A root word is a word that stands alone but also has the ability to make other words. The root word will have its own meaning and nothing added to either the beginning (prefixes), or the end (suffixes). From these root words you can then go on to create to new words by adding prefixes and suffixes.
For example, the word clear is a root word. If you add either prefixes and/or suffixes to the root word you can make new words:
- Unclear
- Clearly
- Cleared
All of these words have been developed from their original root word. Notice that all of the words share the same root word spelling and they are also related in terms of connotation. With regards to the spelling, not all the additional words will have the exact same spelling of the root word.
The other words formed from a root word is what is known as a word family.
Look at these root words and see the word families that come from them:
Use: user, usable, used, useless, using, misuse
Employ: employee, unemployment, employer, employing, employment,
Manage: manageable, manager, manages, unmanageable, managing,
Beauty: beautifully, beautiful, beautician
Faith: unfaithfully, faithfully, unfaithful, faithful
Act: acting, inaction, action, acted
Add: additional, addition
Confuse: confused, confusing
Love: loving, lover, loveable, loved, lovely, loveliest, lovelier, unloved
Of course not all root words can be used in their entirety. Some are cut short when used with other prefixes and suffixes. Let’s look at a few other root words and their associated families.
Excite: excitable, excitement, exciting, excitable, unexciting
Happy: happier, unhappy, unhappier, unhappiest, happiness, unhappiness
Produce: production, produced, producer
Apply: applicant, application
0 Comments:
Post a Comment