The Greek & Latin Roots of English
By (author) Tamara M. Green
Publication date:
17 July 2014Length of book:
298 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9781442233270
Over 60 percent of all English words have Greek or Latin roots; in the vocabulary of the sciences and technology, the figure rises to over 90 percent. Through the study of the Greek and Latin roots of English, students can expand their knowledge of English vocabulary and also come to understand the ways in which the history of the English language have shaped our perceptions of the world around us.
The fifth edition of The Greek & Latin Roots of English maintains the book’s much-praised thematic approach. After an essential overview of language history, Greek, and Latin, the book organizes vocabulary into various topics, including politics and government; psychology, medicine, and the biological sciences; literature, ancient culture, and religion; and philosophy. The fifth edition features revised cumulative exercises on tear-out pages in each chapter that reinforce both vocabulary and analytical skills from previous chapters. The fifth edition also features alphabetical vocabulary lists and other reader-friendly updates.
The Greek & Latin Roots of English remains an essential text to help students not only learn vocabulary, but also appreciate the pleasures (and pitfalls) of language study.
The fifth edition of The Greek & Latin Roots of English maintains the book’s much-praised thematic approach. After an essential overview of language history, Greek, and Latin, the book organizes vocabulary into various topics, including politics and government; psychology, medicine, and the biological sciences; literature, ancient culture, and religion; and philosophy. The fifth edition features revised cumulative exercises on tear-out pages in each chapter that reinforce both vocabulary and analytical skills from previous chapters. The fifth edition also features alphabetical vocabulary lists and other reader-friendly updates.
The Greek & Latin Roots of English remains an essential text to help students not only learn vocabulary, but also appreciate the pleasures (and pitfalls) of language study.
[The Greek Latin Roots of English is] a light hearted tour of our ancient inheritance. . . .Of course this volume has a place in education. . . .[I]t seeks to make learning a simple process of absorbing little bite-sized portions of knowledge, then bombards you with questions that range from aspects of Roman culture to the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. All designed to see if you understand what words actually mean and where that meaning stems from. . . .Old words are constantly being recycled and used again with new meanings or associations, especially in the sciences. I discovered that many words I took for granted have different, sometimes darker meanings, or that words with two completely different meanings have a common root. Who would have thought that 'glamour' and 'grammar' are closely linked? Who would have thought our modern political ideas are described by ancient terms? Who would have thought that breaking copyright is based on a word for kidnapping? Read this book and find out why. . . .This has been the hardest review I've ever written. Not because the subject is difficult, but because I can't stop opening the book and reading more. You'll just have to buy your own.