Download Roots and Affixes - Benson Middle School

Roots and Affixes
How words are created
What will we do today?
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Objective and Essential Questions
Review Expectations
Watch a short video
Create a root/affix chart
Objective:
• I can use roots and affixes to determine the
meaning of unknown words.
Essential Questions:
• What is a root word?
• What is a prefix?
• What is a suffix?
Expectations:
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Follow the classroom rules.
Stay on task.
Keep your hands out of your backpacks.
Listen in learning position.
Be respectful to me and to your classmates.
Video on Root Words
Vocabulary
• English vocabulary include short words like the
article a as well as longer word such as
inextricably and denunciation.
• Short word such as speak and solve are called
base words
• Base words cannot be reduced to smaller
parts.
• Other words can be added to them to produce
longer words with various meanings.
Word Parts
• There are two kinds of word parts: roots and
affixes.
• A root is a word part that comes from another
language, such as Greek or Latin.
• An affix is a word part that can be attached to
either a root or a base word to create a new
word.
Affixes
• Affixes can be divided into two categories:
prefixes (appear at the beginning of words) and
suffixes (appear at the end of words).
Common Prefixes
Common Suffixes
Bi-
two
-al
adjectival suffix
Anti-
against
-fy
verb suffix
Inter-
between
-ic
adjectival suffix
Pre-
before
-ion
noun suffix
Super-
above
-ism
noun suffix
Trans-
across
-ize
verb suffix
Dis-
not
-ous
adjectival suffix
Check it out
Roots
Affixes
Latin Root: tang,
meaning “touch”
Prefix: in-, meaning
“not”
Greek Root: chrome,
meaning “color”
Suffix: -ible, meaing
“able to”
Meaning
• The meaning of a word is related to the meaning
of its word parts.
• To unlock the meaning of an unfamiliar word,
break the word down into its component parts;
then think about the meaning of the word’s
affixes and root.
Apply
• For example one could analyze the word
intangible, using the chart shown previously.
• First break the word into its parts:
PREFIX ROOT SUFFIX ENGLISH WORD
In- + tang + -ible = intangible
Tang
In-ible
is a latin roots meaning “touch”
is a prefix meaning “not”
is a suffix meaning “able to”
Word Families
• A group of English words may be derived from
the same word part of root. Such a group is
called a word family.
• You can use this knowledge to help you
determine the meaning of unknown words.
• Try this out:
Shared roots: solo, solitary, solitude
Root: sol= ?
Answer: Alone, can you think of other
words in the family?
• Solitare
• Soloist
• Based on your knowledge of the root and the
meaning of other words in the same family, try
to define the meaning of the above words.
• Solitare- a card game played by one person
• Soloist- one who performs alone
Try one:
Words:
• Diminish
• Diminutive
• Minimum
• What do these words have in common?
• Which words do you know?
• What do you think the meaning of the root is?
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word family: ethnicity, ethnic, ethnographer
Root: ethn
Meaning:
▫ Ocean
▫ Nation
▫ Hesitation
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word family: maniac, maniacal
Root: mania
Meaning:
▫ Education
▫ Sanitation
▫ Madness
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word family: epidermis, dermatology
Root: derm
Meaning:
▫ Skin
▫ Body
▫ Mind
Word Family Practice Questions:
• Word Family: laboratory, labor
Root: lab
Meaning:
▫ Work
▫ Good
▫ Weak
Let’s see what you know:
• Divide and indivisible are members of the same
word family. Which root so they share?
A. –visB. -visibleC. -div• What is the meaning of this root?
A. separate
B. shrink
C. junk
• What is another member of the same word
family?
A. December B. dividend
C. invisible
Closure:
• Turn to your partner and explain the definitions
of a root word, prefix, and suffix.
• Be prepared to share your answer with the class!