Read The Greek & Latin Roots of English Online

Authors: Tamara M. Green

Tags: #Language Arts & Disciplines, #Linguistics, #General, #Vocabulary, #Etymology

The Greek & Latin Roots of English (34 page)

B. Fill in the blank with the literal meaning of the underlined word or part of word. Make sure that the sentence is grammatically correct. If you are unsure of the meaning, check your unabridged dictionary.

21. He was so aggressive that when he “went for the
jugular
,” everyone around covered their __________.

22. A
platypus
is a mammal distinguished by its __________ __________.

23. A
pachyderm
is a mammal distinguished by its __________ __________.

24. A
dyspeptic
individual is grouchy, perhaps because he has __________ __________.

25. A
sclerotic
individual is one whose ideas have become __________.

26. The queen received a __________ at her
coronation
.

27. His
inspiring
speech allowed me to __________ __________ his knowledge and wisdom.

28. What is the meaning of
atrophy
in medical terminology? __________

29. What is its meaning in the following sentence? “Her desire for fame and fortune
atrophied
as her acting career blossomed.” __________

30. A
pneometer
is ____________________ __________.

31.
Histology
is the __________ __________.

32. I was insulted when my friend said I had
cerebromalacia
.Why? ____________________

33. A
phagocyte
is a __________that has the ability to __________ various substances.

34. A
leptorrhine
individual has a __________ __________.

35. A
brachycephalic
individual has a __________ __________.

36. The trademark
Xerox
was given to a process of __________ copying.

37. An omo
phagous
animal__________ raw food.

38. The
pylorus
acts as a __________between the stomach and duodenum.

39. The
lymphatic
system is composed mainly of __________.

40.
Myeloma
is a __________that originates in the __________.

41.
Peptic
enzymes aid in the __________ of food.

42. I went to a
tricho
logist when I wanted to change the color of my __________.

43. What is the etymological connection between the
jejunum
and
jejune
behavior? __________________________________________________

44.
Nutrients
provide __________ for the body.

45. A
noct
urnal creature is active during the __________.

46. If the doctor in the emergency room yells “
stat!
” she needs help __________.

47. Someone suffering from leuko
penia
has a__________ white blood cells.

48. His bald
ovate
-shaped head reminded me of an __________.

49. When we describe an idea as
embryonic
, what do we mean? ____________________

50. When we describe someone's attitude as
insular
, what do we mean? ____________________

C. The Latin verb
digero
is a compound of
dis-
(apart) +
gero-gerere-gestum
(carry, bear). What are the literal meanings and current usages of the following words?

 

Literal Meaning
Current Usage
51. egest
____________________
____________________
52. congestion
____________________
____________________
53. gestation
____________________
____________________
54. gesture
____________________
____________________
55. suggestive
____________________
____________________
56. gesticulate
____________________
____________________
57. digest (noun)
____________________
____________________
58. ingest
____________________
____________________

D.
Take a deep breath

What are the literal meanings and current usages of the following words?

 

Literal Meaning
Current Usage
59. respiration
____________________
____________________
60. expire
____________________
____________________
61. conspiracy
____________________
____________________
62. transpire
____________________
____________________
63. inspiration
____________________
____________________
64. aspiration
____________________
____________________

 

Footnotes

1
.Medical and anatomical terms already given in chapter 12 are not repeated here.

2
. The pylorus is the opening between the stomach and duodenum.

3
. The duodenum gets its name from its size, about twelve (duodeni) finger-breadths in length.

4
. The jejunum is the middle portion of the small intestine. Ancient medical theory stated that after death, it was empty.

5
. Literally, “all-flesh.”

SCIENCE
and
MATHEMATICS

The Greek philosopher Socrates (469–399 BCE)

Man is not taught by the gods to know things whole from the outset; little by little advances are made with time and with trouble
.

XENOPHANES (sixth-century BCE philosopher)

ANCIENT AND MODERN SCIENCE

All mankind have an instinctive desire for knowledge
.

ARISTOTLE, Metaphysics

Most of the vocabulary of modern science and technology is derived from Greek and Latin roots. Many of these terms are, of course, learned borrowings, since the ancient world's concepts of, and postulates about, physical reality were really quite different from those of modern science. Nevertheless, the questions that the ancient Greeks and Romans asked about the nature of the world—how it worked and of what sort of material it was made of—determined the course of European scientific inquiry to the modern period. And the recognition that the Greeks and Romans were the primary source of the European intellectual tradition led the modern physical sciences to reach back to their classical roots in order to construct their specialized vocabularies. In addition, the use of Greek and Latin roots has allowed for the creation of a common scientific language that transcends linguistic barriers.

 

Greek or Latin Word
English Meaning
ars, artis
skill, art
episteme (ἐπιστήμη)
knowledge
experior-experiri-expertum
try, test
materia, materiae
matter; material
natura, naturae
nature
    cf. nascor-nasci-natum
be born
physis (φύσις)
nature
postulo-postulare-postulatum
demand, require; claim
qualis, qualis
of what kind?
quantum, quanti
how much?
quot (indeclinable)
how many?
scio-scire-scitum
know
techne (τέχνη)
skill, art

THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Nature does not go by any hard or fast law
.

THEOPHRASTUS (fourth-century BCE philosopher and scholar)

Biology is the study of life or living matter in all its forms. The system of classification of plants and animals that modern biology uses was devised by Carl van Linne (Linnaeus), an eighteenth-century Swedish scientist who organized the varieties of plants and animals by giving each a double Latin name, the first word denoting the genus, the second, the species.

 

Greek or Latin Word
English Meaning
bios (βίος)
life
genus, generis
birth, origin; offspring; type, kind
    cf. genos (γένος)
family, race; class, kind
species, speciei
form, shape, appearance
    cf. specio-specere
look at
phylon (φυ̑λον)
race, tribe, class

Zoology

The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing
.

ARCHILOCHUS (seventh-century BCE Greek poet)

Zoology is that branch of biology that studies the behavior, physiology, and classification of animals.

 

Greek or Latin Word
English Meaning
zoon (ζω̑ον)
living thing
    cf. -
zoon
(singular) and -
zoa
(plural)
in combining form, used as suffix in the formation of names of zoological groups
animal, animalis (cf. anima)
living being

 

Animal
Latin Word
Greek Word
bear
ursus, ursi
arctos (ἄρκτος)
cat
felis, felis
ailuros (αἴλουρος)
cow
vacca, vaccae
bous (βου̑ς)
or
tauros (ταυ̑ρος)
dog
canis, canis
cyon, cynos (κύων)
horse
equus
hippos (ἳππος)
monkey
simia, simiae
pithecos (πίθηκος)

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