The root
Autor: Ana Carolina de Souza | Publicado: 2011-10-12T22:40:00-03:00

Did you know that most words used in the English language today were not originally English. These words were "borrowed" from other languages. The majority of English words have Latin or Greek origins. It may be possible to guess the meaning of an unknown word when one knows the meaning of its root. Knowing prefixes and suffixes can also assist in the process.
An English word can consist of three parts: the root, a prefix and a suffix. The root is the part of the word that contains the basic meaning (definition) of the word. The root is the base element of the word. A prefix is a word element that is placed in front of a root. A prefix changes the word's meaning or makes a new word. A suffix is a word element that is placed after the root. The suffix changes the word's meaning as well as its function (use). Prefixes and suffixes are called affixes because they are attached to a root.

Unbelievable! Incredible!
Although it seems a little complex, it can be really helpful when taking the TOEFL* (Test of English as a Foreign Language), for example. As you might don't know the meaning of some words, knowing its origin, prefix and suffix, could help you out.
All right then. Gonna show you in practice what I'm talking about:

Prefixes:
A, means: in, on, of, up, to.&nbsp;Example: abed, afoot&nbsp;or it means: without, lacking.&nbsp;Example: atheist, agnostic &nbsp;
auto, means: self.&nbsp;Example: autonomy, autobiography
com, means: with, together, very.&nbsp;Example: commotion, complicate
dem, means: people.&nbsp;Example: demographics, democracy
fore, means: before, previous.&nbsp;Example: foretell, forefathers.
homo, means: same, equal.&nbsp;Example: homogenized
hypo, means: under, beneath.&nbsp;Example: hypodermic, hypothesis
inter, means: among, between.&nbsp;Example: intercede, interrupt
intra, means: within.&nbsp;Example: intramural, intrastate
ob, means: against, opposing.&nbsp;Example: objection
over, means: above or excessive.&nbsp;Example: overbearing, overwork, overall
post, means: after, following.&nbsp;Example: postpone, postscript
pro, means: forward, in place of.&nbsp;Example: propel, pronoun
un, means: not, reverse of.&nbsp;Example: unhappy, unlock
Suffixes:able, means: able to, likely or worth.&nbsp;Example: capable, tolerable, incredible
aholic / oholic, means: addiction or obsession.&nbsp;Example: workaholic, chocaholic
ancy /ency, means: state, quality or capacity.&nbsp;Example: vacancy, agency, latency
arch, means: to rule.&nbsp;Example: monarch
ard, means: one that does excessively.&nbsp;Example: drunkard, wizard
clam, claim, means: cry out.&nbsp;Example: exclamation, clamor, proclamation, reclamation, acclaim
ed, means: having the quality or characteristics of.&nbsp;Example: winged, moneyed, dogged, tiered
ful, means: full of, marked by.&nbsp;Example: thankful, faithful
fy, means: make, cause, cause to have.&nbsp;Example: glorify, fortify
ible, means: able, likely, fit.&nbsp;Example: edible, possible, divisible
ism, means: act, manner, doctrine.&nbsp;Example: barbarism, socialism
less, means: lacking, without.&nbsp;Example: hopeless, countless
ness, means: quality, state.&nbsp;Example: greatness, tallness
ship, means: quality, state, status, skill, or collective body.&nbsp;Example: scholarship, friendship
wise, means: in the manner of, with regard to.&nbsp;Example: timewise, clockwise, bitwise

Have fun learning it!