Chapter IV

WORD ANALYSIS

To learn English words thoroughly we must spend some thought on the way in which they are made up, on the language from which they have been derived, and on the changes in meaning made by adding prefixes and suffixes. Three important influences in building the English have been the Anglo-Saxon, the Greek, and the Latin languages. The simplest words in the language are Anglo-Saxon. The following exercises illustrate how words have been multiplied by Anglo-Saxon prefixes and suffixes.

Exercise 46

Name as many words as you can that make use of each of the following prefixes. Give only such as are recognizable English words without the prefix.

a—aboard mis—misjudge

be—becalm un—unknown

fore—foretell up—uproot

Give the meaning of each of the prefixes used above.

What part of speech does each prefix make?

Exercise 47

Using the following Teutonic suffixes, form English words. Be careful that the root taken alone is an English word.

dom—kingdom ness—goodness

hood—manhood ship—friendship

What does each suffix mean?

What part of speech does it make?

Exercise 48

As above, form words using the following suffixes:

en—darken ful—fearful

en—golden ly—smoothly

ish—sweetish like—childlike

less—fearless some—lonesome

Define each suffix.

What part of speech does it make?

Exercise 49—Greek Roots

Below is given a list of common Greek roots with the English meaning of each. Form words using one or more of the roots for each word, and define the words you make. For instance, give the meaning of telephone, telegraph, and monarch.

Greek English Greek English

phon—hear chron—time

tele—far cycl—circle

graph—write geo—earth

scop—see polit—government

micro—small cra—rule

mono—one demo—people

arch—chief hydro—water

metr—measure poly—many

baro—pressure, weight pluto—riches

How many names of modern inventions have you made?

Exercise 50

What words belonging to your vocabulary end in the following suffixes? Choose only such as have an English word for the root.

Adjective Suffixes

1. able, ible—able to be, fit to be
Readable, fit to be read.
2. al, eal, ial—relating to, having to do with
3. ant, ent—being, inclined to
4. ate—having the quality of, inclined to
5. ic—like, relating to
6. ive—relating to, of the nature of, belonging to
7. ory, ary—relating to
8. ous—full of, abounding in

Verb Suffixes

1. ate—to make
2. fy, ify—to make
3. ise, ize—to make

Noun Suffixes

1. age—condition, act, collection of
2. ance, ancy, ence, ency—state of being
3. ary, ory—one who, place where, that which
4. ant, ent—one who
5. ist, ite—one who
6. ion, sion, tion—act of, state of being
7. ity, ty—quality of being
8. ment—that which, act or state of being
9. or, er, ar—one who
10. try—state of
11. tude, itude—condition of being
12. ure—condition of being, that which

Exercise 51

The following is a list of the more commonly used Latin prefixes:

1. a, ab—away from 16. intro—toward the inside

2. ad—toward 17. mono—one

3. ante—before 18. non—not

4. anti—against 19. ob—in the way of, against

5. bi—two, twice 20. per—through

6. circum—around 21. pre—before

7. con—together with, against 22. post—after

8. contra—against 23. pro—before

9. de—from, apart from, down from 24. re—again, back

10. dis—apart, not 25. semi—half, partly

11. dia—through 26. se—away from

12. ex—out of 27. sub—under, below

13. in, en—into 28. super—above, more than

en—to cause to be 29. trans—across

14. in, un—not 30. uni—one

15. inter—between

Exercise 52

Analyze the following words, telling prefix, root, suffix, part of speech, and meaning:

business package truthfulness unsuccessful

useless anteroom workmanlike agreement

prefix monotone nervousness uniformity

beautify breakage disrespectful misguidance

semicircle pleasant perfection crystallize

kingship sameness progressive precaution

incase subway undeniable imaginary

enrich disown displeasure supernatural

pianist readmit endurance melodious

bicycle adjuster reaction interlineal

Exercise 53

When the prefixes ad, con, and in are used to form English words, the final consonant of each is often changed to the initial consonant of the root to which it is joined.

Ad assumes the forms ab, ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as, at, assimilating the d with the first letter of the word to which it is prefixed; as,

ab-breviate al-literation ar-rest

ac-cept al-lot as-sign

ac-cumulate an-nex as-sist

af-fect an-nounce at-tract

af-flict ap-position at-tribute

ag-gregate ap-prove at-tune

Con assumes the forms col, cor, com, by assimilation; it takes the form com before p; and it drops the n before a vowel; as,

col-lateral com-mercial com-pose

col-lect cor-relate co-operate

com-mission cor-respond co-ordinate

In assumes the forms il, im, ir, by assimilation and takes the form of im before p.

il-lusion im-migrate ir-ruption im-port

Exercise 54—Peculiar Adjective Endings

The suffixes able and ible are sometimes troublesome because it is difficult to know which ending to write. As a rule, if the new word was made from another English word, the ending is able, as blamable. The words ending in ible are derived from the Latin, and, as a rule, the ending cannot easily be separated from the root and still leave the latter an English word. Examples are:

divisible intelligible digestible audible

visible permissible flexible incredible

possible terrible horrible indelible

The suffixes ant and ent must also be carefully noted. No rule can be given for using one rather than the other. Whenever in doubt, consult a dictionary. Note the following:

ant ent

important independent

pleasant convalescent

triumphant competent

luxuriant convenient

stagnant confident

The endings eous and ious, where e and i are often confused, are illustrated in the following:

eous ious

hideous delirious

miscellaneous impious

courteous studious

The endings cious and tious are shown in the following:

cious tious

conscious fictitious

precious superstitious

delicious cautious

gracious ambitious

suspicious nutritious

The endings gious and geous are illustrated in the following:

gious geous

religious courageous

Exercise 55—Peculiar Noun and Verb Endings

Nouns in ance and ence:

ance ence

acceptance intelligence

appearance reference

annoyance patience

acquaintance negligence

remittance diligence

ignorance residence

Nouns in sion, cion, and tion:

sion cion tion

exclusion coercion acquisition

aversion suspicion precaution

Verbs in ise, yze, and ize:

ise yze ize

advise analyze baptize

supervise paralyze recognize

Verbs in ceed, sede, and cede:

ceed sede cede

exceed supersede concede

proceed intercede

succeed precede

Exercise 56

What other words can you form from the following? Explain what prefixes or suffixes you use in each case and what part of speech you form.

success consider real change

please doubt publish attend

occur apply regular satisfy

emphasize industry operate assess

second busy practice resist

expense distribute organ define

depend locate work sense

attract install desire preside

effect vital count sign

Exercise 57

There are many words the meanings of which are easily confused. The spelling and the definitions of such must be mastered. Analysis in this exercise and in the one following does not require separation into prefix, root, and suffix, but it necessitates a careful study of the words, first, to note the difference in spelling; second, to consult a dictionary, if necessary, for the difference in meaning.

Define each word clearly.

Use each in a sentence to illustrate its meaning.

accept—except common—mutual

add—annex complementary—complimentary

advice—advise continual—continuous

affect—effect contraction—abbreviation

after—afterward contradiction—denial

ascend—assent currant—current

assure—promise defective—deficient

attain—obtain deprecate—depreciate

benefit—advantage effective—efficient

brief—concise eligible—illegible

center—middle eminent—prominent

claim—maintain expect—hope

combine—combination intelligent—intelligible

Exercise 58

As above, define each word carefully and use it in a sentence to illustrate its meaning.

healthful—healthy proficient—efficient

inventory—invoice proscribe—prescribe

invite—invitation purpose—propose

last—latest quiet—quite

later—latter recommend—recommendation

liable—likely—apt refer—allude

loose—lose repair—fix

need—want requirement—requisite—requisition

perspective—prospective respectfully—respectively

positive—definite scarcely—hardly

practicable—practical stationary—stationery

precede—proceed therefore—accordingly

principal—principle

500 SPELLING WORDS

Lesson 1

business losing surprising height

receive loosely Saturday depth

believe across Wednesday eighth

wholly whether excellent daily

obliged describe exercise earnest

Lesson 2

attached decision probable seize

attacked buying usable siege

gentlemen studying salable friend

although relying desirable Messrs.

thoroughly occasion honorable nickel

Lesson 3

disappoint knew acquittal stopped

disappear design occurrence referred

disapprove forty compelling planned

disagree fourth beginning swimming

anxious purpose permitted submitted

Lesson 4

all right persuade Norwegian variety

already pursued possession prairie

tongue prepared accumulate neighbor

separate repaired dissatisfy soldier

crystal necessary dissolve shoulder

Lesson 5

their awkward opportunity scheme

advise mucilage development schedule

advice familiar statistics accurately

laboratory peculiar accidental efficient

until similar competent Spaniard

Lesson 6

policy patient merchandise conscious

rough ancient mercantile precious

disease partial scarcity suspicion

balance facial indebted physician

decease ambitious estimate caution

Lesson 7

ascend noticeable vengeance emergency

assent serviceable address compliance

minute manageable salary reference

conceal exchangeable currency apparel

immense advantageous withhold typical

Lesson 8

edition especially appreciate imitate

addition pamphlet essential initial

identify illustrate eligible official

illegal February legible curtain

nuisance punctual illegible adjacent

Lesson 9

later crystallize lieutenant lenient

latter neutralize anthracite naphtha

weighed conceit bituminous liquid

destroy catarrh rheumatism gauge

indelible colonel influential sieve

Lesson 10

duly interfered analyze attorneys

durable transferred analysis specialty

mutual reconcile paralyze sympathy

bargain accidental banana campaign

misspell irregular molasses mattress

Lesson 11

ached designate vicinity recognize

social available guardian technical

forfeit adequately celebrate hygiene

opposite subordinate porcelain angel

parallel sufficient poultice angle

Lesson 12

society associate rumored remittance

sirloin definitely courtesy remuneration

laborer spherical obstinacy restaurant

visitor commercial financial government

souvenir permissible sapphire acquaintance

Lesson 13

quite appropriate convenient knowledge

least distinguish exaggerate principal, a

written mysterious confidential stationary, a

among appearance endeavoring judgment

psalm conference immediately implement

Lesson 14

assure greatly embarrassment auxiliary

expect grateful organization conciliate

prompt deserve advertisement principle, n

eliminate bureau assessment stationery, n

illuminate deficient accommodate parenthesis

Lesson 15

coupon indispensable measure proprietor

length innumerable condemn transient

vehicle investigate security persistent

customer incandescent liniment signature

costumer effervescent mosquito mischievous

Lesson 16

canal company's repetition sulphur

channel real estate abbreviated benefited

liquid equivalent unabridged unanimous

recent assignment assurance itemize

trough extravagant pneumatic calcimine

Lesson 17

precede freight authority leisure

proceed achieve mortgage neuralgia

procession between specimen dyspepsia

precision imagine solicitor substantial

extinguish autumn coöperates passenger

Lesson 18

merely mechanical preliminary omitted

cashier permanent miscellaneous omission

urgent prominent subscription committee

hesitate precaution incredible commission

anchored interval anticipation precisely

Lesson 19

specify preparation athletics deceit

equity coincidence excursion receipt

accrue irresolute suggestion obstacle

concrete vaccination courageous promissory

summary glycerine concession compulsory

Lesson 20

deficit sceptical anniversary rhythm

mansion conscience presumption rhubarb

mention interruption guaranteed fatigue

reckoned approximately prejudice synopsis

license avoirdupois privilege emphatic

Lesson 21

scholar Elkhart industrious collision

scissors Memphis hideous delusion

career Niagara artificial oxygen

sincere Raleigh cantaloupe martyr

chiffonier Oregon unscrupulous apology

Lesson 22

receipt Cincinnati sovereign chemical

welfare Des Moines committee frontier

feigned Decatur ingredients fulfilled

chord Dubuque counterfeit facsimile

scythe Alleghany responsible identical

Lesson 23

exceed Paducah foreign Cheyenne

succeed Eau Claire solemnity metallic

secede Peoria assassinate nauseated

immigrant Savannah pneumonia invariably

emigrant Manila diphtheria injurious

Lesson 24

adoption Minneapolis fraudulent mahogany

scientific Indianapolis negligence corduroy

guidance Syracuse diligence Schenectady

syllable Milwaukee ridiculous duplicate

Fort Wayne Valparaiso comparative reënforce

Lesson 25

Duluth Massachusetts preferable periodical

Missouri Connecticut preferred insertion

Wisconsin enthusiastic publicity excursion

luxurious acknowledgment prevailing plateau

twelfth professional damageable tragedy