# List of Greek and Latin roots in English/L

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## L

| Root | Meaning in English | Origin language | Etymology (root origin) | English examples |
| lab-, lep- | grasp, seize, take | Greek | λαμβάνειν (lambánein), λῆψις (lêpsis), λῆμμα (lêmma) | analemma, analemmatic, analeptic, catalepsy, cataleptic, dilemma, dilemmatic, epilepsy, epileptic, hypnolepsy, hysteroepilepsy, metalepsis, narcolepsy, nympholepsy, octosyllabic, procatalepsis, prolepsis, proleptic, proslepsis, syllabic, syllabism, syllable, syllabogram, syllepsis, trisyllabic, trisyllable |
| lab-, laps- | slide, slip | Latin | labi, lapsus | collapse, collapsible, elapse, labile, lapse, prolapse, relapse |
| labi- | lip | Latin | labia, labiae | bilabial, bilabiate, infralabial, labial, labiate, labium, sublabial, supralabial |
| labor- | work | Latin | labor | collaborate, collaboration, collaborative, collaborator, elaborate, elaboration, elaborative, elaborator, labor, laboratory, laborious |
| lacer- | tear | Latin | lacer | laceration |
| lacrim- | cry, tears | Latin | lacrima | lachrymal, lachrymose, lachrymosity, lacrimal, lacrimation, lacrimator, lacrimatory, lacrimous |
| lact- | milk | Latin | lac, lactis, lactare | ablactate, ablactation, lactary, lactase, lactate, lactation, lactational, lacteal, lacteous, lactescent, lactic, lactose, laitance, latte |
| lag- | hare | Greek | λαγός (lagós) | lagomorph, Sylvilagus |
| lamin- | layer, slice | Latin | lāmina | bilamellate, bilaminar, lame, lamé, lamella, lamellar, lamellate, laminate, lamination, laminose, laminous, multilaminar, omelet, omelette, trilaminar, unilaminar |
| lamp- | shine, torch | Greek | λάμπειν (lámpein), λαμπάς (lampás) | lamp, lamprid, Lampris |
| lapid- | stone | Latin | lapis, lapidis | dilapidate, dilapidation, lapidarian, lapidary, lapidate, lapidation, lapidator, lapideous, lapidescence, lapidescent, lapidicolous, lapidification, lapillation, lapilli |
| larg- | large | Latin | largus | allargando, enlarge, enlargement, largamente, largando, large, largess, largesse, largition, largo |
| larv- | ghost, mask | Latin | larva | larva, larvae, larval |
| lat- | broad, wide | Latin | latus | laticlave, latifoliate, latifundium, latitude, latitudinal, latitudinarian, latitudinous |
| later- | side | Latin | latus, lateris | ambilateral, ambilaterality, bilateral, bilaterality, collateral, contralateral, equilateral, extralateral, inequilateral, ipsilateral, lateral, laterality, matrilateral, multilateral, nonlateral, patrilateral, plurilateral, quadrilateral, semilatus, septilateral, trilateral, unilateral |
| laud-, laus- | praise | Latin | laudare "to praise" | laud, laudable, laudanum, laudation, Lauds, summa cum laude |
| lav- | wash | Latin | lavare | launder, laundry, lava, lavation, lavatory, lave, lavender, lavish, lotion |
| lax- | not tense, slack | Latin | laxus, laxare | delay, disrelish, laches, lax, laxation, laxative, laxity, leasable, lease, relax, relaxant, relaxation, relay, release, relish, sublease |
| lecith- | egg yolk | Greek | λέκιθος (lékithos) | lecithin |
| led-, les-, -lid-, -lis- | hurt, strike | Latin | laedere, laesus, -lidere | allision, collide, collision, elide, elidible, elision, illesive, lesion |
| leg- | say | Greek | λέγειν (légein), λέγεσθαι (légesthai), λεκτός (lektós), λεκτικός (lektikós), λέξις (léxis), λεξικός (lexikós), λεξικόν (lexikón), λόγος (lógos), (logḗ), λεγόμενον (legómenon), λογεῖον | alexia, alexithymia, apologetic, apologia, apology, dialect, dialectic, dialectologist, dialectology, dialog, dialogue, dyslexia, dyslexic, dyslogia, dyslogism, ethnolect, legomenon, lexeme, lexicography, lexicology, lexicon, lexigram, lexis, logic, logion, logos, prolegomenon |
| leg-, lect- | choose, gather, read | Latin | legere | coil, colleague, collect, collectible, collection, collective, collector, college, collegial, collegiality, collegian, collegiate, collegium, counterintelligence, cull, deselect, diligence, diligent, elect, electability, electable, electee, election, elective, elector, electoral, electorate, eligibility, eligible, elite, illegibility, illegible, ineligibility, ineligible, intellect, intellection, intellectual, intellectuality, intelligence, intelligent, intelligentsia, intercollegiate, lectern, lectin, lection, lectionary, lector, lectorate, lecture, legend, legendary, legendry, legibility, legible, legion, legionary, legionnaire, legume, leguminous, lesson, neglect, negligee, negligence, negligent, negligible, nonelective, nonelite, nonnegligible, nonselective, postelection, predilect, predilection, preelection, prelect, prelection, prelector, preselect, recollect, recollection, reelect, reelection, religion, reselect, sacrilege, select, selectance, selectee, selection, selective, selectivity, selector, superselection, uniselector |
| leg- | law | Latin | lex, legis | allege, disloyal, disloyalty, extralegal, illegal, legal, legality, legific, legislate, legislation, legislative, legislator, legislature, legitim, legitimacy, legitimate, loyal, loyalty, nonlegal, privilege |
| leg- | send | Latin | legare (from legis) | allegation, delegable, delegacy, delegate, delegatee, delegation, delegator, delegatory, league, legacy, legatary, legate, legatee, legatine, legation, legato, nondelegate, relegate, relegation, superdelegate |
| lei- | smooth | Greek | λεῖος (leîos) | leiomyoma |
| lekan-, lanx-, lanc- | dish, pot | Greek, Latin | λεκάνη (lekánē lanx | balance, lekane, phalanx, valance |
| leni- | gentle | Latin | lenis, lenire | leniency, lenient, leniment, lenis, lenition, lenitive, lenitude, lenity |
| leon- | lion | Latin | leo, leonis | dandelion, Leo, leonine, Leopold |
| lep- | flake, peel, scale | Greek | λέπειν (lépein), λεπίς, λεπίδος (lepís, lepídos) | antilepton, lepidolite, Lepidoptera, Lepidorhombus, lepidote, lepidotrichia, leprosy |
| lepto- | small, fine, thin | Greek | λεπτός (leptós) | leptocyte, leptogenesis, Leptomonas, lepton, leptophyllous |
| leuc-, leuk- | white | Greek | λευκός (leukós) | aleukemia, aleukocytosis, leucism, leucocyte, leucopenia, leucoplast, leukemia, leukocytopenia, leukopenia, leucophore |
| lev- | lift, light, raise | Latin | levare "lighten, raise", from levis "light" (in weight) | alleviate, alleviation, bas-relief, counter-relief, deleverage, elevate, elevation, elevator, leaven, legerity, levade, Levant, levee, lever, leverage, leviable, levitate, levitation, levity, levy, relevé, relief, relieve, sublevation, superelevation |
| liber- | free | Latin | liber, liberare | deliver, deliverance, illiberal, illiberality, liberal, liberality, liberalize, liberate, liberation, liberator, libertarian, liberticide, libertinage, libertine, liberty, ultraliberal |
| libr- | book | Latin | liber, libri | interlibrary, libel, libellant, libellee, libellous, librarian, library, libretto |
| lig- | bind | Latin | ligare, ligatus | ligament, ligature |
| limac- | slug | Latin | limax, limacis | limacine, limacoid, limacon, Limax |
| limpa- | clear, water | Latin | limpa "water" | limpid, limpidity, lymph |
| line- | line | Latin | linea | align, alignment, ambilineal, ambilineality, bilinear, collinear, collinearity, collineation, curvilinear, curvilinearity, delineate, delineation, delineavit, line, linea, lineage, lineal, lineament, linear, linearity, lineate, lineation, matrilineal, multicollinearity, multilinear, nonalignment, noncollinear, nonlineal, nonlinear, nonlinearity, quasilinear, realign, realignment, rectilinear, rectilinearity, sesquilinear, sublineage, sublinear, supralinear, trilinear, unilinear |
| line- | smear, smudge | Latin | linere | delete, deletion, indelible, liniment |
| lingu- | language, tongue | Latin | lingua | bilingual, bilinguality, bilinguous, collingual, elinguation, interlanguage, language, ligula, ligular, ligule, lingua franca, lingual, linguiform, linguine, multilingual, prelingual, quadrilingual, sublingual, trilingual |
| linqu-, lict- | leave | Latin | linquere, lictus | relict, relinquish |
| lip- | fat | Greek | λίπος (lípos) | lipolysis, lipophile, lipophilic, lipopolysaccharide, lipoprotein, synaloepha |
| liqu- | flow | Latin | liquere | deliquesce, liquefy, liqueur, liquid, liquor, prolix |
| lit- | prayer, supplication | Greek | λιτή (litḗ), λιτανεία (litaneía) | litany |
| liter- | letter | Latin | littera | alliteration, alliterative, biliteral, biliterate, illiteracy, illiterate, literacy, literal, literary, literate, literati, literatim, literation, literator, literature, multiliteral, nonliteral, nonliterary, nonliterate, obliterate, obliteration, preliterate, quadriliteral, transliteracy, transliterate, transliteration, triliteral, uniliteral |
| lith- | stone | Greek | λίθος (líthos) | aerolithology, endolith, endolithic, epilithic, lithagogue, lithic, lithography, lithology, lithophile, lithophone, lithophyte, lithosphere, lithotomy, megalith, Mesolithic, microlite, monolith, monolithic, Neolithic, Paleolithic, photolithography, phytolith, regolith, stylolite |
| loc- | place | Latin | locus, locare | accouchement, allocate, bilocation, bilocular, cislocative, collocation, couch, couchant, dislocate, dislocation, interlocal, lieu, local, locale, locality, locate, location, locative, locator, locomotion, loculament, locular, locule, loculose, loculus, locus, milieu, multilocal, multilocation, multilocular, nonlocal, relocate, relocation, translocate, translocation, translocative, trilocular, unilocular |
| log-, -logy | word, reason, speech, thought | Greek | λόγος (lógos), λογία (logía) | analogy, anthology, apology, biology, dialogue doxology, ecology, epilogue, etymology, eulogy, geology, ideologue, logarithm, logic, logogram, logopaedics, logophile, logotherapy, meteorology, monologue, morphological, neologism, neurology, philology, prologue, psychology, tautology, terminology, theology, toxicology, trilogy, zoology |
| long- | long | Latin | longus | allonge, elongate, elongation, longa, longanimity, longe, longeron, longinquity, longitude, longitudinal, longum, lunge, lungo, oblong, prolong, prolongation, purloin |
| loqu-, locut- | speak | Latin | loqui | allocution, circumlocution, colloquial, colloquy, elocution, eloquent, eloquence, grandiloquent, interlocution, loquacious, loquacity, magniloquent, obloquy, soliloquy |
| luc- | bright, light | Latin | lūx (genitive lūcis), lucere | elucidate, elucidation, elucubrate, elucubration, lucent, lucid, lucidity, Lucifer (bearer of light), luciferase, luciferin, luciferous, lucifugal, lucubrate, lucubration, luculent, noctilucent, pellucid, pellucidity, relucent, semipellucid, translucency, translucent, translucid, translucidus |
| lud-, lus- | play | Latin | ludere, lusus | allude, collude, delude, elude, elusive, elusory, illude, illusion, ludicrous, lusory, prelude |
| lumin- | light | Latin | lumen, luminis, luminare | dislimn, enlumine, illuminable, illuminance, illuminant, illuminate, illuminati, illumination, illumine, intraluminal, limn, lumen, luminaire, luminal, luminance, luminant, luminaria, luminary, lumine, luminescence, luminescent, luminiferous, luminosity, luminous, relumine, subluminal, subluminous, superluminal, transluminal |
| lu-, luv-, lut- | wash | Latin | luere (see also diluere, fluere and pluere) | abluent, ablution, alluvium, colluvium, deluge, depollute, diluent, dilute, dilution, dilutive, diluvial, diluvian, diluvium, elute, elution, eluvial, elluviation, eluvium, illuviation, illuvium, lutaceous, lutite, pollution |
| lun- | moon | Latin | lūna | circumlunar, cislunar, demilune, luna, lunar, lunate, lunatic, lunation, lune, lunette, luniform, lunisolar, mezzaluna, mezzelune, plenilunary, semilunar, sublunar, sublunary, superlunary, translunar |
| lut- | yellow, golden | Latin | lūtum, lūteus | corpus luteum, luteal, lutein, luteinizing hormone, luteous |
| ly-, lysi-, lyt- | dissolving | Greek | λύειν (lúein), λυτός (lutós), λυτικός (lutikós), λύσις (lúsis) | analyse, analysis, analytic, aparalytic, autolysis, catalyse, catalysis, catalyst, catalytic, cytolysis, dialysis, electrolysis, electrolyte, electrolytic, Hippolyte, hydrolysis, hydrolyte, hydrolytic, lysigeny, lysine, lysis, lysosome, lytic, meta-analysis, palsy, paralyse, paralysis, paralytic, plasmolysis, proteolysis |
| lyc- | wolf | Greek | λύκος (lýkos) | Lycaon, lycanthropy, lycopersicon, lycoris |