Root Words ReviewSeptember 8, 2014

Acr/Acer : Bitter/harsh

•Acrid – pungent (odor)•Acerbic – harsh (Acerbic tongue)•Acrimonious – bitter (behavior)•Exacerbate – To make worse

Melli/Molli - Soft• Ameliorate – to improve or soften a situation.•Mollycoddle – to pamper•Mellifluous - soft flow (fluent)•Melody – soft music • Emollient – a softening agent (Vaseline)•Melancholy – very soft slightly sad music

Breve - short•Brevity – short (talk or speech)•Abbreviate – shorten (ex: sgt – sergeant)

Cata/cad: Downward Descent

•Catastrophe: calamity (earthquake)•Cataclysm : downfall (political)•Cascade/cataract: waterfall•Cadence: modulation or inflection of the voice •Decadence: decay, fall into bad maintenance

Greg: Flock/herd•Aggregate – combined•Segregate – divide•Congregation – a group of people regularly attending a place of worship•Gregarious - sociable

Cord: Heart• Accord, concord – agreement from the heart• Discord – disagreement from the heart• Cordial – friendly relationship• Cardio – heart• Cardiologist – Specialist with the heart

Cid/Cis: Cut• Incision - cut (surgery)•Suicide – cutting/killing of oneself’•Homicide – killing of someone else•Matricide – killing of one’s mother•Scissors – tool used to cut•Regicide – killing of a king

Claus/clos/claud: close

• Claustrophobia –fear of closed spaces• Conclude – end• Occlude – close, shut, or stop up• Close • Closure• Cloister – religious seclusion (monastery)• Seclusion - isolated

Cracy: Rule•Autocracy – self rule•Plutocracy – Ruled by the rich•Democracy – rule by the people: (Of the people, by the people)•Theocracy – ruled by God

Nat: Born• Natural - existing in or formed by

nature• Innate – Inborn (existing in one from

birth)• Natal – birth•Neonatal – new birth•Postnatal – after birth•Prenatal – before birth

• Native – place of one’s birth• National – common to the whole

people of a country