Latin-Greek Derivatives

LatinGreek Pre,Suffix [Appendix]



PREFIX-SUFFIX STARTER LIST

Many of these combining forms may be used as either prefixes or suffixes. Examples are presented to show current usage. Prefixes Derived From: Meaning Example a-, ab- Latin off, from, down, away abduct, avert a-, an- Greek not, without, less abiotic, anaerobic actin- G. aktis a ray, beam, spoke actinomycete ad- Latin to, attached to, adsorption aer- Greek air aerobic amphi- Greek both, about, around amphibian ana- Latin away, through, again analysis andro- Greek man, male androgens angio- Greek a vessel, closed container angiospermae anthropo- Greek referring to man anthropology ant-, anti- Greek against, away, opposite antibiosis ante- Latin before anteroom ap-, aph-, apo- Latin from, off, separate apogee aqua- Latin water aquatic arche-, archeo- Greek ancient, primitive archeology arthri-, arthro- G. arthron joint, jointed arthritis asco- G. askos bag, sack, bladder ascospore aureo- L. aureus gold colored aureomycin auto- G. autos self autoimmune bi- Latin two, twice, double bipolar, binocular bio-, bios- Greek related to life biology, biocidal blasto- G. blastos an embryonic layer or cell blastomere brachy- Greek short brachycephalic brad-, brady- Greek slow, slowness bradycardia bry-, bryo- G. bryon moss, mossy bryophyte calic-, calix- Latin cuplike calyx cani-, canis- Latin dog canine cardia- G. kardia heart cardiac carn- L. carnis flesh carnivore carp- L. carpalis wrist, bones carpel cata- Greek decomposition, degradation catabolism cell- L. cella small room cellular cephal- Latin head cephalic chloro- G. chloros green, containing chloride chlorophyll chroma-, chromo- Greek colored chromosome chron-, chrono- G. chronos time chronometer circum- Latin around, near, about circumnavigate coel- G. koilos hollow cavity, belly coelom col-, com-, con- Latin with, together combine, collide contra- Latin against contradict crypto- G. kryptos hidden cryptogamic cyano- G. kyanos dark blue, blue-green cyanobacteria cyst- G. kystis bladder cystitis cyt-,cyte-,cyto- G. kytos cell, a hollow vessel cytology de- Latin undoing, removal of, from dehydration den-, dent- L. dens tooth dentition dendro- Greek tree dendrochronology derm-, derma- Greek skin, hide dermatitis deut-, deutero- Greek second, secondary deuterium di- Greek double, twice, two disaccharide dia- Greek through, across diameter diplo- Greek twofold, double diploid dis- Latin apart, away dissolve dorm- Latin to sleep dormant, dormitory drom-, drome- Greek a running, racing dromendary e-, ec- Latin out, out of efferent eco- G. oikos house, environment ecology ecto- G. ektos outside ectoderm en-, endo- G. endon within, internal endoskeleton entero- G. enteron intestine enterocolitis entomo- G. entoma insect entomology eo-, eos- Greek the dawn Eocene, Eohippus epi- Greek upon, above, top epidermis erythro- Greek red erythrocyte eu- Greek proper, true, good eucaryotic ex- Latin out, from excise exo- Greek outer, external exoskeleton extra- L. exter outside of, beyond extracellular flagell- L. flagrum whip, whiplike flagellum fuc-, fuco- G. phyktos seaweed, algae, lichen fucoxanthin gamo- G. gamos sexual union gamogenesis gastero-,gastro- G. gaster stomach, belly gastroenteritis geno- L.gene origin, development genotype ge-, geo- Greek earth geology glu-, glyco- Greek sweet, sugar glucose, glycogen gon-,goni-,gono- Greek reproductive, sexual gonorrhea gymn-, gymno- G. gymnos naked, bare gymnosperm gyn-,gyne-,gyno- Greek woman, female gynecology halo- G. hals salt halophile haplo- G. haploos single haploid heme-, hemo- G. haimo blood hemotologist hemi- Greek half hemisphere hepta- Greek seven heptane herb- L. herba pertaining to plants herbicide hetero- Greek different, other, unlike heterozygous hex-, hexa- Greek six hexagonal hipp-, hippo- G. hippos horse hippodrome histo- G. histos tissue histology holo- G. holos whole, entire holoblastic homeo, homo- Greek same, similar, like homogeneous hyal-, hyalo- G. hyalos glassy, transparent hyaloid hydr-, hydro- Greek pertaining to water hydrolysis hyper- Greek above, more, over hyperactive hypo- Greek below, less, under hypodermic ichthy-,ichthyo- Greek referring to fish ichthyology inter- Latin between intercellular intra- Latin within, inside intracellular intro- Latin inward, within introvert iso- Greek equal, same isotonic kine- Greek movement, moving kinetics leuc-, leuk- Greek white leucocyte lycan- G. lykos wolf lycanthropy macro- Greek large, big, long macromolecule man-, manu- Latin hand manual mastig- G. mastigos whip mastigophora meg-, mega- Greek great, large megabyte melan-,melano- Greek black, dark melanin mero- G. merus part, piece meroblast mes-, meso- G. mesos middle, in between mesoderm met-, meta- Greek later, following, changed metamorphosis in position or form micro- G. mikros small microbiology milli- Latin a thousandth part millimeter mio- G. meion less, smaller Miocene mito- G. mitos thread mitosis mon-, mono- Greek one, single monocular morph- Greek shape, form morphology mor-, mort- Latin die, death, mortality muc-, muco- Latin consisting of many units multicellular mus- Latin mouse, as one running muscle myco-, mykos- Greek fungus, mushroom mycology myo- G. mys muscle myoglobin myxo- Greek slime, mucus myxomycetes nemato- Greek thread, threadlike nematode neuro- Greek name nomenclature ob- Latin against obtuse octa- Greek eight octopus olig-, oligo- Greek few, small, less oligarchy omni- Latin all, everywhere omnipotent oo- Greek pertaining to an egg oocyte ophthalmo- Greek referring to the eye ophthalmologist opisth-,opistho- Greek behind, backwards, back Opisthobranchia orni-, ornitho- Greek bird ornithology orth-, ortho- Greek straight orthodontist osteo- Greek bone osteocyte oto- Greek referring to the ear otology ova-,ovi-,ovul- Latin egg ovary, oviduct paleo- Greek old, ancient paleontology para- Greek beside, near, beyond parasitism path-, patho- Greek disease, suffer pathogenic ped-, pedi- Latin foot pedicure penna-, pinna- Latin feather, feathery pinnate pent-, penta- Greek five pentagon per- Latin through pervade, peruse peri- Greek around, surrounding perimeter pher- Greek bearing, carrying, support pheromone phil- philo- Greek loving, attracted to philanthropy phob- Greek fear, fearing phobic photo- Greek pertaining to light photosynthesis phyco- Greek seaweed, algae phycology phylo- Greek tribe, race, related group phylogeny phyto- Greek pertaining to plants phytohormone plasm-, plasma- Greek formative substance plasmablasts plati-, platy- Greek flat platypus pleio- pleo- Greek more, many pleiomorphic pod-,poda-,podi- Greek foot podiatrist poly- Greek many polyhedron post- Latin after postnatal pre- Latin before prenatal preter- Latin beyond preterhuman prim- Latin first primary pro- Greek before, on behalf of proboscis pro- Latin forward progressive proto- Greek first, primary protozoa pseudo- Greek false pseudopod psilo- Greek bare, mere psilopsida pteri-, ptero- Greek fern, feather pteridophyte quadr-, quadri- Latin four quadruped radi- Latin ray, spoke of wheel radial re- Latin back, again repeat retro- Latin backward retroactive rhiz-, rhizo- Greek pertaining to roots rhizoids rhod-, rhodo- Greek a rose, red rhodopsin rota- Latin wheel rotate sapr-, sapro- Greek rotten, putrid, dead saprobe sarc-, sarco- Greek flesh, fleshy sarcoma schiz-, schizo- Greek split, splitting schizocoel se- Latin apart secede semi- Latin half semicircle soma-, somato- Greek body somatic sperma-,spermato- Greek seed spermatozoa sporo- Greek spore sporophyte staphylo- Greek bunch of grapes staphylococcus stoma- Greek mouth stomate strepto- Greek twisted, string of streptococcus sub- Latin below, under, smaller subapical supra-, super- Latin above, over supernova sym-, syn- Greek together, with synthesis taxi-, taxo- Greek to make order, arrangement taxonomy tel-,tele-,telo- Greek distant, end telophase terra-, terre- Latin land, earth terrestrial tetra- Greek four tetrapod therm-, thermo- Greek heat thermometer thigmo- Greek touch thigmotaxis trans- Latin across, through, over transfer tri- Latin three triangle tricho- Greek hair trichocyst triplo- Latin triple triploid troche-, trocho- Greek wheel, hoop trochophore tropho- Greek nourishment trophoblast ultra- Latin beyond, exceedingly ultraconservative uni- Latin consisting of one unicellular vice- Latin in place of vice-president vid-, vis- Latin see vision xen-, xeno- Greek dry, desert xerophyte zoo- Greek animal, life zoology zyg-, zygo- Greek to join together zygote
Suffixes Derived From: Meaning Example -biosis Greek mode of living, way of life symbiosis -blast Greek formative, embryonic mesoblast -chaeta-, -chete Greek a bristle Polychaeta -chrome Greek color mercurochrome -cidal, -cide Latin killer, a killing insecticide -cocci, -coccus Greek round, seed, kernel Streptococcus -cyst Greek pouch, sac trichocyst -dactyl Greek finger pentadactyl -derm, -dermis Greek skin, layer epidermis -elle, -ule, -la -le, -let, -ole Latin small, diminutive endings globule, piglet -emia Greek blood disease anemia -fer Latin bearer, producer, carry conifer, transfer -gamous, -gamy Greek marriage, sexual fusion polygamy -gen, -geny Greek origin, production progeny, hydrogen -genesis Latin origin, development of embryogenesis -gony Latin something produced cosmogeny -graph Greek drawing, writing chromatograph -hedral, -hedron Greek side polyhedral -hydrate Greek compound formed by union of carbohydrate water with other substance -ism Greek act, practice or result of terrorism -ite Latin a division or part somite -itis Greek inflammation or infection appendicitis -jugal, -jugate Latin to yoke, join together conjugate -logy G. logos science or study of biology -lysis, -lytic Greek loosening, separation, photolysis splitting into smaller units -mer, -merous G. meros a part, piece polymer -meter G. metron a measurement diameter -morph Greek form endomorph -mycin Greek derived from a fungus aureomycin -nomy Greek systematized knowledge of astronomy -oma Greek tumorous carcinoma -osis, -otic Greek abnormal condition, disease neurosis -phage Greek eater bacteriophage -phase Greek a stage or condition metaphase -phil, -phile Greek fear, fearing hydrophobia -phor, -phore Greek bearing, carrying,supporting sporangiophore -phyll Greek leaf chorophyll -phyta, -phyte Greek plant epiphyte -plasm Greek formative substance cytoplasm -plast Greek organized particle, granule choroplast -pod, -poda Greek foot arthropod -some Greek body chromosome -stasis Greek a stationary position homeostasis -stat, -static Greek stationary, still hemostat -stomy Greek opening into colostomy -therm Greek heat homeotherm -thes, -thesis Greek arrangement, in order hypothesis -tom, -tomy Greek dividing, surgery lobotomy -trope, -tropic Greek turning phototropic -vor, -vore L. vorare feeding carnivore -zoa,-zoan,-zoic Greek animal, life protozoa