Morphology & Roots

Here are 15 common English words whose roots come from indigenous languages of the Americas. The fate of the people who spoke these languages varies greatly, from tribes lost to history (that we only know about through records of other tribes) to the Guarani, whose language at last count had over 4 million speakers in Paraguay. All of these peoples, whatever their current status, have contributed their ideas and their perspectives through the English words below. Many of these terms have to do with animals and foods to be found in nature, but the Algonquian roots of "tuxedo" may come as a surprise! Read on below for tales of many more English words from indigenous sources.

These words derive from the Latin roots dec ("ten"), cent ("hundred"), and mille ("thousand"). Start a practice session and see if you can score 100 percent!

Knowledge is power, so learn these words that derive from the Latin roots cogn and conn, meaning "know, learn."

Have a close look at this list of words that include the suffix -scope, meaning "an instrument for observing." The Latinized scopium derives from the Greek skopein, "to look, to examine."

All of the English words on this lists have Arabic origins. While some, like caliph and imam, clearly come from Arabic sources, you might be surprised to discover that algebra, chemistry, and zero are also derived from Arabic. Learn these words that contribute to the richness and variety of the English language.

Learn this list of words that include the suffix -escence, meaning the "process or state of being."

Derived from Latin, the English suffix -acy in English means "the state of" or "the quality or condition of."

English has borrowed many words from Yiddish, which is itself an amalgam of German, Russian, Hebrew and many other languages. Here are 15 more English words that derive from Yiddish — some of which are very common, and some of which might be less familiar to you. Looking for more Yiddish-derived words? Check out our original list of English Words Derived from Yiddish.

You've got a lot of nerve — so learn this list of words that derive the Latin word neuron, meaning "nerve." Want to dissect more English words related to anatomy? Here are links to our complete set of Body Language lists: Corp ("Body") / Capit, Capt ("Head") / Or, Os ("Mouth") / Dent, Dont ("Tooth") / Gastr, Gastro ("Stomach") / Neur ("Nerve") / Man ("Hand") / Ped, Pod ("Foot") / Derm ("Skin") / Carn ("Flesh") / Os, Osteo ("Bone") / Cor, Cord, Cardio ("Heart") / Psych ("Mind")

Derived from the Greek suffix -logia, the suffix -ology in English means "the science of or the study of."

Words derived from more than one language are called "hybrid words." Many hybrid words in English have a combination of Latin and Greek roots, but you'll also find other interesting combinations in the list below.

Learn these words derived from the Latin root anim, which has many meanings, including "breath," "mind," "spirit," and "courage."

Learn these words derived from the Latin verb ambulare, meaning "to walk or go about."

Turn your attention to these words derived from the Latin root tor, meaning "to twist and turn" and "to distort."

Weigh in on this list of words derived from the Latin gravare, meaning "to make heavy" or "to cause grief."

Are you ready to learn the facts of life? Then review these words from the Greek root bio, meaning "life" or "way of living."

Need a crash course in words that derive from the Latin roots cur and curs, meaning "run"? This list will give you a run for your money!

Open your mind and practice this list of words derived from the Latin roots clud and clus, meaning "shut, enclose, or confine."

Learn these words derived from the Greek word arkhos, meaning "ruler, chief, principal, or leader."

Learn these words derived from the Greek root kata-, which has a range of meanings including "down," "through," "against" "across," "along with," and "wrongly."

You can believe in this list of words derived from the Latin root cred, meaning "to believe."

Your mission? To learn these words derived from the Latin roots mit- and miss-, meaning "to send."

Meaning "not" or "opposite of," this common prefix is used in words like disagree ("to be of different or conflicting opinions") and disgust ("a strong feeling of dislike"). Learn these words that contain the prefix dis-. Want to increase your prefix power? Learn our complete set of Power Prefix lists: anti-, con-, dis-, ex-, fore-, inter-, mis-, pre-, pro-, sub-, super-, trans-, uni-

The suffix -ful means "characterized by" or "full of." For example, a joyful song is characterized by joy or happiness. Learn these words that include the suffix -ful.

The suffix -less, meaning "without," is added to nouns and verbs to form adjectives. For example, a hopeless situation is a situation without hope. Learn these words that use the suffix less.