Latin and Greek Root Words Study Guide
VAL
Origin: Latin valere – “to be strong, be worth”
Meaning: Strong, worth, value
The root “val” appears in words related to strength, worth, or value. It emphasizes the concept of something having power or significance.
Examples:
- Valid – having strength or force; legally sound
- Value – worth or importance of something
- Evaluate – to determine the worth of something
- Prevalent – having superior strength or influence
- Equivalent – equal in value or strength
- Valiant – showing courage and strength
- Validate – to confirm the strength or truth of
- Devalue – to reduce the worth of something
- Invaluable – of great worth or value
- Revalue – to assess the worth again
BENE
Origin: Latin bene – “well, good”
Meaning: Good, well
This root appears in words expressing positive qualities, goodness, or beneficial actions.
Examples:
- Benefit – something that is good or helpful
- Benevolent – showing goodness and kindness
- Benediction – a spoken blessing; good words
- Benefactor – one who does good for others
- Beneficial – producing good results
- Benign – gentle and harmless; good-natured
- Beneficiary – one who receives good things
- Benevolence – disposition to do good
- Benedict – blessed; spoken well of
- Beneficence – the practice of doing good
BON
Origin: Latin bonus – “good”
Meaning: Good
Related to “bene,” this root emphasizes goodness and positive qualities.
Examples:
- Bonus – something good given in addition
- Bonanza – a source of great wealth; good fortune
- Bona fide – genuine; in good faith
- Bonbon – a good sweet candy
- Debonair – having good manners; suave
- Bonhomie – good-natured friendliness
- Boniface – a person of good deeds
- Bonito – a good-tasting fish
- Bonny – good-looking; attractive
- Bonsai – good cultivation (Japanese adoption)
BOUN
Origin: Latin bonus – “good” (variant spelling)
Meaning: Good, generous
This variant of “bon” often appears in words related to generosity and abundance.
Examples:
- Bounty – generous goodness; abundance
- Bountiful – abundant; generously good
- Bouncer – one who maintains good order
- Boundary – a good limit or border
- Bound – determined; in good spirits
- Rebound – to spring back with good force
- Abound – to exist in good quantity
- Unbound – free from limits; boundless good
- Outbound – going toward a good destination
- Eastbound – traveling in a good direction
SPEC
Origin: Latin specere – “to look, see”
Meaning: Look, see, observe
This root relates to vision, observation, and examination.
Examples:
- Spectacle – something to be looked at
- Inspect – to look into carefully
- Respect – to look back with regard
- Suspect – to look upon with doubt
- Perspective – a way of looking at things
- Specimen – something to be looked at as example
- Spectacular – impressive to look at
- Retrospect – looking back at the past
- Prospect – looking forward to the future
- Circumspect – looking around carefully
CEDE
Origin: Latin cedere – “to go, yield”
Meaning: Go, yield, give way
This root appears in words about movement, yielding, or giving up position.
Examples:
- Precede – to go before
- Recede – to go back
- Secede – to go away from a group
- Concede – to yield or give in
- Intercede – to go between as mediator
- Antecedent – going before
- Unprecedented – never having gone before
- Cede – to give up or yield
- Accede – to go along with; agree
- Decedent – one who has gone away (deceased)
CEED
Origin: Latin cedere – “to go” (variant spelling)
Meaning: Go, move forward
A variant of “cede” that often suggests forward movement or progress.
Examples:
- Proceed – to go forward
- Succeed – to go after and achieve
- Exceed – to go beyond limits
- Heed – to pay attention; go toward
- Speed – to go quickly
- Indeed – in truth; to go within fact
- Breed – to go forth and multiply
- Creed – beliefs one goes by
- Greed – excessive desire to go after wealth
- Stampede – to go rushing in panic
CESS
Origin: Latin cedere – “to go” (variant ending)
Meaning: Go, process
Another variant of “cede,” often appearing in words about processes or states of going.
Examples:
- Process – a series of actions going forward
- Access – the ability to go to
- Success – the achievement of going after goals
- Excess – going beyond normal limits
- Recess – a going back or break
- Recession – a going back economically
- Procession – a group going forward together
- Cessation – a stopping of going
- Necessary – not able to go without
- Predecessor – one who went before
MIGR
Origin: Latin migrare – “to move, wander”
Meaning: Move, travel, wander
This root relates to movement from one place to another.
Examples:
- Migrate – to move from one place to another
- Immigration – moving into a new country
- Emigration – moving out of a country
- Migration – the act of moving
- Migrant – one who moves regularly
- Migratory – relating to movement patterns
- Transmigration – moving across or through
- Immigrant – one who has moved in
- Emigrant – one who moves out
- Migraine – severe headache (originally “wandering pain”)
MAND
Origin: Latin mandare – “to order, entrust”
Meaning: Order, command, entrust
This root appears in words about giving orders or entrusting authority.
Examples:
- Command – to give orders
- Demand – to order or require
- Mandate – an official order
- Mandatory – required by order
- Remand – to order back
- Countermand – to order against
- Commander – one who gives orders
- Commendable – worthy of entrusting praise
- Recommend – to entrust as worthy
- Reprimand – to order correction
MEND
Origin: Latin emendare – “to correct, improve”
Meaning: Correct, improve, repair
This root relates to fixing, correcting, or making better.
Examples:
- Mend – to repair or fix
- Amend – to correct or improve
- Amendment – a correction or addition
- Recommend – to suggest as improvement
- Commend – to praise for good qualities
- Tremendous – impressively large (beyond mending)
- Mendacious – dishonest; needing correction
- Emend – to correct text
- Mendable – able to be repaired
- Unmendable – impossible to fix
PRESS
Origin: Latin premere – “to press, squeeze”
Meaning: Press, squeeze, push
This root appears in words about applying force or pressure.
Examples:
- Press – to push against with force
- Compress – to squeeze together
- Express – to press out or communicate
- Impress – to press into or affect strongly
- Suppress – to press down or stop
- Oppress – to press against unfairly
- Repress – to press back or restrain
- Depression – a pressing down state
- Pressure – the force of pressing
- Impressive – having the power to press upon mind
ACT
Origin: Latin agere – “to do, drive”
Meaning: Do, drive, perform
This root relates to action, doing, or performing activities.
Examples:
- Act – to do or perform
- Action – the process of doing
- Active – engaged in doing
- Actor – one who performs
- React – to do in response
- Enact – to do or make into law
- Exact – driven out precisely
- Interact – to do things together
- Activity – state of doing things
- Activate – to cause to do or work
AG
Origin: Latin agere – “to do, drive” (variant)
Meaning: Do, drive, act
A variant of “act” that appears in many common words.
Examples:
- Agent – one who acts for another
- Agency – organization that acts
- Agenda – things to be done
- Agile – able to act quickly
- Agitate – to drive into motion
- Agriculture – driving the field (farming)
- Aggregate – driven together into a mass
- Navigate – to drive a ship
- Litigate – to drive a legal case
- Instigate – to drive someone to action
VID
Origin: Latin videre – “to see”
Meaning: See, look
This root relates to vision and seeing.
Examples:
- Video – relating to seeing/visual
- Evidence – that which is seen as proof
- Provide – to see ahead and supply
- Divide – to see/separate into parts
- Individual – not able to be divided
- Obvious – clearly seen
- Envy – to see others and want what they have
- Preview – to see before
- Supervise – to see over and direct
- Providence – seeing ahead and providing
VIS
Origin: Latin videre – “to see” (variant)
Meaning: See, sight, appearance
A variant of “vid” emphasizing sight and appearance.
Examples:
- Visible – able to be seen
- Vision – the ability to see
- Visit – to go see someone
- Visual – relating to sight
- Invisible – not able to be seen
- Revise – to see again and correct
- Supervise – to see over and direct
- Advisor – one who sees ahead and counsels
- Television – seeing from far away
- Visceral – relating to what is seen inside
ASTR
Origin: Greek astron – “star”
Meaning: Star, celestial body
This root relates to stars and celestial objects.
Examples:
- Astronomy – the study of stars
- Astronaut – star sailor; space traveler
- Astrology – study of star influence
- Asteroid – star-like object
- Astronomer – one who studies stars
- Astrophysics – physics of stars
- Astral – relating to stars
- Astrolabe – instrument for observing stars
- Astronomical – relating to star study
- Catastrophe – stars turning down (disaster)
ASTER
Origin: Greek astron – “star” (variant)
Meaning: Star, star-shaped
A variant of “astr” that often emphasizes star-like shapes or qualities.
Examples:
- Aster – star-shaped flower
- Asterisk – little star symbol (*)
- Disaster – bad star; misfortune
- Master – one who has star-like authority
- Plaster – material that spreads star-like
- Faster – moving with star-like speed
- Easter – spring celebration (bright star time)
- Cluster – group gathered star-like
- Blaster – device that shoots star-like
- Caster – one who throws star-like
Study Tips
- Etymology helps vocabulary: Understanding these roots helps you decode unfamiliar words
- Pattern recognition: Notice how prefixes and suffixes combine with roots
- Practice application: Try to identify these roots in your daily reading
- Make connections: Link new words to familiar ones with the same root
- Create word families: Group related words by their common roots
