The study of word origins Etymology The study of word origins

Where do the words we use come from? English is a blend of words from many other languages These words made their way into the English language in many ways Occupation by other countries/cultures English occupation of other countries/cultures Brought by immigrants Cultural trends and fashions The English language is always changing!

Greek and Latin have had the biggest influence on English. This influence started thousands of years ago…

The Mediterranean Sea Med = middle Terr = land The Mediterranean Sea is in the middle of the land where western cultures developed. The earliest western cultures were Greek and Roman.

Greek Language The first western written language. 477 BC – 149 BC Alexander the Great was the Greek leader responsible for the spread of the Greek Empire. The Greeks had an empire that included the lands bordering the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Persia, and Egypt. The Greek language and culture spread throughout this region.

Latin was the language spoken in ancient Rome. Roman Influence Latin was the language spoken in ancient Rome. When the Romans conquered territories—including most of Europe—they brought their language to those territories. That is why there are so many words in our language that have Latin roots.

The Roman Empire 117 AD Rome

The Romance Languages LATIN (Ancient Rome)‏ Italian French Spanish Portuguese

44 BC – 476 AD The Roman Empire Britain Rome Greece

How Latin words got into English Language The Roman Empire expanded into Britain, bringing Latin Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon language of the people in Ancient Britain

How Latin words got into English Language The Roman Empire expanded into Britain, bringing Latin Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon language of the people in Ancient Britain For Example: Latin word “stratum” means “layered road”

How Latin words got into English Language The Roman Empire expanded into Britain, bringing Latin Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon language of the people in Ancient Britain For Example: “Stratum” became “straets” in Anglo-Saxon Latin word “stratum” means “layered road”

How Latin words got into English Language The Roman Empire expanded into Britain, bringing Latin Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon language of the people in Ancient Britain For Example: “Stratum” became “straets” in Anglo-Saxon Latin word “stratum” means “layered road” Now called “streets” in modern English

How Latin words got into English Language The Roman Empire expanded into Britain, bringing Latin Latin words found their way into the Anglo-Saxon language of the people in Ancient Britain For Example: “Stratum” became “straets” in Anglo-Saxon Latin word “stratum” means “layered road” Now called “streets” in modern English Miles of streets and roads were created. Mile is from the Latin word mille, which means 1,000. The Roman mile was measured as 1,000 paces.

The English Language This is how English as we know it today evolved over the centuries, influenced by many other European languages.

European Invasions of Britain Anglians from the area that is now the Netherlands invaded in 550 AD. Vikings from Scandinavia invaded in 875 AD. Finally, the Normans from northern France invaded in 1066 AD. English language was banned by the Normans. All of these invaders brought their languages, which influenced the English language. These influences can be traced through etymology.

Influence of the Catholic Church 1 AD – 1950’s The Catholic Church was the official religion in all of Europe until the 1500’s. The official language of the Catholic Church was Latin. So, no matter what country, all services in the Catholic Church were spoken in Latin. All priests and church officials spoke Latin.

Renaissance Influence Renaissance = Rebirth During the Renaissance, educated people in Europe became interested in Ancient Greece. It was a time of expansion of knowledge in the areas of science, medicine, art and architecture. This is how many Greek word roots made their way into the English language, especially in these subject areas.

The Influence Continues Today Latin continued to be a universally understood language among the educated of Europe until the 1800’s. The Catholic Church continued to use Latin until the 1950’s. Our language continues to show influences from the Greek language, especially in the area of science.

England Becomes the Invader 1600 - 1900 The stars indicate areas that were once colonies of Britain, and where English was (and still is) spoken.

Why Should YOU Learn Word Roots? You will recognize word chunks in unfamiliar words and be able to narrow down the possible meaning of the word It will help you with vocabulary in many subject areas You will be better able to pronounce unfamiliar words You will become a better speller Since many languages have common roots to Latin and Greek, it makes learning a foreign language easier

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year orb = circle

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year orb = circle pop = people

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year orb = circle pop = people struct = build

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year orb = circle pop = people struct = build terr = land

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year orb = circle pop = people struct = build terr = land alt = high

Some Common Roots Can you think of words that contain these roots? ortho = straight dyna = power ann = year orb = circle pop = people struct = build terr = land alt = high reg = rule dom = rule