The words that we use every day in our English language come from many other languages and cultures. We use them every day and don't realize how many other languages make up our English language. Below are some examples of words from other countries and cultures. See if you can guess what words we use that look or sound like them.Here are some words from other cultures and countries and their definitions. Try to figure out what they are in English. You will see how words we know come from other places.
From German words:1. wetter = sun, rain, snow, etc. __weather__
2. heiss = having much heat __________
3. stuhl = seat with no back __________
4. bual = the color of the sky __________
5. blut = red body fluid __________
From Latin words:1. popularitas = being well liked _____________
2. locatio = position or place _____________
3. libertas = freedom _____________
4. quaestio = thing asked _____________
5. visio = sense of sight ______________
From French words:
Before you look to far below, see if you can find words in this poem that you might understand. Write the words that you think you can guess. Like some of the words above, there are words that we use that are similar to our English words.
Trois anneaux pour les Rois Elfes sous le ciel
Sept pour les Seigneurs nains dans leurs demeures de pierre
Neuf pour les Hommes Mortels destinés au trépas
Un pour le Seigneur Ténébreux sur son sombre trône
Dans le pays de Mordor où s'étendent les ombres
Un anneau pour les gouverner tous
Un anneau pour les trouver
Un anneau pour les amener tous et dans les ténèbres les lier
Au Pays de Mordor où s'étendent les ombres
The Poem reads:
Three Rings for the Elven Kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Man, doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.
(This poem was at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings, and it was a clue about what the three books are about.)
Latin and Greek Roots Many words come from Latin and Greek Roots. You can find them below. There are roots, what the roots mean, and an example of words made with that root. See if you can find more words that grow from that root. Try to make trees of words from these roots.
Return to top of pageLatin Roots Root Word___________________________Meaning________________________________Example annus__________________________year___________________________annual aqua.____________________________water___________________________aquarium audio, aud____________________________hear____________________________auditorium belli____________________________war____________________________belligerent bene____________________________well________________________________benefit cent____________________________hundred____________________________century dic____________________________say____________________________dictation fero____________________________carry____________________________ferry fin____________________________end____________________________finish ignis____________________________fire____________________________ignite liber____________________________free____________________________liberate locus____________________________place____________________________locate magn____________________________great____________________________magnitude mal____________________________bad____________________________malice man____________________________hand____________________________manual mit, mis________________________send______________________transmit, mission multus____________________________many____________________________multiply pes, pedis____________________________foot____________________________pedal port____________________________carry____________________________transportation scribo____________________________write____________________________subscribe tempus____________________________time____________________________temporary terra____________________________land____________________________territory vid, vis____________________________see____________________________vision, video voca____________________________call____________________________vocal
Return to Top of PageAdded to the beginning of a word or root word.... From Latin.....the prefixes that are used most...
ab........................from dis................part pre............before
ad...................... to en..................in pro..........in front of
be......................by ex..................out re.............back
com...................with in.................into sub...........under
de.....................from in................not un.............not
Most used prefixes:ab...............................awayfrom..............abnormalMany ways to say NO or NOT
ad..................................to............................adhere
ambi, amphi....................both.........................ambidextrous
ante.............................before........................antebellum
anti............................against.......................antibody
auto............................self.........................autobiography
be..............................by..................................beside
bi...............................two.............................bicycle
circum........................around.......................circumference
com, con, co................together.....................combine
contra, counter..............against.......................contradict
de.............................from, down................depart
dis...........................not, away..................disagree
en.............................in...............................enroll
ex...........................out..............................export
hemi..........................half............................hemisphere
hyper...........................above....................hyperventilate
hypo........................under....................hypodermic
in, im.........................not........................impossible
inter......................between..................intermission
il, ir...........................not..........................irregular
mis............................wrong....................misinform
multi........................many.........................mutltude
non.......................not..............................nonskid
op.........................against.......................opposite
out..........................over..........................outshine
para......................beside........................parasite
poly......................many.........................polymorphic
post......................after............................postwar
pre.........................before......................preschool
pro....................in front of, before..............protect
re................ ......back................................remit
semi...................half..............................semicircle
sub.............. .......under............................submarine
super.................above............................superman
syn, sym.............together......................sympathy
trans...................across.........................transport
ultra.................above..............................unltralight
un.........................not.................................unable
with...................against.............................withhold
There are many prefixes that mean NO! Here are some we found.....
.....un.....il......im.....non.....ir......dis...Examples: unable, illegal, impossible, nonrefundable, disassemble
Suffix = Meaning Suffix = Meaning Suffix = MeaningSuffixes -added to the end of a word or rootword -able = able -ic = like -ly = like
-al = belonging to -ing = person or thing which -ment = the result of action
-ally = like, belonging to -ish = like -ness = has the quality of
-ant = a person who is -ism = state of being -ous = full of
-ate = to make... -ist = a person who -some = someone or thing of
-er = a person who... -ism = state of being -tion = the act of
-est = most -ive = a person or -y = like
Return to top of page
Challenge: use the above parts of words--prefixes, root words, and suffixes to create words. Also, find words that have them in them. See the root-word game in the Dictionary Section and make a tree of words!