ESL Blogs

Is there any shortcut to increase our vocabulary? What do you do when you come across an unknown word? Look up for a dictionary? Okay, fine. Then what do you do when you don’t have a dictionary with you?  Sometimes you don’t get enough time to look up the meaning in a huge dictionary or internet. Would you like to guess the meaning? Yes, that’s a way to increase your vocabulary because in this way when you got to know the original meaning, those words can be memorized very easily. I don’t know whether we can call it a shortcut but in this way you can surely enjoy the way of learning new words. It is almost like a game. Now let us come to the point.

Suppose, you came across a word “corpse” and have no idea about the meaning. Can you guess the meaning( suppose you no dictionary and no laptop or such devices so that you can find out the meaning)?

The only way is you can guess! Now how can you guess about the meaning logically? So now you have to know about the parts of a word. A word is generally made up of suffix, root and prefix. The root word is the primary unit of a word which can't be break up into smaller units.  So now if you know the meaning of 10 roots , then most probably you can guess the correct meaning 10 times the number of roots you know .

I had a teacher who gave me 10 roots to memorize. Those were very common roots. Those roots were all related numerical terms. I’m now sharing that note with EC. I don’t know how much you will consider it as useful but I think at least it is HARMFUL! Lol ! 

                           NUMBER ROOTS AND RELATED WORDS(with meaning)

1.Demi , Semi, Hemi and Med/Medi       -         Half

        Example: Demigod – a being who is partly divine and partly human

                     Semester- A half-year term in a school or university

                     Hemisphere- Half of the world

                     Medial – situated in the halfway or in the middle

                      Mediocrity – A middle state or condition

2.Uni , mono and sole – One

           Example: Unicycle – A one wheeled cycle

                       Univocal- Having one meaning only

                       Monolith- A pillar made of a single stone

                       Monotheism – The belief in one God

                       Solitaire- A ring

3.Sesqui – One and a half

               Example: Sesquiplane - A biplane having one long wing and one short one above or below                               it.

4. Di, Bi, Du/Duo   -  Two

              Examples :  Divergence- Moving apart of two thing starting from the                                                  same point

                                   Binoculars - optical device with two lenses

                                Duet-  a musical composition for two voices or                                                         instruments.    

5.Tri and  Thr -  Three

                Examples : Trinitarian-  one who believes in the doctrine of                                               trinity         

6.Quadr/Tetr – Four

                Examples: Quadruped – one who walks on four legs

                              Tetrapod – having four leg

7.Pent, Quint and  quingue – five

               Examples: Pentathlon – an athletic  contest that includes five events

8.Sex and Hex – Six

               Examples: Sextant- The sixth part of a circle

                             Hexagon- A plane figure having six angles.

9.Sept and Hept – Seven

               Examples: Septet- A group of seven singers.

                             Heptateuch- the first seven books of the Old Testament.

10.Oct/Octa/Octo – eight

               Examples: Octopus – a creature with eight arms.

         For more word roots, you can visit 

 https://www.learnthat.org/pages/view/roots.html#h        

For any mistake , please note down because I am a learner! Thank you. :-)