Understanding Scientific Terms/Roots-Prefixes-Suffixes

How technical words are made
The main part of a word is the word root. This may be a Greek or Latin word or combining form that has a meaning.

Roots can be combined with other roots to make more complex words such as the word electrocardiogram. Many word roots actually begin and/or end with consonants. In order to make the word sound better a vowel is placed between the two words to make them easier to say.


 * Tel : Is a word root that means far.
 * gram : Is something that is written. A letter. A recording.

putting them together makes


 * tel/gram

but we add a vowel between the two ( In this case the letter e) to make the word telegram.


 * tel/e/gram - A written record sent from afar.

In fact many words have a preferred letter that is used as a combining form.

When this is so, the letter is placed beside the root after a slash (/) to tell you how to combine it.

Try the following exercise:

TERMS TO KNOW


 * tel/e : Greek, meaning far or far off.
 * -phone : Greek, meaning sound or voice. ( also phon/o)

prefixes and suffixes
Prefixes and suffixes may also be added to a words to modify its meaning. In fact the term prefix is made this way.


 * fix : Is a word root from Latin fixus which means to fasten.
 * pre : Is a prefix from the Latin Prae before or front.

Therefore prefix means to fasten to the front of a word.

Suffixes follow a word.


 * o/logy is a suffix that means The study of.
 * Bio  is a word root that means Life.