MEDICINE, BOTANY, BIOLOGY, ZOOLOGY: Latin, Greek, Old English, French, German ROOTS, PREFIXES, SUFFIXES

A

a = not, without

ab = from, opposite

abysso = extreme depths

acanth = spine

actin =    ray

ad = to, toward

adipo =    fat

affer =    carry to, bear inward

ala = wing

alb = white

alve = pit, cavity

amnio =    fetal sac

amphi =    on both sides, both

ampulla = a flask

an = without

andr = male

aniso =    opposite

ante = in front of

anthro = human

anti = opposite, against

aqua = water

arach =    spider, spiderweb

arbor =    tree

arch = primitive

arthro = joint

artio =    even

asco = cup-like

-ase = an enzyme

aster =    star

ater (atra) = black

aud = to hear, hearing

auto = self

avi = bird



B

basi = at the bottom

bathy =    very deep

bdella = sucker

bio (bios) = life

bi (bis) = two

blast = germ

brachy = short

brady =    slow

branch = gill

bronch = windpipe

bucca = cavity of mouth

bursa =    pouch



C

caec = blind

caly = covering

campanula = bell

canth =    spine

cap, capit = head

capill = hair

card = heart

carin =    keel, breastbone

carn =    flesh

-carp =    spore case

case = blind

caud, cauda = tail

cephal, ceph = head

cera, cerat = horn

cerebr = brain

cerv = neck

cest = girdle

ceta = whale

chaet =    bristle, spine

chel = claw

chlor = green

choan = funnel

chondr = cartilage

chord = cord

chrom = color

chrys =    golden

cili =    eyelash

cirri =    small tentacle

clitor = to close

cloaca = sewer

cnid = nettle

coel = hollow

com = together

conch = shell

corn = horn

corp = body

crani =    skull

crusta = crust, shell

crypt =    hidden

cten = comb

cusp = lance, point

cuti = skin

-cuel =    circular

cycl = circular

cyst = capsule

cyt = cell



D

-dae = family

dactyl = finger

de = from, away, down

deca = ten

demi = half

den = tooth

dendr =    tree or bush

derm = skin

di = twice, second

dia = apart

digit =    finger or toe

din = terrible or whirling

diplo =    double

don = tooth

dors = back

duo = two, twice



E

-eal = pertaining to

echin =    spiny

eco = house

ect = outside, outer

ef = away

effer = carry away

ejacul = throw out

embol =    inserted

encephalon = brain

end = inner

engy = narrow

enter =    inside

entom =    an insect

epi = upon

erythr = red

esoph = gullet

eu = advanced, typical

eury = wide range of tolerance

ex = outside, from

extra =    beyond



F

fasc = bundle

fenester = window

fer = to bear, carry

fili, fil = thread

flex = bend

foramen = opening (small)

foss = ditch



G

gam = marriage, a joining

gangli = knot in string

gaster = stomach

gangli = knot in string

gen = descent, generate; also knee, cheek, chin

glia = gluelike

gly = sugar-containing

glom = ball of yarn

gloss =    tongue

gnath =    jaw

gon = seed, begetting

gymn = naked

gyn = female



H

haem = blood

hali = salt-tolerant

helminth = worm

hemi = half

hepat =    liver

herp = creeping

hetero = different or other

hex = six

histo =    tissue

holo = complete

hom = like

homo = the same; human, man

hyal = glasslike

hydr = water

hyper =    high activity, above, over

hypo = low activity, below, under



I

ichth =    fish

-ida =    like

-idia =    little

insect = to cut in, divide

inter =    between

intra =    inside, within

iso = equal

itis = inflammation of



K

kary = fusion

kin = moving



L

lab = lip

lacuna = space, void

lamella = leaf layer

lepi = scale

-lemma = membrane

leuc = white

liga = to tie together

lith = stone

log, logia = treatise, study

lumen =    cavity

lumin =    light-producing

lutea =    yellow

lys = to kill; a dissolution



M

macro =    great, large

macula = spot

magni =    large

mastig = whip

major =    larger

mamma =    breast

maxilla = upper jaw

medull = marrow

mela = dark

mening = membrane

meno = single

mer = part, unit

meso = middle

meta = after

micro =    small

mit = thread

moll = soft

mono = single, one

morph = form

muco = slimy, mucus

multi =    many

mus = mouse

myce (myco) = fungus

myo = muscle

myst = moustache



N

nao = dwarf

narc = drugged, drug-like

necro =    death

nema = thread

nephr =    kidney

neur = nerve

nidus =    nest

nom = law

node = thickened area

noto = back

nudi = naked



O

odont = tooth

-oid = like

olfact = smelling

oligo =    few

oment =    fatty skin

omm = eye

oo = egg

opthalm = eye

opercul = little cover

ophi = snake

opt = eye, vision

orb = circle

oral = mouth

ornith = bird

ortho =    straight

os, osti = mouth

-ose = a sugar

-osis =    increase of

oss (ost) = bone

ostrac = shell

oti, (oto) = ear

ovum = egg



P

pachy =    thick

palae =    ancient

-palmate = webbed

papil =    nipple

par = birth

para = beside, near

pariet = wall

parv = small

pect = breast

ped = foot

peduncl = little foot

pelecy = hatchet

penis =    tail, penis

pente =    five

peri = around

perisso = odd

perenni = permanent, enduring, all year

petr = rock

phaeo =    brown

phago =    eat

phil = loving, liking

phob = fearing

phor = carry

photo =    light

phragm = fence, partition

phyl = tribe, group

phyll =    leaf

physa = bladder

physio = nature

phyte, phyto = plant

pil = hair

pinna = feather
   
pino = to drink   

plac = plate, tablet.

plan = flat, plane

plantar = sole of foot

plasm =    fluid, forming

plast =    rod-shaped body

platy =    flat, broad

pleio =    multiple

pleur =    side

plex = interwoven

plica =    fold

-ploid = chromosome

plume =    feather

pneumo = air, breathing

pod = foot

poly = many

pollex = thumb

pons = bridge

porta =    gate

post = behind, after

pre = before

prim = first

pro = in front, toward

process = to project from

proct =    anus

profund = deep

proto =    first

prox = nearby

pseud =    false

ptero =    wing, fin

pulmo =    lung

pychn =    pressure

pyg = rump, buttocks



Q

quad = four

quar = four

quat = four

quint =    five



R

rami = branch

renal =    kidney

rete = little net

retro =    back, backward

rhabd =    rod

rhach =    spine

rhage =    tear, rent

rhin = nose

rhiz = root

rhodo =    red

rhomb =    square

rhynch = snout

rodo, rode = gnaw

rostrum = beak, prow

rota = turn, wheel



S

sacch =    sugar

saggi =    mid-line

sapr = decaying matter

sarc = flesh

saur = lizard

scaph =    hollow

schizo = cleft, split

scler =    hard

scrot =    pouch

scut = shield

scypho = cup

-sect =    cut

semi = half, part

sept = seven, wall

ser = fluid on body

serra =    saw

set = bristle

sex = six

sinus =    hollow

sol = sun

soma = body

-spanch = viscera

sperm =    seed, semen

sphict, sphinct = closing

spira =    coiling

splanch = viscera

sporo =    spore-producing

squam =    scale, flattened

steg = covering

stell =    star

sten = narrow

stom = mouth

striat = marked with a furrow

striet = narrow bands

styl = column

sub = under, below

sulc = groove, furrow

super =    above

syn (sym) = together,  partnership



T

tachy =    fast

tact = touch

taenia = band, ribbon

tax = to arrange

teleo =    complete, perfect

tele = far end

tenia = band, ribbon

tentacul = holding

terti =    third

test = shell

testis = male gonad

tetra =    four

theca =    case

thermo = heat

thero =    beast, mammal

thromb = clot

tom = piece or section, cut

toti = all, total

trach =    tube   

trans =    across

trema =    hole

tri = three

trich =    hair

trop = turning

troph =    food, feeding

tympan = drum



U

ultra =    beyond

unc = hook

ungul =    hoof, claw

uni = one, single

uro = tail, excretory, urine

uter = womb



V

vagina = sheath

vague, vagus = wandering

venter = belly

verm = worm

vesti =    rudimentary

vita = life

vitell = yolk

vitro =    glass

viv = alive

volv = turning, womb

vors,  vora = devour



X

xero = drought-tolerant

xyl = wood



Z

zon = girdle

zoo (zoa) = animal

zyg = yoke