Get Back to Your Roots!

1. Get Back to Your Roots! Intentional Word Study with Greek and Latin Roots

2. Rationale • English language has 1,200,000 – 2,000,000 words! • Estimated that technology is contributing 20,000 new words a year • 90% of English words with more than 1 syllable are Latin based • Most of remaining 10% are Greek based • Single root can help us understand 5-20 related English words

3. Rationale, cont. Reading Comprehension “Decades of research have consistently found a deep connection between vocabulary knowledge, reading comprehension, and academic success…vocabulary [is] a bridge between the word level processes of phonics and the cognitive processes of comprehension” (Rasinsky, et al, 2008, p. 15).

4. History of the English Language • Ancient Romans spoke Latin and conquered most of Europe • Julius Caesar and his adopted son, Augustus, gave their names to the months of • July and August. • September means seventh • October means eighth • November means ninth • December means tenth. • The Roman calendar started with March, so the numbering is off from today’s calendar, although the names remain. • The terms “czar,” for the leaders of Russia, and “kaiser,” emperors of Germany, came from Latin. All Latin words starting with “C” made the sound of “K,” so the term kaiser may have sounded a bit like the name of the leader of Rome, Caesar.

5. History of the English Language Continued… • Long after the fall of Rome, Latin was used throughout Europe. • The Latin word for the language of the common people evolved into the word “vulgar” used today. • Romans were in Britain for 400 years; a strong impression was made on local speech and thought. • When sharing with students about Roman road building, remind them that many cars today: Audi, Corolla, Fiat, Mercedes, and Volvo, are Latin names! • 5th-6th centuries - Britain became officially Christian • Latin was the language of the Church • Many words used in the church at this time are incorporated into today’s English. For example, the word “pope” comes from Latin “papa,” for father.

6. A Little Bit of History… The earliest Greek civilizations lived around 3,000+ years ago. Some historians put the earliest dates of Greek society around the time of the first Olympic games – 776 B.C. Others extend the beginning to circa 1000+ years B.C.

7. GREEK INFLUENCE The Greeks loved philosophy and art , were interested in science and medicine, and were deep thinkers who loved to discuss politics. English absorbed words from ancient Greek for these intellectual subjects.

8. The probable origin of the caduceus to symbolize the medical profession… Historical side note on Greek influence…

9. Caduceus, continued…

10. A Little Bit More History… The Roman Influence… The Roman Empire circa 44 B.C. … lasted until circa 1453 A.D.

11. Romans, who spoke Latin, came from Rome (now Italy). Romansconquered and controlled all of these lands for hundreds of years.

12. Those who have the power determine the language. The people of the conquered lands had to learn many Latin words to be able to communicate with the people who ruled over them. Latin became the language of religion, medicine, business, and law.

13. Kinds of Roots • Base root words • Affixes • Prefixes • Suffixes

14. Roots affixes bases prefixes suffixes

15. Parallel Latin and Greek RootsParallel Latin & Greek bases Definition water foot, feet earth Latin aqua- ped- terr- Greek hydro – pod – geo -

16. Broadening the Cognate Approach English Spanish Inovador Innovative nov Nuevo Nueva Novice Novelty Renovate

17. Base Root • “vis/vid” examples as base roots – vis/vidare not words by themselves, but they are roots that mean “see”. • Experience the Consensus Board!

18. Some examples… • A visionary sees ahead to how the project could unfold. • A visor protects your eyes from the sun. • The vivid colors were so bright, we could see them clearly from far away. • Readers with a good imagination visualize the action or setting of the story. • Because it was so foggy, the visibility was very poor. • It is so fun to watch YouTube videosof the screaming goats! • The girl felt invisible as she started her first day at the new high school.

19. Prefixes • Prefixes – give direction, negate, or intensify • Most English prefixes derived from Latin (about 25) • The four most frequent prefixes account for 97 percent of prefixed words in printed school English… • dis-, re-, un-, & in-, im-, il-, ir-

20. What do you think these words mean?Pop Quiz!!!!! Create a four chart graphic organizer

21. Check your work!

22. Parallel Latin and Greek RootsParallel Latin and Greek prefixes Latin contra-, contro-, circu-, circum- multi- super-, sur- sub- Greek anti – peri – poly – hyper – hypo - Definition against around many over under, below

23. Directional Prefixes • Most of the prefixes students encounter in school texts are directional in nature. • Examples: • at-, ad- = to, toward, add to • de - = down, off • dis - = apart, in different directions • con- = with, together • re - = again

24. Suffixes • Least important component in terms of understanding a word’s meaning • Usually used to indicate a part of speech • Only a few suffixes merit intensive scrutiny • - ology = “study of” • -er = “more” • -est = “most” • -ful = “full of” • -less = “without, lacking” • -able, -ible = “can, able to”

25. Vocabulary list Greek/Latin Root Meaning Modern Word aequus equal equal, equation canto sing chant, cantor credo believe credible, incredulous fundo, fusum pour, thing poured effusive, transfusion locus a place local, dislocate nego deny negate per through perceive, persist, persevere possum be able possible, potent satis enough satisfy spiritus breath inspire, spirit verbum word verbal

26. Independent Practice • For each of the vocabulary words you are to create a word web like the one seen below. (Meaning) Believe (Other words) Credence Incredible Creed (Root Word) Credo (Sentence) I doubt his credibility because he lies. (Modern Word) Credibility

27. L.2 Activity • Construct • Construction • Obstruct • Deconstruct • Infrastructure • Reconstruct (Latin base stru, struct; prefixes con-, de-, infra-, ob-, re-, )

28. Vocabulary list L.2 GREEK/LATIN MEANING MODERN WORDS 1. ago, acta do, things done agent, enact, transact 2. Caput head captain, decapitate 3. culpa blame culpable, culprit 4. Genus kind, origin generic, congenital 5. loquor speak eloquent, loquacious 6. nihil nothing nihilism, annihilate 7. phobos [g] fear phobia, claustrophobia 8. pugno to fight impugn, pugnacious 9. scio know science, conscious 10. totus whole totalitarianism 11. verto turn avert, convert, anniversary

29. Word Root: Suffix: Prefix: Prefix Definition Root Definition Suffix Definition Other words with this prefix Other words with this root Other words with this suffix

31. Activity 3 Look at the following subject headings. Add more, if you wish. Look at the list of Greek and Latin words, below, and assign them to the subject they go with. For example, “geometry” would be under the math heading. Some words may fit two topics. Addition Adjective Alias Allegation Altar Antonym Arthritis Assault Biography Calculus Cerebral Chant Chromatic Colonies Crime Culpable Custody Democracy Despot Divorce Fungus Geography Geometry Holocaust Homicide Homonym Incarcerate Judiciary Jugular Larva Legislature Metaphor Microscope Militant Minister Monarchy Narrative Nasal Neuropathy Opera Optician Organ Orthodontist Paragraph Penal Photosynthesis Political Politics Pope Pragmatist Primeval Primitive Prologue Pronoun Psychosis Pulmonary Radius Song Species Subcutaneous Subtraction Testify Theology Theorem Totalitarian Vaccinate Verb

32. Getting Started • Early elementary – start with compound words and show how they can be broken apart • Then add negating words with prefixes (un-, in-) • Then add directional words with prefixes (pre-, re-) • Then add easy suffixes (-er, -est, -able) • Bases