Etymology and Roots: Meaning, Examples, Definition, Prep tips and more

Etymology in English language studies the origin and evolution of words, including their constituent sounds and meanings over the period of time. A deep knowledge of etymology helps enhance vocabulary and reading comprehension.

For example, the word Quarantine is taken from the Italian phrase "quaranta giorni" which means "forty days," that referred to the period of isolation required for ships arriving from plague-ridden areas. In recent times, the word was used and relevant during Covid-19 when infected people were quarantined after they got infected with the virus.

Word roots are the basic units of meaning in a word. They can be termed as the ‘stem’ of the word with prefixes and suffixes adding specific nuances to the meaning.

Also Read: Conjunctions in English Language 

Etymology is the study of where words come from and how their meanings have changed over time. It traces the history of words including their origins in other languages, using tools like etymological dictionaries. A subfield within linguistics till 21st century, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study now.

Let’s take the example of ‘Etymology’ word itself and study how it got evolved over the period of time, to dive into the concept of Etymology. “Etymology” derives from the Greek word etumos, meaning “true.” Etumologia was the study of words’ “true meanings.” This evolved into “etymology” by way of the Old French ethimologie.

Talking about roots, it is that fundamental part of the word that remains even when prefixes and suffixes are removed. It's that part of the word that’s left after all affixes are removed — the prefixes like "un-" or "anti-" and suffixes such as "-able" and "-tion." For example, in a word like "lovely," when you take away the suffix "-ly," you're left with the root word "love."          

Also Read: English Nouns

Etymology and Roots: Definition

Although there are no specific rules for Etymology in English language, students can always read about the origins of words in various books and dictionaries to enhance the knowledge and vocabulary about the language.

In case of roots too, although there is no particular rule to find the root of the word, one way to do this is to check if the word has any affixes (suffix and/or prefix) added to it. For example, the word “hypersensitive” has the prefix “hyper-” (meaning “over”) and the suffix “-ive” (meaning “having the nature of”).  

Also Read: Antonyms: Definition and Rules

Special cases and exceptions in Etymology that studies origin of words, occur due to language evolution, borrowing, and semantic shifts. Words may be associated with individuals and in some cases abbreviations like NASA can become commonplace words. 

Following are the special cases and exceptions in etymology and roots:

Acronyms: Initialisms or acronyms, like "NASA" or "ATM," can be used as common words, representing a specific entity or concept.

Loanwords: Words that are borrowed from other languages, like ‘denim’ from French, can be used as part of the mainstream vocabulary, reflecting linguistic exchange.

Sound Change: Changes in pronunciation over the period of time can talk about the etymological connections between words (e.g., "set" and "sit" are related, but the sound changes make the connection less obvious).

Semantic Change: The meaning of words can evolve and change over time. They can be totally different from their original meanings. For example, the word "bead" originally meant "prayer".

Also Read: Adverb: Meaning and Examples 

To efficiently study etymology and roots, students can follow the below mentioned tips. This will help students for not just better understanding of the concept, but also enable them grasp easily of this elaborate topic.

Some tips to follow while you study etymology and roots:

• Familiarizing yourself with common prefixes and suffixes
• Get your hands on etymological dictionaries to understand how words evolved and their original meanings
• Use root word lists and word families to expand your knowledge and vocabulary
• Make good use of websites and online resources dedicated to etymology for further learning
• If you come across unfamiliar words, try to identify the root and affixes to understand their meaning
• Study related words with the same root to expand your vocabulary
• Students can make the process fun by making flashcards and other interactive tools to memorize root words and affixes
• Test yourself regularly by practicing various questions on the topic and trying to recall the meanings of root words and affixes

Also Read: Verbs in English Grammar

It is important that students have the clarity and right understanding of the meaning of Etymology and Roots, if they wish to identify them in a sentence. In the first place, students need to be clear that while etymology is the study of the origin of words, roots are the constant part of a word, often derived from ancient languages like Latin or Greek.

To identify them in a sentence, students should:

• Look for affixes (prefixes and suffixes): These are word parts added before or after the root, changing the meaning but not the core of the word.
• Remove affixes: By removing the prefixes and suffixes, students can derive the root word.
• Consider the word's context: The surrounding words can influence the meaning of a word.
• Refer to dictionaries: Take help of Etymological dictionaries that provide the origin and history of words.
• Compare to other words: Identifying and comparing to related words with the same root, can help study the word's evolution.

Also Read: Prepositions in English

Etymology and word roots are crucial for understanding the structure and evolution of the English language, both in spoken and written forms. 

How are Etymology and Roots Useful? 

1. Vocabulary Building: Knowing word roots and prefixes/suffixes let students learn and understand new words.
2. Language Learning: Etymology gives in-depth knowledge about the language as it helps in identifying shared roots across languages
3. Meaning and Nuance: Understanding the origin of words gives a deeper insight into their meaning and nuances.
4. Historical Context: Etymology tells how language has been shaped by historical events and cultural influences over the period of time.

Also Read: English Paraphrasing