Membean Word Root Of the Day

Today we're celebrating our 50th rootcast. Hooray! We'll re-cap (or "take again") some of the highlights of Word Root Of The Day rootcasts, and summarize what we've learned.

The Latin root word *clud* and its variants *clus* and *clos* all mean "shut." These roots are the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including ex[*clud*]e, ex[*clus*]ive, and [*clos*]et. When you in[*clud*]e someone, you "shut" him in, thus performing the act of in[*clus*]ion, thereby [*clos*]ing or "shutting" him into your group.

The Latin root word *grad* and its variant *gress* both mean "step." These roots are the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including [*grad*]uate, [*grad*]ual, ag[*gress*]ive, and e[*gress*]. When you [*grad*]uate, you are ready for the next "step" in your education; likewise, when you make a great deal of pro[*gress*], you have "stepped" forward.

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. The prefix *pre-*, which means "before," appears in numerous English vocabulary words, for example: [*pre*]dict, [*pre*]vent, and [*pre*]fix! An easy way to remember that the prefix *pre-* means "before" is through the word [*pre*]vent, for when you come "before" something else to stop it from happening, you [*pre*]vent it.

When studying root words, there are often spelling variants to a primary root word. The root word *ced*: "go," for instance, present in the words pre[*ced*]e and re[*ced*]e, has variant spellings of *cess* and *ceed*. Examples pro[*ceed*]ing from these variant spellings, all of which mean "go" as well, are ex[*cess*] and ex[*ceed*].

The Latin root word *ced* means "go." This root is the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including ac[*ced*]e, se[*ced*]e, and re[*ced*]e. An easy way to remember this root word is by the word pre[*ced*]e, for when one thing pre[*ced*]es another, it "goes" before it.

The Latin root word *sid* and its variant *sed* both mean "sit." These roots are the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including [*sed*]ative, [*sed*]iment, pre[*sid*]ent, and re[*sid*]e. For instance, a re[*sid*]ence is a place where its re[*sid*]ents are able to "sit" back; a [*sed*]entary person likes to "sit" around a lot instead of being active.

Morphology is the study of how words are put together by using morphemes, which include prefixes, roots, and suffixes. Parsing the different morphemes in a word reveals meaning and part of speech. For instance, the word "invention" includes the prefix *in-* + the root *vent* + the suffix *-ion*, from which is formed the noun "invention."

Some prefixes highly emphasize roots of words to which they are attached. These prefixes can effectively be translated as "thoroughly" to highlight their intensive function. For instance, the prefix *re-*, which can mean "back" or "again," can also mean "thoroughly," such as in the word [*re*]splendent, or "thoroughly" shining or bright.

Prefixes are key morphemes in English vocabulary that begin words. The prefix *re-*, which means "back" or "again," appears in hundreds of English vocabulary words, for example: [*re*]ject, [*re*]generate, and [*re*]vert. You can remember that the prefix *re-* means "back" via the word [*re*]turn, or turn "back;" to remember that *re-* means "again" consider [*re*]arrange, or arrange "again."

The Latin root word *mal* means "bad" or "evil." This root is the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including [*mal*]formed, [*mal*]treat, and [*mal*]ice. You can recall that *mal* means "bad" through [*mal*]function, or a "badly" working part, and that it means "evil" through [*mal*]ice, or intentional "evil" done to another.

Words from which eponyms derive play a smaller role than Latin and Greek root words in forming English vocabulary, but nevertheless are important for learning the word origins of English vocabulary. An eponym is an English word that is derived from a name, such as that of a person or place. Today we will explore three eponyms from the history of ancient Greece: *Pyrrhic*, *spartan*, and *epicurean*.

The Latin root word *ven* and its variant *vent* both mean "come." These roots are the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including pre[*vent*], in[*vent*], [*ven*]ue, and con[*ven*]ient. When you in[*vent*] something, for instance, you "come" upon it for the first time, whereas a [*ven*]ue is a place to which people "come," often for an e[*vent*].

When studying root words, there are often spelling variants to a primary root word. The root word *ten*: "hold," for instance, present in the words [*ten*]ant and main[*ten*]ance, has variant spellings of *tin*, *tain*, and *tent*. Examples con[*tain*]ing these variant spellings, all of which mean "hold" as well, are con[*tin*]ue, abs[*tain*], and [*tent*]ative.

The Latin root word *ten* means "hold." This root is the word origin of many English vocabulary words, including main[*ten*]ance, [*ten*]or, and [*ten*]acious. Perhaps the easiest way to remember this root word is through the English noun [*ten*]ant, for a [*ten*]ant "holds" the lease of the property where she lives.