
4.	Philadelphia	city of brotherly love
5.	Philharmonic	love of music/harmony
6.	Bibliophile	lover of books
7.	Anglophile	admirer of British culture, people, etc.
8.	Philatelist	one who collects or studies stamps

XXIV. Root = ’logy’.

The Greek root “logy” means “study of”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Anthropology	study of human race
2.	Biology	study of living things
3.	Astrology	study of the sun, moon and other planets
4.	Archaeology	study of the buildings, graves, etc. of the past
5.	Climatology	study of general weather conditions
6.	Psychology	study of human mind and behaviour
7.	Graphology	study of handwriting
8.	Gerontology	study of problems of the elderly

XXV. Root = ’Psyche’.

The Greek root “psyche” means “mind, spirit, soul”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Psychosis	a mental disorder
2.	Psychiatrist	a mind-healer
3.	Psychotic	one who loses touch with reality
4.	Psychedelic	that which causes effect on mind
5.	Psychic	having special mental (knowing) ability
6.	Psycho kinesis	change the physical state or position of a physical object by the power of the mind

XXVI. Root = ’archy’/’cracy’.

The Greek root “archy/cracy” means “rule by”.

Some of the words derived from this root, depicting different types of rules by people, are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Monarchy	rule by one king /queen
2.	Autocracy	government by a single person/ single group
3.	Democracy	where power is held by elected representatives
4.	Aristocracy	rule by people of high social class, e.g., royalty
5.	Theocracy	rule of gods
6.	Plutocracy	rule by the rich
7.	Anarchy	state of nature where there is no government
8.	Diarchy	dual rule
9.	Oligarchy	rule by few powerful people
10.	Patriarchy	oldest male of a family is the head

LATIN ROOTS

I. Root =’cede’,’ceed’ and ’cess’.

All the three Latin roots mean “go” or “movement”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Precede	come before
2.	Proceeding	course of action
3.	Process	method of doing something
4.	Succeed	go ahead, be successful
5.	Proceed	go before
6.	Exceed	go ahead of
7.	Recede	go back
8.	Recession	depression in economic activity

II. Root = ’scribe’.

Latin root “scribe” means “to write”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Prescribe	order the use of, esp. used in the context of medication
2.	Inscribe	to write or engrave words on a surface
3.	Scribble	write illegibly
4.	Describe	write in detail
5.	Proscribe	to prohibit or ban something

III. Root = ’brev’.

Latin root “brev” means “short”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Abbreviation	short end form
2.	Brevity	briefness
3.	Breviary	summary, abridgement

IV. Root = ’centr’.

Latin root “centr” means “center”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Centrist	one with moderate views
2.	Centrifugal	away from center
3.	Centripetal	towards center
4.	Egocentric	selfish
5.	Eccentric	unconventional in a whimsical way.
6.	Heliocentric	with the sun at the centre

V. Root = ’later’.

Latin root “later” means “side”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Bilateral	two-sided
2.	Unilateral	one-sided
3.	Multilateral	many-sided
4.	Lateralisation	the localisation of a control centre for a particular function.
5.	Lateral	at the side

VI. Root = ’magni’.

Latin root “magni” means “Large”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Magnify	make larger
2.	Magnitude	greatness of size
3.	Magniloquent	employing impressive words while speaking
4.	Magnificent	impressive, splendid
5.	Magnanimous	very generous, large hearted

VII. Root = ’nihil’.

Latin root “nihil” means “nothing”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Annihilate	kill, reduce to nothing
2.	Nihilism	rejection or opposition to all authority

VIII. Root = ’omni’.

Latin root “omni” means “all”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Omniscient	all knowing
2.	Omnipotent	all powerful
3.	Omnipresent	present everywhere
4.	Omnibus	a single book containing separate works as a collection
5.	Omnificent	with unlimited power to create

IX. Root = ’rect’.

Latin root “rect” means “straight”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Rectify	straighten or to correct
2.	Rectitude	righteousness
3.	Rectilinear	straight line

X. Root = ’cide’.

The Latin root “cide” means “to kill” or “cut”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Ceticide	killing of whales
2.	Mariticide	killing of husband
3.	Parricide	killing of parent (either father or mother)
4.	Filicide	killing of children
5.	Fratricide	killing of brother
6.	Patricide	killing of father
7.	Fungicide	killing of fungi
8.	Insecticide	killing of insects
9.	Uxoricide	killing of wife
10.	Tyrannicide	killing of tyrants
11.	Suicide	killing of oneself
12.	Sororocide	killing of sister
13.	Genocide	killing of races
14.	Homicide	killing of people
15.	Infanticide	killing of babies
16.	Lapicide	killing of pets

XI. Root = ’mort’, ’nec’.

Latin root, which means “death”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Mortal	subject of death
2.	Mortuary	place for dead bodies
3.	Necrology	list of the dead, obituary
4.	Necromancy	prediction using spirits
5.	Necropolis	city of dead, cemetry
6.	Necropsy	autopsy
7.	Mortification	deep shame and humiliation

XII. Root = ’dorm’, ’somn’.

Latin roots which mean “to sleep”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Dormant	asleep
2.	Insomnia	inability to sleep
3.	Somnambulist	walks in his sleep
4.	Somnambulism	sleep walking
5.	Somnolent	feeling sleepy

XIII. Root = ’aqu’.

Latin root “aqu” means “water”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Aquatic	of the water
2.	Aquarium	container for fish
3.	Aquaculture	farming of fish and aquatic plants

XIV. Root = ’mar’.

Latin root “mar” means “sea”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Marine	of sea
2.	Marina	small harbor
3.	Maritime	of the sea
4.	Mariner	one who sails or navigates vessels at sea

XV. Root = ’doc’.

Latin root “doc” means “to teach”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Indoctrinate	instruct one in basics
2.	Doctrine	rule or principle
3.	Doctor	medically qualified
4.	Doctrinaire	determined to use a theory

XVI. Root = ’luc’.

Latin root “luc” means “light”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Elucidate	make clear
2.	Lucid	clear/ transparent
3.	Pellucid	transparent

XVII. Root = ’flect/flex’.

Latin root “flect/flex” means “to bend”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Inflect	turn
2.	Influx	inward flow
3.	Flexible	adaptable
4.	Flexography	printing using a flexible plate
5.	Genuflect	bend in a gesture of respect

XVIII. Root = ’fract’/’frag’.

Latin root means “break”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Fracture	break
2.	Fragile	easily broken
3.	Fragment	break into small pieces
4.	Infraction	failure to obey a law or contract

XIX. Root = ’tract/tang’.

Latin root means “touch”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Intact	untouched
2.	Tangible	real/ can be touched
3.	Intangible	cannot be seen or touched
4.	Tactile	of touch

XX. Root = ’Loqu/locut’.

Latin root meaning “to speak”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Circumlocution	evasive speech
2.	Soliloquy	speaking alone
3.	Eloquence	persuasive speech
4.	Interlocution	conversation
5.	Somniloquy	speak in sleep
6.	Elocution	public speaking
7.	Grandiloquence	speech
8.	Colloquality	informal speaking
9.	Allocution	formal speaking
10.	Magniloquence	bombastic speech
11.	Colloquium	scholarly conference

XXI. Root = ’bene, bone’.

Latin root meaning “good”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Beneficial	good for
2.	Bonus	premium
3.	Benefit	advantage
4.	Benevolent	kind
5.	Benefactor	somebody who helps or aids a cause
6.	Benediction	blessing, expression of approval
7.	Benign	harmless

XXII. Root = ’mal’.

Latin root means “bad”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Malevolent	harmful, wanting to cause harm
2.	Malnutrition	lack of healthy food in a diet
3.	Malignant	evil, full of evil
4.	Malady	illness, disease
5.	Malinger	to pretend illness especially to avoid work
6.	Malediction	curse, to utter a curse

XXIII. Root = ’cred’.

Latin root means “believe”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Credible	believable
2.	Incredulous	skeptical
3.	Incredible	astonishing, hard to believe
4.	Credential	proof to ability or trust worthiness, a certificate
5.	Credulous	ready to believe

XXIV. Root = ’sens’, ’sent’.

Latin root means “feeling”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Sensible	reasonable
2.	Sentiment	emotion
3.	Sensory	relating to sensation or sense organs
4.	Sensitive	acutely perceptive
5.	Sentient	conscious, capable of feeling
6.	Sensiblilia	things that can be felt or sensed
7.	Sensitise	make sensitive

XXV. Root = ’bel’.

Latin root means “war”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Belligerent	warring
2.	Bellicose	warlike
3.	Antebellum	preceding a war

XXVI. Root = ’cogn’, ’sci’.

Latin roots meaning “know able to understand”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Recognize	understand
2.	Science	factual knowledge
3.	Unconscionable	morally unacceptable
4.	Conscious	able to understand
5.	Unconscious	experiencing loss of senses

XXVII. Root = ’vor’.

Latin root “vor” means “eat”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Carnivore	flesh eater
2.	Herbivore	plant eater
3.	Frugivore	fruit eater
4.	Omnivore	who eats everything
5.	Nectarivore	nectar eater
6.	Insectivore	insect eater
7.	Graminivore	grass eater
8.	Granivore	grain eater

XXVIII. Quasi.

The combining form “Quasi” of Latin origin, is used to combine words. It means ’resembling’ ’or very similar to but not the real thing’. Some words of this form are—

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Quasi-judicial	semi-judicial powers resembling to those of judges or courts
2.	Quasi-dictatorship	a dictatorship hiding under another form
3.	Quasi-scientific	supposedly scientific but not backed by fact
4.	Quasi-periodic	something that is almost predictable

XXIX. Root = ’Alter’.

The root “alter” in Latin means “other”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Altruism	the philosophy practiced by altruists
2.	Alternate	skip one and take the other
3.	Alternative	the other choice
4.	Alteration	change
5.	Altercation	a verbal dispute
6.	Alter ego	other self
7.	Altruistic	interested in the welfare of others

XXX. Root = ’Ego’.

The root word “ego” is a Latin root, which means “I”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Egoist	excessively high opinion of oneself
2.	Egocentric	one who is excessively fixated upon his own needs, desires, etc.
3.	Egomaniac	morbidly, excessively wrapped up in oneself.

XXXI. Root = ’Verto’.

The root “verto” is a Latin verb which means “to turn”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Introvert	to turn your thoughts inwards
2.	Extrovert	to turn your thoughts outward
3.	Ambivert	to turn your thoughts in both directions

Manias and phobias

The Greek root “Phobia” means “fear” and the Greek root “mania” means a “compulsion” or “ preoccupation for”. Some of the manias and phobias as follows—

	*Word* (mania)	*Meaning* (Preoccupation with)
1.	Philopatridomania	extreme home sickness
2.	Mythomania	lies
3.	Oinomania	wine
4.	Gamo mania	marriage
5.	Klepto mania	stealing
6.	Megalomania	self-greatness
7.	Gynecomania	woman
8.	Zoo mania	animals
9.	Xenomania	foreigners
10.	Phagomania	eating
11.	Pyromania	fire
12.	Pluto mania	wealth

	*Word* (Phobia)	*Meaning* (Fear of __________ )
1.	Thermophobia	heat
2.	Pedophobia	children
3.	Acrophobia	heights
4.	Chronophobia	time
5.	Nyctophobia	night
6.	Theophobia	God
7.	Arachibutryphobia	peanut butter
8.	Demophobia	people
9.	Entomophobia	insects
10.	Egrophobia	work
11.	Gerontophobia	old people
12.	Necrophobia	corpses
13.	Hematophobia	blood
14.	Arachnophobia	spiders
15.	Triskaidekaphobia	fear of the number thirteen

We now move on to Prefixes and Suffixes.

PREFIXES

Prefixes are fixed before a word or a root to convey a modified version of the word or the root.

Some important Greek and Latin prefixes with a set of illustrative words are as follows:—

(1) Prefix = ’ante’.

Latin prefix which means “before”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Antecedent	preceding
2.	Antediluvian	before the flood; ancient
3.	Antenatal	of care before birth (during pregnancy)
4.	Anterior	to the front; before
5.	Ante-meridien	before noon

(2) Prefix = ’dia’.

Greek prefix which means “across”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Diagonal	connecting line
2.	Diaspora	the breaking up and scattering of a people; people settled far from their ancestral homelands
3.	Dialectic	art of arguing
4.	Dialect	local variety of language
5.	Diameter	straight line from side to side of figure

(3) Prefix = ’ultra’.

Latin prefix “ultra” means “beyond”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Ultramarine	very deep in blue
2.	Ultra modern	very modern
3.	Ultra violet	beyond violet; at the violet end of spectrum
4.	Ultra sonic	sound waves beyond the range of human ear

(4) Prefix = ’trans’.

Latin prefix which means “over, across”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Transcend	go beyond
2.	Transverse	eyeing across; at right angles
3.	Transgress	break (law)
4.	Transient	fleeting, not permanent

(5) Prefix = ’super’.

Latin prefix which means “over, beyond”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Superior	of greater rank
2.	Supercilious	displaying arrogant pride
3.	Supernumerary	in excess of normal number
4.	Supersede	take the place of; set aside
5.	Supervise	oversee; direct; inspect
6.	Superlative	in/of highest degree or quantity

(6) Prefix = ’Epi’.

Greek prefix, which means “over, on, of”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Epiderm	outer skin layer
2.	Epiphany	festival of the announcement of Christ’s coming.
3.	Epigraph	inscription
4.	Epicentre	focus of earthquake

(7) Prefix = ’Hypo’.

Greek prefix, which means “under, below”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Hypocrisy	false virtue
2.	Hypodermic	below the skin
3.	Hypothesis	suggested explanation of something
4.	Hypogastric	of or related to lower median region of the abdomen
5.	Hypochondria	morbid depression without reason about one’s own health, extreme depression of mind or spirits often centered on imaginary physical ailments

(8) Prefix = ’Hyper’.

Greek prefix, which means “over/above/excessive/abnormally high”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Hyperactivity	too much activity
2.	Hyperesthia	excessive sensory feeling
3.	Hyperbole	person prone to exaggerated speaking
4.	Hyper kinesia	excessive amount of spasms
5.	Hyperventilation	excessive breathing
6.	Hyper baric	greater than normal pressure
7.	Hyperacid	the condition of containing more than the normal amount of acid

(9) Prefix = ’ab’.

Latin prefix, which means “from/away”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Absent	not present
2.	Abstemious	sparing in food and drink
3.	Abstraction	preoccupation
4.	Abnegate	give up, renounce
5.	Abolish	do away with
6.	Abrade	scrape away

(10) Prefix = ’ad’.

Latin prefix, which means “to towards”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Adhere	stick to
2.	Adumbration	to suggest or disclose partially, give a vague indication
3.	Ad hoc	for a particular purpose only
4.	Ad infinitum	endlessly
5.	Ad interim	for the mean time
6.	Adjunct	added, joined
7.	Adjudge	decide, declare
8.	Adlib	improvise and speak spontaneously
9.	Adjourn	postpone temporarily
10.	Ad rem	to the point
11.	Ad valorem	according to the value
12.	Advert	turn the mind or attention towards
13.	Adulterate	make impasse by adding
14.	Adumbrate	give outline of, indicate

(11) Prefix = ’Ambi’.

Latin prefix, which means “both sides”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Ambient	on all sides
2.	Ambiguity	obscure
3.	Ambivalent	simultaneous existence of two different opinions
4.	Ambidextrous	able to use both sides

(12) Prefix = ’Peri’.

Greek prefix, which means “around, about”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Peripatetic	walking around
2.	Periphery	circumference
3.	Perimeter	outer boundary
4.	Perihelion	point in orbit of planet or comet nearest to sun.

(13) Prefix = ’re’/’retro’.

Latin prefix, which means “back”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Return	go back
2.	Retrospect	look back
3.	Retroflex	curved backwards
4.	Retrograde	going backwards, reverting
5.	Retard	make slow
6.	Retort	retaliate, reply

(14) Prefix = ’circum’.

Latin prefix, which means a “path” or “orbit”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Circumpolar	circles around the polar region
2.	Circumsolar	circles around the Sun.
3.	Circumspect	circles around the fences
4.	Circumlocation	round about or evasive speech

(15) Prefix = ’a’/’an’.

Greek prefix, which means “without”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Anemia	blood deficiency
2.	Amoral	not moral
3.	Anaesthetic	causing loss of sensation
4.	Achromatic	without colour
5.	Anachronism	mistake of time

(16) Prefix = ’anti’.

Greek prefix, which means “against”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Antidote	remedy
2.	Antipathy	dislike, aversion
3.	Antipyretic	effective against fever
4.	Antiseptic	preventing infection
5.	Antigen	substance stimulating production of antibodies in the world

(17) Prefix = ’counter’, ’contra’.

Latin prefix, which means “against”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Counterfeiter	forger
2.	Contrary	opposite
3.	Constrain	force, compel
4.	Contraband	illegal, smuggled goods

(18) Prefix = ’dys’.

Greek prefix, which means “bad”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Dysfunctional	badly functioning
2.	Dyspepsia	indigestion
3.	Dyslexia	impaired ability to read

(19) Prefix = ’eu’.

Greek prefix, which means “good, well”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Euphony	sweet sounding
2.	Eulogy	speech or writing in praise of
3.	Euphoria	sense of well being or elation

(20) Prefix = ’inter’.

Latin prefix, which means “between”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Interloper	intruder
2.	Interlude	interval
3.	Intermediate	coming between

(21) Prefix = ’meta’.

Greek prefix, means “besides/ with”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Metamorphose	transform
2.	Metathesis	transposition
3.	Metaphorical	figurative

(22) Prefix = ’Sym/syn’

Greek prefix, which means “together”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Synergy	unified action
2.	Symmetrical	balanced
3.	Synchronise	happen at the same time
4.	Symbiotic	living together for mutual benefit
5.	Symphony	harmony of sounds

(23) Prefix = ’be’.

Germanic prefix, which means “around/on”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Beside	by side of
2.	Bespatter	to splash with
3.	Besiege	to surround on all sides

(24) Prefix = ’for’.

Germanic prefix, which means “apart/away”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Forbid	prohibit
2.	Forbear	cease, refrain
3.	Forlorn	forsaken, desperate

(25) Prefix = ’mis’.

Germanic prefix, means “bad/wrong”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Mistake	error
2.	Misnomer	wrong name
3.	Mishap	minor accident
4.	Misfit	not a suitable person

(26) Prefix = ’fore’.

Germanic prefix, which means “before”

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Foresee	indication in advance, predict
2.	Forestall	prevent

Suffixes

Suffixes are added to the end of a word or a root and can sometimes lead to a difference in the meaning of the original word or root. Some of the common suffixes of Greek, Latin and German origin are discussed below:

A. Latin Suffixes

(1) Suffix = ’age’.

Latin suffix, which means “place/collection”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Personage	minister’s house
2.	Steerage	cheapest accommodation on a ship
3.	Peerage	bodies or group of peers

(2) Suffix = ’arium’/’ary’.

Latin Suffix, which means “place”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Aquarium	place for keeping live fish
2.	Library	place for storing books
3.	Sanatorium	hospital for chronically ill
4.	Seminary	college for priests
5.	Apiary	place where bees are kept

Some Important Words derived from common Suffixes:—

(1) Suffix = ’ist’.

It is a Greek Suffix, which denotes people who perform certain actions, are experts in certain fields or are adherents to specific beliefs.

	*Word*	*Specialist in*
1.	Verbalist	words
2.	Purist	traditions
3.	Geneticist	heredity
4.	Arborist	Tree care
5.	Agronomist	crop production
6.	Entomologist	insects
7.	Numismatist	coins
8.	Philatelist	stamps
9.	Toxicologist	poison
10.	Semanticist	word meanings
11.	Meteorologist	weather

(2) Suffix = ’Sis’.

It is a Greek Suffix, which means a “state of’/’process”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Synthesis	formation of whole from different parts
2.	Osmosis	diffusion of fluids through a membrane
3.	Prognosis	forecasted recovery from illness
4.	Necrosis	death of live tissue
5.	Dialysis	separation of substances in a solution
6.	Hypnosis	physically induced sleeplike condition
7.	Metastasis	spread of disease in the body

(3) Suffix = ’ancy’.

Latin Suffix, which means “state, action or process”, and is frequently used in words which describe ways to foretell the future.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Bibliomancy	forecasting future through biblical books
2.	Anthropomancy	forecasting through studying human entrails
3.	Cubomancy	forecasting through use of dice
4.	Osteomancy	forecasting through observing bones.
5.	Cheiromancy	forecasting by reading the palms.
6.	Graphomancy	forecasting through observing handwriting

(4) Suffix = ’oid’.

Greek Suffix, which means “like/ shape of’’.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Hypsiloid	letter ’v’
2.	Xiphoid	sword
3.	Scaphoid	boat
4.	Sigmoid	letter ’c’
5.	Schizoid	split
6.	Cuboid	cube
7.	Actinoid	star
8.	Belonoid	needle
9.	Pemphigoid	bubble
10.	Ovoid	egg
11.	Helicoid	screw
12.	Beloid	arrow

(5) Suffix = ’ent’.

Latin Suffix, which means “being/manifesting/possessing”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Truculent	aggression
2.	Imminent	pending danger
3.	Flocculent	woolliness
4.	Innocent	purity
5.	Indigent	need/poverty
6.	Intransigent	stubbornness
7.	Diligent	earnestness
8.	Effulgent	radiance
9.	Plangent	expressive sound
10.	Nocent	harm
11.	Continent	restraint
12.	Ambivalent	uncertainty
13.	Prudent	Wisdom/ judiciousness

B. Germanic Suffixes

Some important Germanic suffixes illustrated with examples, are as follows:—

(1) Suffix = ’dom’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “state/quality”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Freedom	liberty
2.	Kingdom	state ruled by king
3.	Officialdom	state ruled by officials
4.	Dukedom	state ruled by duke

(2) Suffix = ’ard’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “one who/characteristic of”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Dullard	stupid person
2.	Pollard	horn less animal

(3) Suffix = ’hood’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “state/quality”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Brotherhood	alliance
2.	Widowhood	state of being a widow

(4) Suffix = ’ling’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “having the characteristic of/minor”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Yearling	year old animal
2.	Fingerling	baby fish

(5) Suffix = ’ness’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “condition/state”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Goodness	decency
2.	Populousness	state of large population
3.	Business	occupation
4.	Wickedness	being bad

(6) Suffix = ’ship’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “state /rank/skill”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Penmanship	art of writing
2.	Craftsmanship	art of making crafts
3.	Township	unit of local government
4.	Musicianship	skill of a musician

(7) Suffix = ’ful’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “full of/providing”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Healthful	promoting health
2.	Plentiful	having plenty
3.	Earful	lot of information

(8) Suffix = ’fold’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “increased by”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Tenfold	multiplied by ten
2.	Manifold	many times

(9) Suffix = ’ish’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “somewhat like”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Childish	child like
2.	Churlish	ill-bred, rustic
3.	Impish	imp-like, naughty

(10) Suffix = ’wise’.

Germanic Suffix, which means “in the manner of/with regard to”.

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Dollarwise	with respect to dollars
2.	Weatherwise	with regard to weather
3.	Moneywise	with regard to money
4.	Healthwise	with respect to health

Let us now move on to words with foreign origins.

English words of foreign origin

In addition to the study of word components and roots, the diversity and complexity of English can be seen by the thousands of borrowed and intended words used today. Some of the important words borrowed from different languages are listed in this chapter.

German Words

Some important English words, which have been taken from German, are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Pumpernickel	a dark, dense, sour bread.
2.	Kindergarten	a school or class for young children.
3.	Hoodlum	a petty criminal
4.	Delicatessen	prepared food sold in a shop serving
5.	Loafers	casual leather slip-on shoe;/ imported or unusual foods; such a shop
6.	Glitch	minor hitch, lazy person
7.	Glisten	to shine

Dutch Words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Dutch are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Landscape	scenery
2.	Holster	leather case for firearm
3.	Sleigh	sledge
4.	Caboose	rail guard’s van
5.	Coleslaw	salad made with mayonnaise dressing.
6.	Boss	senior or person in charge of
7.	Cookie	biscuit
8.	Freight	commercial transport esp. railways or ship
9.	Snoop	meddle, spy on
10.	Skipper	captain of ship or team
11.	Bumpkin	rustic
12.	Bed spread	bed cover, decorative covering on bed

Japanese Words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Japanese are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Tsunami	large destructive ocean wave
2.	Hibachi	a portable barbeque
3.	Tycoon	powerful and wealthy businessman
4.	Bonsai	art of growing miniature trees
5.	Bonzai	a patriotic battle cry or shout
6.	Origami	Japanese art of paper folding
7.	Samurai	former Japanese warrior class
8.	Karate	traditional Japanese form of unarmed combat
9.	Shogun	any hereditary military commands in feudal Japan
10.	Kimono	traditional Japanese garment

African languages

Some important English words, which have been taken from African languages are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Banana	tropical plant and its fruit
2.	Daishiki	clothes
3.	Chimpanzee	an ape
4.	Samba	a Brazilian dance of African origin
5.	Yam	a root vegetable
6.	Okra	lady finger plant, a vegetable
7.	Tse-tse	two-winged biting fly

Spanish Words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Spanish are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Bolero	Spanish dance
2.	Fiesta	religious festival or celebration
3.	Primero	card game played in 16^th and 17^th century
4.	Tango	Latin-American or Spanish dance
5.	Ombre	card game popular in 18^th century
6.	Domino	board game
7.	Quadrille	card game for four players; a French dance
8.	Spade	digging tool
9.	Monte	betting game played with cards
10.	Castanets	wooden or plastic device that makes a clicking sound when pressed by palm of hand
11.	Embargo	restricting commerce
12.	Pronto	fast
13.	Galleon	large sailing vessel
14.	Grenade	small bomb
15.	Guerrilla	independent soldiers
16.	Flotilla	group of ships
17.	Garrote	strangulation
18.	Junta	ruling group
19.	Intransigent	inflexible
20.	Machete	large, heavy knife
21.	Parade	large public procession
22.	Anchory	small savoury fish
23.	Sherry	fortified wine
24.	Tortilla	thin Mexican pan cake or chips
25.	Marinade	seasoned, flavoured liquid used to soak meat
26.	Sarsaparilla	drink made from root of plant
27.	Bravado	bluster
28.	Barbecue	an open grill or fire place
29.	Sassafras	aromatic tree whose bark has medicinal value
30.	Adobe	sun dried brick
31.	Canyon	deep valley with steep sides
32.	Arroyo	gulch
33.	Toreador	bull fighter
34.	Senorita	Miss.
35.	Senora	Mrs.
36.	Senor	Mr.
37.	Matador	Bull fighter
38.	Renegade	deserter
39.	Don	lord or gentleman
40.	Dona	title of respect for a married woman
41.	Desperado	bold, reckless criminal
42.	Albino	person deficient in pigmentation
43.	Patio	courtyard
44.	Pueblo	adobe house
45.	Hacienda	landed estate
46.	Sierra	chain of hills or mountains
47.	Vega	grassy plain
48.	Plaza	open space or square; complex of shops
49.	Esplanade	level space
50.	El Dorado	fictitious country rich in gold
51.	Rodeo	showing of cowboy skills
52.	Lariat	long, noosed rope for catching horses
53.	Bronco	untamed horse
54.	Lasso	long, noosed rope, lariat
55.	Gaucho	cowboy of South American Pampas.

Celtic words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Celtic are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Banshee	Irish fairy with a wail portending death
2.	Plaid	long cloak or shawl
3.	Shamrock	lover leaf, esp. an Irish emblem
4.	Vassal	dependant
5.	Gravel	small stones; coarse sand
6.	Truant	one absent without a leave
7.	Galore	in plenty
8.	Colleen	young Irish girl
9.	Blarney	flattering talk
10.	Bog	soft, wet ground
11.	Brogue	stout shoe; Irish accent
12.	Lawn	stretch of grass in garden; fine linen
13.	Crag	steep, rugged rock
14.	Quay	dock
15.	Loch	lake
16.	Gull	aquatic bird
17.	Javelin	light spear
18.	Tory	member of conservative party in England
19.	Clan	group of families
20.	Glengarry	a small brimless hat

Arabic words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Arabic are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Camphor	strong smelling ketone
2.	Alchemy	magic, art of converting metal into gold
3.	Garble	mix-up
4.	Henna	dye
5.	Tarragon	spice
6.	Saffron	orange/ yellow spice
7.	Lute	stringed instrument
8.	Bedouin	member of nomadic Arab race
9.	Fakir	member of Islamic religious
		order, ascetic
10.	Sequin	small ornamental stars to be stitched on clothes
11.	Sherbet	flavoured drink
12.	Sultan	ruler of Muslim kingdom
13.	Zenith	highest point
14.	Nadir	lowest point
15.	Muezzin	crier, who summons Muslims to prayer
16.	Minaret	tall, slender tower of Mosque
17.	Almanac	yearly calendar
18.	Amber	yellowish, translucent fossil resin
19.	Alcove	recess
20.	Algebra	method of calculating
21.	Carafe	decanter
22.	Harem	women’s dwelling, one man’s wives
23.	Carat	small weight used to measure gold, etc.
24.	Cipher	secret writing
25.	Civet	strong, musky perfume
26.	Emir	an independent Islamic ruler
27.	Cotton	thread or cloth made from this plant’s seed
28.	Elixir	medicine or remedy, used by alchemists
29.	Monsoon	heavy rainfall season, rainy season
30.	Ream	large bundles of paper

Indian words

Some important English words, which have been taken from India are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Yoga	Hindu system of physical and mental exercise
2.	Tantra	religious writing
3.	Tonga	horse-drawn carriage
4.	Wallah	somebody in-charge of a certain thing
5.	Dhoti	Indian male unstitched garment wrapped on waist
6.	Avatar	incarnation
7.	Gunny	jute bag, sack
8.	Nawab	Indian nobleman in Mughal Empire
9.	Sahib	respectful form of address for men
10.	Pundit	Expert, authority, priest
11.	Guru	teacher, wise leader
12.	Sandal	type of wood
13.	Chutney	sweet and sour sauce
14.	Pachisi	board game
15.	Nirvana	heaven, freedom
16.	Myna	bird
17.	Karma	fate
18.	Dharma	code of conduct of Hindus
19.	Ginger	spice
20.	Stupa	dome-shaped structure where ashes are kept

French words

Some important English words, which have been taken from French are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Bouillon	Thin soup
2.	Praline	nut candy
3.	Potage	thick coup
4.	Absinthe	green, flavoured liqueur
5.	Cuisine	style of cooking
6.	Casserole	covered baking dish
7.	Nougat	type of candy
8.	Croquette	patty of cooked meat or fish
9.	Flambe	pour alcoholic drink on food and ignite
10.	Liqueur	flavoured alcoholic liquid
11.	Tureen	serving dish for soup
12.	Gourmet	connoisseur of wine, food, etc.
13.	Gourmand	glutton
14.	Blancmange	jelly-like dessert made with milk
15.	Serviette	table-napkin
16.	Burlesque	ludicrous parody
17.	Marquee	Sign used in a theater
18.	Roulette	game of chance
19.	Piroutte	to whirl on one foot
20.	Silhouette	outline of object against light
21.	Nuance	delicate shade of differences
22.	Precis	abstract, summary
23.	Vignette	design on a book page
24.	Critique	critical essay
25.	Coterie	social clique, exclusive group
26.	Connoisseur	critical expert of matters of art
27.	Belles-letters	aesthetic writings
28.	Memories	reward of events, autobiography
29.	Bon mot	clever saying
30.	Repartee	witty talk
31.	rapport	harmony
32.	Idee fixe	obsession
33.	Bourgeois	middle class
34.	Charlatan	faker, quack
35.	Faux pas	social blunder
36.	Genteel	element refined
37.	Largesse	generosity
38.	Gauche	socially inept
39.	Nonchalance	indifferent
40.	Raconteur	expert storyteller
41.	Avant-garde	in advance
42.	Milieu	environment
43.	Tete-a-tete	private conversation
44.	Vis-à-vis	regarding, in relation to
45.	Outre	bizarre
46.	Passe	out of date
47.	Liaison	connection
48.	Rendezvous	meeting place, appointment
49.	Joie-de vivre	enjoyment of life
50.	Eclat	success
51.	Savoir	fair
52.	Boulevard	broad avenue in a city
53.	Salon	a shop of fashion, drawing room
54.	Chateau	castle
55.	Façade	front of a building
56.	Chaise	light, open carriage
57.	Bureau	office disk
58.	Concierge	doorman
59.	Melee	a mixed fight or crowd
60.	Terrain	area of ground
61.	Saboteur	damage closer (esp. secretly)
62.	Aide-de-camp	military officer personality assisting superior
63.	Chausseur	driver
64.	Espionage	use of spice
65.	Ricochet	rebound (of bullet)
66.	Envoy	official representative
67.	Bivouac	temporary camp of soldiers
68.	Espirit de corps	feelings of pride in belonging to a group
69.	Despot	a tyrant or absolute ruler
70.	Commandant	officer in command

Italian words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Italian are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Prima donna	principle female singer in an opera
2.	Soprano	highest singing voice
3.	Crescendo	gradual increase in volume or force
4.	Bravo	well done
5.	Quartet	group of four musicians
6.	Maestro	famous conductor
7.	Mandolin	stringed musical instrument
8.	Finale	the last piece
9.	Duet	a composition for two singers
10.	Forte	to play loudly
11.	Libretts	text of long musical piece
12.	Allegro	at a quick and lively tempo; quickly
13.	Presto	to be played very fast
14.	Falsetto	high pitched singing method
15.	Virtuoso	exceptional performer
16.	Diva	women opera singer, famous lady
17.	Dilettante	dabbler in art or knowledge
18.	Bravura	great skill
19.	Tempo	music’s speed
20.	Opera	musical drama
21.	Piccolo	a very small flute-like musical instrument
22.	Coda	final section of musical piece
23.	Concerto	musical composition for soloist and orchestra
24.	Madrigal	a song with parts
25.	Balcony	a gallery
26.	Villa	country, estate
27.	Arcade	arched passageway, shops
28.	Catacomb	tomb
29.	mezzanine	lowest balcony
30.	Portico	porch
31.	Piozza	plaza
32.	Grotto	cave
33.	Corridor	hallway
34.	Pedestal	a base or support
35.	Alfresco	in the open air
36.	Lotto	game of chance
37.	Tarot	fortune telling cards
38.	Valise	small piece of luggage
39.	Garb	dress
40.	Gondola	venetian canal boat
41.	Lagoon	area which is sand banked, saltwater lake
42.	Gala	festive occasion, show
43.	Casino	place for gambling
44.	Cascade	waterfall, anything like a waterfall
45.	Gazette	official newspaper for announcements
46.	Incognito	assumed identity
47.	Parasol	sunshade, umbrella
48.	Regatta	meeting for yacht or boat races
49.	Battalion	an army group
50.	Fracas	uproar
51.	Citadel	fortress
52.	Bandit	robber
53.	Salvo	a round of artillery
54.	Vendetta	a private feud
55.	Stiletto	a small dagger with a thin blade, a heel of female shoe
56.	Cartel	alliance of political parties or business houses
57.	Tirade	long angry speech
58.	Partisan	prejudiced, adherent of a party, biased
59.	Cavalcade	procession of riders, fleet of cars
60.	Panache	dashing style
61.	Manifesto	declaration of policy by a political party
62.	Squadron	an army, navy or air force unit
63.	Ducat	a gold coin
64.	Mercantile	trade
65.	Parmesan	cheese
66.	Contra band	smuggled goods
67.	Porcelain	fine china, earthenware
68.	Frigate	old warship, corresponding to modern cruiser
69.	Skiff	small flat-bottomed boat
70.	Milliner	maker or dealer in women’s hat
71.	Settee	comfortable seat for two people
72.	Bankrupt	financially insolvent

Yiddish words

Some important English words, which have been taken from Yiddish are as follows:

	*Word*	*Meaning*
1.	Schnapps	brandy, alcoholic drink
2.	Challah	soft egg bread
3.	Bagel	chewy roll with a hole in the middle
4.	Matzoth	unleavened bread
5.	Nosh	food, eat
6.	Kosher	permitted, clean, good (as of food)
7.	Yenta	gossip
8.	Boychik	little boy
9.	Shmo	butt of a joke
10.	Nudnick	bore
11.	noodge	nag
12.	Shiksa	non-jewish woman
13.	Maven	expert
14.	Klutz	clumsy person
15.	Chai	life
16.	Broche	blessing
17.	Mazeltov	congratulations
18.	Gesundneit	Good health
19.	Chutzpah	boldness, self confidence
20.	Bummer	annoying thing
21.	Kvetch	to grumble or complain
22.	Kibitzer	one who interferes
23.	Golem	creature of clay brought to life by magic as in legend
24.	Naches	proud pleasure
25.	Mitzva	a good deed
26.	Kine-abhora	Magical phrase to ward off evil
27.	Fen	expression of disgust
28.	Boo-boo	mistake
29.	plotz	explode
30.	Gehenna	hell
31.	Mish-mosh	confusion
32.	Bupkes	nothing
33.	Mishegoss	nonsense
34.	Phooey!	expression of disgust, contempt

How to prepare for verbal ability and reading comprehension - Sharma Arun, Upadhyay Meenakshi 2014

Roots, prefixes, suffixes and foreign wordsSection 1: VocabularyPart 2: Verbal Ability

Roots, prefixes, suffixes and foreign words
Section 1: Vocabulary
Part 2: Verbal Ability