Lots of English words can be traced back to Latin and Greek. Often you can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word if

1. Over the years, sophomore English teacher Mr. Allen instilled in his students a great understanding of the English language through his vocabulary at the beginning of class. Last year he retired. As one of his former students (Yes, a long time ago.), I wanted to continue this tradition. So, thanks Mr. Allen for letting me steal your vocabulary list.

2. Lots of English words can be traced back to Latin and Greek. Often you can guess the meaning of an unfamiliar word if you use the Latin & Greek clues. • Vocabulary Plan of Attack • In a designated spiral, or section of a notebook-- • Write down the Latin or Greek prefix/suffix/root & its meaning • Write down the words derived (made from) it & their meanings • Test over words about once a week – Mondays? (Sometimes, you might get to use your notes.) • Extra Credit: • If you find one of the vocabulary words we have gone over in class in the Real World, show me and you’ll get five extra credit points. Max of 20 points a quarter.

3. 1. Mor = Death mortal: capable of death; fatal immortal: can’t die morbid: deals with death morose: sad, gloomy mortify: to humiliate; kill ego

4. 2. Lit = letter, word literate: can read & write illiterate: can’t read & write obliterate: to erase; destroy literally: really, actually Alliteration: repeating a consonant letter sound for effect

5. 3. bene/bon = good, well bona fide: genuine, authentic Pro bono: for the good of man no charge beneficiary: one who gets the goods Benefactor: sponsor, supporter Benign: harmless, won’t hurt

6. 4. Trans = across transcript: official written copy transient: nomadic, moving, (n)hobo, bum transcent: to cross a border, boundary (abstract) transparent: see through transaction: business deal

7. 5. Phil = love Philadelphia: city of brotherly love philander: to flirt, cheat on spouse philanthropist: one who loves people, donates money Anglophile: one who loves England bibliophile: one who loves books

8. 6. Omni = all omniscient: all-knowing omnipresent: everywhere omnipotent: all-powerful omnivore: eats all carnivore: eats meat

9. 7. Greg = group segregate: to split into groups desegregate: to end segregation integrate: to mix groups gregarious: friendly, social egregious: outstandingly bad, antisocial

10. 8. Ante = before ante: bid, wager money antecedent: a noun a pronounreplaces(Mr. Allen isn’t here. He retired.) antebellum: before the Civil War (1860) a.m.: ante meridiem, before noon anteroom: a room in the front

11. 9. Theo = god, religion theology: study of religion monotheism: belief in one god atheist: one who has no god polytheism: belief in many gods theocracy: government centered around religion

12. 10. Ling = small, young fledgling: rookie underling: one beneath you in rank sapling: young, undeveloped tree inkling: small idea, hint, clue kindling: small bits of wood

13. 11. Cred = believe credible: can be believed incredible: can’t be believed incredulous: doubtful, shocked accredited: approved by authorities discredit: shown as being false

14. 12. Lic = allow,permit illicit: illegal and immoral license: permit, to permit solicit: to approach for business/help licit: legal and moral solicitor: British lawyer

15. 13. mono= one monologue: speech made alone monotone: a voice with only one pitch monotonous: boring monolith: a towering pointing rock formation monarch: a sole crowned ruler

16. 14. ology= study of biology: study of living things geology: study of rocks, earth zoology: study of animals anthropology: study of man’s past evolution paleontology: study of fossils

17. 15. graph=write graphic: very detailed cartography: map making agraphia: inability to write calligraphy: beautiful handwriting demographics: mapping populations, trends

18. 16. Cant = sing cantor: a song leader chant: a short repeating song incantation: a special religious or magical phrase (spoken) recant: to take back in public enchanted: touched by magic

19. 17. Astro = star astrology: study of stars affect on us(horoscopes) astronomy: scientific study of stars asterisk: small star for noting disaster: terrible event astronomical: very high; expensive

20. 18. eu=nice, pleasant euphemism: a nice way of saying something harsh euphoria: pleasant feeling euthanasia: mercy killing eulogy: a speech at a funeral eureka: a shout of delight; “I found it!”

21. 19. Port = carry porter: one who carries luggage import: to ship product into the country export: to ship a product out of the country deport: to ship a person out of the country portable: can be carried

22. 20. Ine = animal canine: dogs feline: cats lupine: wolves bovine: cows serpentine: snakes

23. 21. Poly = many polygamy: more than one spouse polymorph: more than one form polyglot: speaks many languages polysyllabic: large vocabulary polydactyl: extra toes or fingers

24. 22. Phobia = fear claustrophobia: fear of small, closed areas agoraphobia: fear of open spaces acrophobia: fear of heights canophobia: fear of dogs gatophobia: fear of cats

25. 23. Post = after, rear posterior: the back of postlude: music, chapter, scene at the end post mortem: after death; autopsy p.m.: post meridiem – after noon postnasal: at the back of your nose

26. 24. anni, enni = year Annual: once a year Biannual: twice a year Perennial: comes back each year Centennial: marks 100 years Per diem: per day; daily allowance

27. 25. amphi, ambi = both amphitheatre: stage with audience surrounding amphibian: animal that live on land & water ambivalent: mixed feelings ambiguous: two meanings ambidextrous: both handed

28. 26. Par = equal, next to Par: average/normal Parallel: next to Paraphrase: translation into own words Paragon: model of excellence Parasite: one who feeds off others

29. 27. Ist = one who realist: one who sees things as they really are idealist: one who sees things as you hope they are pessimist: negative thinker optimist: positive thinker alarmist: one who worries constantly

30. 28. Syn = the same as synonym: words with the same meaning synchronize: coordinate in time synopsis: a summary synthetic: fake synthesize: to mix, blend

31. 29. Voc = to call vocal: sung, spoken revoke: to call back; return to issuer provoke: to initiate vocation: career; a calling avocation: a hobby

32. 30. Leg = law legal: lawful illegal: not lawful legitimate: recognized by authorities illegitimate: not recognized by authorities privilege: a special right

33. 31. Nat = birth natal: deals with birth innate: natural; comes from within naïve: innocent neo-nate: an infant renaissance: rebirth

34. 32. Uni = one unique: one of a kind unilateral: one sided unanimous: agreed upon by all anonymous: unsigned

35. 33. Pend = hang dependent: relies on other pendant (n): jewelry that hangs around nect pending: nt yet completed impending: about to happen appenix: an addition at the end

36. 34. intra= within intramural: within the building intravenous: through the veins introvert: one who is shy; withdrawn introspect: to reflect on yourself intrinsic: natural; comes from within

37. 35. inter=between interstate: goes between states intermittent: off and on intervene: to com between two parties interlude: the time in between interjection: a word tossed in for emotion

38. 36. Cide = kill homicide: killing a person suicide: killing yourself patricide: killing your dad matricide: killing your mom fratricide: killing your brother; countrymen

39. 37. Soph = wise sophistry: clever but illogical reasoning philosophy: underlying truth or principle sophomore: a 2nd year person; “wise fool” sophomoric: silly, foolish sophisticated: complex

40. 38. mal=bad malignant: harmful malice: intentional harm malady: common illness maladroit: clumsy, awkward malevolent: evil; wicked

41. 39. Hab = live habit: constant behavior habitat: surroundings rehabilitate: give a new life habitual: done out of habit inhabitable: can be lived in

42. 40. Mis = wrong, hatred misspell: to spell incorrectly misdemeanor: petty crime mischievous: causes mischief misconception: wrong information misconstrue: interpret incorrectly

43. 41. Chron = time chronic: all the time synchronize: to coordinate in time chronicle: a record chronology; events arranged by time or date anachronism: something in the wrong time period

44. 42. temp= heat temperate: mild, no extremes temperament: personality temperamental: moddy tempest: violent storm tempestuous: violent

45. 43. Ana = backwards Analyze(v): to understand by taking apart Analysis(n):product after analyzing Analogy: comparison of two situations Anagram: a word made by scrambling another (Live – vile) Apalindrome: a word that reads the same backwards & forward. “Madam, I’m Adam.”

46. 44. Al = other Alternative: second choice Alibi: an excuse for being elsewhere Alias: an assumed name Alma mater: school you graduate from; school song Altruistic: considers others first

47. 45. Sub = beneath subterfuge: trickery subjugate: to place beneath in importance subsidy: sponsored with public money subsidiary: smaller company to a larger corporation subliminal: beneath conscious level

48. 46. Tempo = time tempo: beat, rhythm contemporary: modern, new contemporaries(n): people who are alive at the same time extemporaneous: spur of the moment tempus fugit: time flies

49. 47. pre=before precarious: dangerous precocious: ahead of its time pretentious: flashy presumptuous: too confident precedent: something similar that happened before

50. 48. Corp = body corps: a team corpse: dead body esprit de corps: team spirit corporal: physical; on the body corpulent: fat