Lesson 2: Greek Word Elements 11-20

Let's explore words built on the idea of being "against" something or giving things a "name." These two groups of words, based on the roots ANTI and ONYM, help us define relationships and identities.

Key Words

• A good story needs a compelling protagonist and a clever antagonist to create conflict.
• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is better known by its acronym, NATO.
• The words "right" and "write" are homonyms because they sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

This group combines two powerful Greek roots. ANTI means "against" or "opposite." Words like antidote (a remedy against poison) and antipathy (a feeling against someone) show this opposition. The other root, ONYM, means "name" or "word." It gives us terms like synonym (a word with the same name or meaning) and anonymous (without a name).

Get ready to talk about the outer world and inner temperatures! This set of words uses the roots DERM, for "skin," and THERM, for "heat," to describe things from medical conditions to temperature control.

Key Words

• The nurse administered the vaccine with a hypodermic needle, which goes just beneath the skin.
• A taxidermist carefully preserves animal skins to create lifelike displays for museums.
• Before you go outside, you should check the thermometer to see how warmly you need to dress.

These words relate to the body and its environment. DERM is a Greek root for "skin." A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in the skin, and the epidermis is the outer layer of skin. Similarly, THERM comes from the Greek word for "heat." A thermostat regulates heat, and thermal clothing is designed to keep you warm.

Let's look at words that deal with how things are managed and how they appear. These terms come from the roots NOM, meaning "management" or "law," and PHAN/PHEN, meaning "to show" or "appear."

Key Words

• After years of rivalry, the chess master finally met his nemesis and was defeated.
• The artist's latest sculpture was a phenomenon, drawing huge crowds to the gallery.
• The book's plot was so fantastic that it was hard to believe any of it could happen in real life.

This group explores concepts of order and perception. The root NOM relates to "management," "distribution," or "law." For example, agronomy is the management of land and crops, while economic relates to the management of resources. The roots PHAN and PHEN mean "to show" or "appear." A phantom is an image that appears but isn't real, and a phenomenon is a remarkable event that we can observe (see).

Here we have words that are all about firsts, foundations, and putting things together. They are built from the roots PROTO, meaning "first," and THESIS/THET, which means "to put, place, or set."

Key Words

• Before mass production, engineers build a prototype to test the design of a new car.
• My science project is based on the hypothesis that plants will grow faster with more sunlight.
• The politician's actions were the antithesis of the promises he made during his campaign.

These words focus on origins and arrangements. The root PROTO means "first." The protagonist is the first or main character, and a prototype is the first model of an invention. The roots THESIS and THET mean "to put" or "place." A hypothesis is an idea you put forward for testing, and synthesis is the putting together of different parts to form a whole.

Let's travel from the cosmos to the page with words about stars and writing. These terms use the roots ASTER/ASTRO for "star" and GRAM/GRAPH for "to write."

Key Words

• In ancient times, people feared that a comet was a sign of impending disaster.
• A cartographer is a specialist who uses scientific and artistic skills to create maps.
• The author's writing style is very graphic; her descriptions make you feel like you are there.

This group connects the sky with the written word. ASTER and ASTRO are Greek roots for "star." An astronaut is a traveler among the stars, while an asteroid is a small, starlike celestial body. The roots GRAM and GRAPH come from the Greek for "to write." A monogram involves writing initials into a design, and graphite is the material used to write in pencils.