Root

Original Meaning/

Usage Notes

English Derivatives

Vocabulary

ob- [from Latin]

(preposition)

against/with regard to

[Note: After ‘c,’ ‘f,’ or ‘p,’ it becomes respectively ‘oc-,’ ‘of-,’ ‘op-.’]

obdurate [literally, ‘harsh against;’ unrepentant in wickedness; intractable.]

obnoxious

obsequious

to obstruct [literally, ‘to structure against;’ to block or impede.]

to offer [literally, ‘to bear with regard to;’ to carry something to someone for that person’s acceptance or refusal.]

to oppress [literally, ‘to press against;’ to hold down unjustly or immorally.]

obnoxious (adjective) [literally, ‘harm with regard to;’ annoying; hateful.]

obsequious (adjective) [literally, ‘following with regard to;’ showing slavish obedience; fawning.]

Root

Original Meaning/

Usage Notes

English Derivatives

Vocabulary

(base)

cal(l)(i)-/kal(l)(i)- [from Greek]

(adjective)

beautiful, noble

calisthenics [literally, ‘skill at beautiful (bodily) strength;’ a regimen of exercises to produce muscle tone.]

calligraphy

calliope [literally, ‘beautiful voicing;’ a keyboard musical instrument with steam pipes.]

calomel [literally, ‘beautiful black;’ a chloride of mercury used as an insecticide.]

hemerocallis [literally, ‘beautiful for a day;’ the day lily, a perennial.]

kaleidoscope

calligraphy (noun) [literally, ‘beautiful writing;’ the art of fine handwriting.]

kaleidoscope (noun) [literally, ‘a looking at a beautiful look;’ a cylindrical optical device for viewing shifting patterns of geometrical shapes of multi-colored glass.]

Root

Original Meaning/

Usage Notes

English Derivatives

Vocabulary

(base)

bi(o)- [from Greek]

(noun)

lifetime

antibiotic [literally, ‘against a (harmful) lifetime;’ a medicinal substance that inhibits the growth of, or destroys, microorganisms, especially disease-causing microorganisms.]

biography [literally, ‘writing a lifetime;’ giving an account of someone else’s lifetime.]

biology

bionic [literally, ‘pertaining to an electronic lifetime;’ consisting of a mechanical or electronic device, especially one designed to replace a limb or organ of the human body.]

bioscope [literally, ‘a looking at a lifetime;’ a primitive movie projector.]

symbiosis

biology (noun) [literally, ‘speech about a lifetime;’ the study of living organisms as living and their life cycles.]

symbiosis (noun) [literally, ‘sharing a lifetime together;’ the interconnected relationship of two or more different organisms, a relationship that is sometimes beneficial to each.]

Root

Original Meaning/

Usage Notes

English Derivatives

Vocabulary

(base)

viv-/vit- [from Latin]

(verb/noun)

to live/life

revival

to survive

vital [literally, ‘pertaining to life;’ full of energy; essential.]

vitamin [literally, ‘life substance;’ one of the substances essential for the healthy growth and activity of the body.]

vivid [literally, ‘living;’ brightly colored; lifelike.]

to vivisect [literally, ‘to cut what is living;’ to cut open living things, especially for scientific research.]

revival (noun) [literally, ‘a living again;’ the reactivation of something from an earlier time.]

to survive (verb) [literally, ‘to live over;’ to continue in existence; to live longer than.]

Root

Original Meaning/

Usage Notes

English Derivatives

Vocabulary

contra-/contro-/ counter- [from Latin]

(preposition)

against

contraception [literally, ‘against conception;’ prevention of impregnation.]

contradiction

to contravene [literally, ‘to come against;’ to act against, or to interfere with, the carrying out of.]

to controvert [literally, ‘to turn against;’ to express opposing arguments.]

to counteract [literally, ‘to act against;’ to act to nullify the effects of a previous action.]

to countermand

contradiction (noun) [literally, ‘against what is said;’ a negation of a previous statement.]

to countermand (verb) [literally, ‘to command against;’ to negate or reverse an order.]