Greek radicals and prefixes
List of some of the main Greek radicals and prefixes:
Radicals:
Radical | Sense | Example |
acro | high, high | acrobat |
aero | air | aeronautics |
agogo | what leads | pedagogue |
pain | ache | neuralgia (nerve + pain) |
love | car | amaxophobia (car + aversion) |
andro | men | android |
anthropoid | men | anthropology |
archaic/arch | old one | archeology |
archy | government | monarchy |
self | by itself | car |
biblio | book | library |
bio | life | biology |
shard | bad | cacophony |
cali | beautiful | calligraphy |
cardio | heart | cardiologist |
cephalon | head | no brain (absence + head) |
chlorine | green | chlorophyll |
Cosmos | world | cosmonaut |
chrono | time | stopwatch |
demo | people | demagogue |
dermis | skin | dermatology |
phylum | friend | philosophy |
phobia | fear/aversion | acrophobia |
phone | sound/voice | telephone |
gamy | wedding | polygamy |
gastro | stomach | gastrology |
fork | write/describe | typing |
hydro | Water | rabies |
hippo | horse | hippodrome |
litho | stone | aerolite |
mancia | divination | palmistry |
subway | measure | hydrometer |
morph | form | morphology |
necro | death | morgue |
neo | new | neologism |
oligo | few | oligarchy |
ask | kid | pediatrician |
pleo | full | pleonasm |
poly | City | acropolis |
proto | first |
prototype |
pseudo | false | pseudonym |
psycho | soul | psychology |
I laugh | source | rhizotonic |
Sofia | wisdom | philosophy |
here | fast | tachycardia |
teo | God | theology |
top | place | topology |
xeno | stranger, foreigner | xenophobia |
zoo | animal | zoology |
Prefixes of Greek origin:
Prefix | Sense | Example |
y-, y- | denial | atheist, anarchy |
a-N-A- | inversion | anagram |
host | duplicity | amphibian |
anti- | contrary action | antipathy |
apo- | separation | apostate |
arch-, arch-, arch- | superiority | archetype, archbishop |
pick up | down move | cataclysm |
morning- | move through | diagonal |
dis- | difficulty | dyspnea |
e-, e- | internal position | ellipse, brain |
ec-, ex- | top position, outward movement | eclipse, exorcism |
endo- | inner position | endoscopy |
epi- | top position | epitaph, epidermis |
me- | well good | euphemism |
hyper- | excess, superior position | hypertension |
hypo- | deficiency | hypodermic |
goal- | change, transformation | metamorphosis, metaphor |
for- | beside, proximity | parallel |
peri- | around | perimeter |
pro- | previously | prologue, prognosis |
yes- | simultaneity | sympathy, synchronous |
By Marina Cabral
Specialist in Portuguese Language and Literature
Brazil School Team
Grammar - Brazil School
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/radicais-prefixos-gregos.htm