The Greek & Latin Roots of English (50 page)

clima (κλίμα) = zone, region

cline (κλίνη) = bed; couch

clōn (κλών) = twig

colon (κόλον) = colon

cōlon (κω̑λον) = member

coma (κω̑μα) = deep sleep

comma (κόμμα) = that which is cut off

comoedia (κωμῳδια) = comedy

comos (κω̑μος) = revel; merrymaking

cosmos (κόσμος) = order

cratos (κράτος) = strength; rule

creas (κρέας) = flesh, meat

crino (κρίνω) = separate, distinguish

crisis (κρίσις) = decision, trial; dispute

crypton (κρυπτόν) = hidden

cyanon (κύάυου) = blue

cybernetes (κυβερνήτης) = pilot, governor

cyclos (κύκλος) = circle

cymbalon (κύμβαλον) = cymbal

cyon, cynos ((κύωυ) = dog

cystis (((κυστις) = bladder

cytos ((κύτος) = hollow, vessel

Λ
(L)

leon (λέων) = lion

lethargos (λήθαργος) = forgetful

leptos (λεπτός) = slender

leucon (λευκόν) = white

limne (λίμνη) = lake

lithos (λίθος) = stone

logos (λόγος) = word; thought; study

lysis (λύσις) = loosening, untying

M
(M)

macron (μακρόν) = large

malacon (μαλακόν) = soft

mania (μανία) = madness

manthano (μανθάνω) = learn

martys, martyros (μάρτυς) = witness

mater (μήτηρ) = mother

mathesis (μάθήσις) = learning

mechane (μηχανή) = device, machine

megas, megalos (μεγάς) = very large

melas, melanos (μέλας) = black

melodia (μελῳδία) = song

meson (μέσον) = middle

meta (μετά) or meth- (μεθ-) = with; after, beyond; change

metabole (μεταβολή) = change

meteoron (μετέωρον) = raised in the air

methodos (μέθοδος) = pursuit

methy (μέθυ) = wine

metron (μέτρον) = measure

miasma (μίασμα) = stain, pollution

micron (μικρόν) = small

mimesis (μίμησις) = representation; imitation

miseo (μισέω) = hate

mneme (μνήμη) = memory

molybdos (μόλυβδος) = lead

monon (μόνον) = single, only

moron (μω̑ρον) = foolish

morphe (μορφή) = shape, form

musice (μυσική) = art of the Muses

myelos (μυελός) = marrow

myrias, myriados (μυρίας) = 10,000

mys (μυ̑ς) = muscle

mythos (μυ̑θος) = story

N
(N)

necros (νεκρός) = corpse

neon (νέον) = new

nephros (νεφρός) = kidney

neuron (νευ̑ρον) = nerve

nomicon (νομικόν) = of the law

nomos (νόμος) = law; rule

nymphe (νύμφη) = maiden

Ξ
(X)

xenos (ξένος) = stranger, foreigner

xeron (ξηρόν) = dry

xylon (ξύλον) = wood; material

O
(O)

octo (ὀκτώ) = eight

hodos (ὁδός) = road

odous, odontos (ὀδούς) = tooth

odyne (ὀδύνη) = pain

ogdoon (ὄγδοον) = eighth

ecos (οἰ̑κος) = house

ecumene (οι̕κουμενή) = inhabited world

oligoi (ὀλίγοι) = few

homeon (ὁμοι̑ον) = similar

homon (ὁμόν) = same

onyma (ὄνυμα) = name

ophthalmos (ὀφθαλμός) = eye

opsis (ὄψις) = sight, view

opteuo (ὀπτεύω) = look at, see

orchestra (ὀρχήστρα) = dancing stage

orexis (ὄρεξις) = appetite

organon (ὄργανον) = instrument, tool; bodily organ

hormao (ὁρμάω) = excite, stimulate

ornis, ornithos (ὄρνις) = bird

oros, oreos (ὄρος) = mountain

orthon (ὀρθόν) = straight

osteon (ὀστέον) = bone

ostracon (ὄστρακον) = tile

ous, otos (oὐ̑ς) = ear

Π
(P)

pachy (παχύ) = thick

paean (παιάν) = song of thanksgiving to Apollo, god of healing

paleon (παλαι̑ον) = old

pan, pantos (πα̑ν) = all

pancreas (πάγκρεας) = sweetbread

papyros (πάπυρος) = papyrus plant

para (παρά) = beside; contrary to; irregular; beyond

parabole (παραβολή) = comparison

paradigma (παράδειγμα) = pattern

paragraphe (παραγραφή) = anything written beside; slash mark

parenthesis (παρένθεσις) = insertion

pascho (πάσχω) = suffer, endure

pater (πατήρ) = father

pathos (πάθος) = suffering, condition

pedia (παιδεία) = education

pente (πέντε) = five

pepto (πέπτω) = soften, cook

peri (περί) = around, about, near

periodos (περίοδος) = going around

pes, pedos (παι̑ς) = child

petros (πέτρος) = stone

pithecos (πίθηκος) = monkey

planetes (πλανήτης) = wanderer, planet

plasticon (πλαστικόν) = molded

platy (πλατύ) = broad, wide

plege (πληγή) = blow

plethora (πληθώρα) = fullness

pleura (πλευ̑ρα) = side; rib

pneo (πνέω) = breathe

pneumon (πνευμών) = lung

poietes (ποιητής) = maker, poet

polemos (πόλεμος) = war

polis (πολίς) = city-state

poly (πολύ) = many

potamos (ποταμός) = river

pous, podos (πούς) = foot

pragma (πρα̑γμα) = business; matter

praxis (πρα̑ξις) = transaction, doing

presbys (πρέσβυς) = old

pro (πρό) = before; in front of

pros (πρός) = to, toward; in addition to

proton (πρω̑τον) = first

pteron (πτερόν) = wing

pyloros (πυλωρός) = gatekeeper

pyr, pyros (πυρ) = fire

P
(R)

rheo (ῥέω) = flow

rhetor (ῥήτωρ) = speaker

rhis, rhinos (ῥίς) = nose

Σ
(S)

sacchar (σάκχαρ) = sugar

sarx, sarcos (σάρξ) = flesh

sauros (σαυ̑ρος) = lizard

scene (σκηνή) = tent; stage backdrop

schema (σχɳ̑μα) = form, shape

schole (σχολή) = leisure

scleron (σκληρόν) = hard

scopeo (σκοπέω) = look at

sideros (σίδηρος) = iron

skeletos (σκελετός) = dried up

soma, somatos (σω̑μα) = body

sophia (σοφία) = wisdom

sophistes (σοφιστής) = expert, teacher

sperma (σπέρμα) = seed

sphera (σφαι̑ρα) = ball

sphongos (σφόγγος) = sponge

stadion (στάδιον) = racecourse

stereon (στερεόν) = solid, firm

sthenos (σθένος) = strength

stoa (στοά) = cloister, colonnade

stoma, stomatos (στόμα) = mouth

strategos (στρατηγός) = general

symposion (συμπόσιον) = drinking party

syn (σύν) or sym- (συμ-) = with

synthesis (σύνθεσις) = putting together

systema (σύστημα) = whole; composition

T
(T)

tachys (ταχύς) = rapid, swift

tauros (ταυρος) = bull

techne (τέχνη) = skill, art

tele (τɳ̑λε) = at a distance

tessara
or
tettara (τέσσαρα) = four

tithemi (τίθημι) = put, place

tomos (τομός) = cutting

topos (τόπος) = place

trachea (τραχει̑α) = rough

tragoedia (τραγῳδία) = tragedy (literally, goat song)

trapeza (τράπεζα) = table

trauma, traumatos (τραυ̑μα) = wound

tris (τρει̑ς) = three

triton (τρίτον) = third

tropos (τρόπος) = turn; way, manner

trophe (τροφή) = nourishment

tympanon (τύμπανον) = drum

typos (τύπος) = mark; model, outline

tyrannos (τύραννος) = absolute ruler

Y
(U, Y)

hybris (ὕβρις) = pride, arrogance

hydor, hydatos (ὕδωρ) = water

hygieia (ὑγίεια) = health

hygron (ὑγρόν) = moisture

hyle (ὕλη) = matter

hymnos (ὕμνος) = song of praise

hyper (ὑπέρ) or hyph- (ὑφ-) = above; excessively

hyphen (ὑφέν) = in one

hypnos (ὕπνός) = sleep

hypo (ὑπό) or hyph- (ὑφ-) = below; deficient

hypocrites (ὑποκριτής) = actor

hystera (ὑστέρα) = uterus

Φ
(PH)

phagein (φαγει̑ν) = eat

phalanx (φάλαγξ) = phalanx

pharmacon (φάρμακον) = drug; poison

pharynx (φάρυγξ) = throat