1. Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos ENGL. 213 PUCPR
Word Parts
Prof. Miguel A. Arce Ramos
ENGL. 213
PUCPR

2. How do we acquire vocabulary?
Using common vocabulary
Inferring
Understanding parts of speech

3. Word Analysis
As we become familiar with language there are other ways to acquire language.
As we analyze words, we can figure that most words fall into 2 categories:
Content words
Function words

4. What are the differences between content words and function words?
Content words are words that denote concepts such as objects, actions, attributes and ideas. These can be described as an open class.
Content words are:
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Adverbs

5. What are the differences between content words and function words?
Function words are words that do not have clear lexical meaning or obvious concepts. These can be described as an closed class.
Function words are:
Conjunctions
Prepositions
Articles
Pronouns

6. Acquiring New Vocabulary
Another way to acquire vocabulary is by analyzing words into three categories:
Suffixes
Root Words
Prefixes

7. What are roots?
A root is a lexical content morpheme that cannot be analyzed into smaller parts.
In other words, a root of a word contains the basic meaning.
For example,
happy
stun
run

8. Roots
Knowing the meanings of some common roots can help you understand the words that are made from those roots.
The words built around a single root are called related words.

9. Roots There are two types of roots:
Roots that can stand alone as words in English.
cheer
fight
usual
break

10. Roots There are two types of roots:
Roots that cannot stand alone in English.
These include many of the roots that come from Latin, Greek, and other languages.
The spelling of the roots from other languages is often changed when they are part of an English word.
philos (from the Greek word for love) is contained in: philosopher (lover of knowledge) and bibliophile (lover of books)

11. Prefixes
A prefix is a letter or group of letters that is added before the root to change its meaning.
Happy (root)
Un- = not
Un + happy = unhappy
Unhappy = not happy

12. Prefixes Prefixes change the meaning of a word.
However, they do not change word class.
The most common prefixes in English are:
Anti - against
De - opposite
Dis – not, the opposite of
En, em – cause to
Fore - before

13. Prefixes The most common prefixes in English are: Semi – half
In, im – in
In-, il-, ir – not
Inter – between
mid – middle
Mis – wrongly
Non – not
Over – over
Pre – before
Re - again
Semi – half
Sub – under
Super – above
Trans – across
Un – not
Under - under

14. Suffixes
A suffix is a letter or group of letters that is added after the root to change its grammatical function.
Happy (root)
-ness = the state of being
happy + ness = happiness
happiness = the state of being happy

15. Suffixes A suffix also change the meaning of a word.
But, suffixes can change the word class of a word.

16. Prefixes The most common suffixes in English are: -ist – one who
Nouns
-acy – state or quality of
-al – act or process of
-ance, -ence – state or quality of
-dom – place or state of being
-er, -or – one who
-ism – doctrine, belief
-ist – one who
-ity, -ty – quality of
-ment – condition of
-ness – state of being
--ship – position held
-sion – state of being

17. Prefixes The most common suffixes in English are: Verbs -ate – become
-en – become
-ify, -fy – make or become
-ize, -ise - become

18. Prefixes The most common suffixes in English are:
Adjective
-able, -ible – capable of being
-al – pertaining to
-esque - reminiscent
-ful – notable
-ic, -ical – pertaining to
-ious, -ous – characterized by
-ish – having the quality of
-ive – having the nature of
-less – without
-y – characterized by

19. Exercise #1 Latin Roots Annus = year Manus = hand Dictus = say, speak
Versum = turn
Locatum = place
Visus = see
Manual workers with no special training are unlikely to find a job that pays well.
root = manus
definition = done by hand
Dictionary definition = (adj.) of, relating to, or involving the hands.

20. Exercise #1 Part B Word from Part A Related Word Definition Vision
visibility
The distance it is possible to see
reverse
revert
to come or go back (as to a former condition, period, or subject)

21. Exercise 2 A Greek roots bios = life logos = word, speak, reason
chronos = time
metron = measure
genos = race, kind
pathos = suffering, feeling
geo = earth
She spoke to him roughly because she didn't want to look lonely and pathetic in his eyes.
Word = pathetic
Root = pathos
Your definition = feeling like a loser
Dictionary definition = having a capacity to move one to either compassionate or contemptuous pity

22. Definition of related word
Exercise #2 B
Word from part A
Related word
Definition of related word
pathetic
sympathy
an affinity, association, or relationship between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the other
geography
geocentric
relating to, measured from, or as if observed from the earth's center

23. Exercise #3 - 6
Study the prefixes that give words a negative meaning. In the items below, all of the words except one have a prefix with a negative meaning.
Im-
impossible
imagine
imperfect
impersonal
impatient
Un-
unaware
uncle
unspoken
unable
unbeatable
Uni-
united
union
universe
unimportant
uniform

24. Exercise #7 - 9
Endure + -ance = endurance = state or condition to endure

25. Exercise #10 - 11 Harmonize = (adj.) to be in harmony
It was necessary to revise the plan numerous times before everyone could agree.
Word – numerous
Parts – numer + ous
Definition - consisting of great numbers of units or individuals