Many, many words come from this prolific Greek and Latin root word. A "decision" is a cutting off of other possibilities to arrive at one, hence, if one is "decisive," one has killed all other options. If one has a great deal of "precision," one cuts beforehand is a skillful way, hence being "precise" by killing off all dubious answers prior to answering. Of course, the suffix "-cide" gives rise to multiplicitous English words, a few of which are listed below:
regicide: killing of a king
homicide: killing of a human
parricide: killing of a parent
fratricide: killing of a brother
sororicide: killing of a sister
uxoricide: killing of a wife
mariticide: killing of a husband
hippopotomonstricide: killing of a gargantuan hippopotamus
rodenticide: killing of a sharp-toothed mammal reeking with halitosis
herbicide: an agent that kills plants (thought I'd be fair to the animal kingdom to include at least one from the sessile demesne)
Moving on from morbidity, one more for this lesson: Julius Caesar:
"Caesar" was either a reference to being reputedly ‘cut’ from his mother’s womb, the first recorded ‘cesarean’ section, or to his “full head of hair,” a jocular cognomen since most busts of Caesar show him to be balding, his hair ‘cut’ away. Anyone out there know the definitive reason, or have alternative explications?
See more English derivatives from "caedo, caedere" at this Greek and Latin roots site. You can also view a Greek and Latin roots poster that contains this word root! Studying for the SAT or GRE? Check out membean.com, a site that teaches you all the SAT or GRE vocabulary that you need to do well on the verbal section of those tests.
English Vocabulary via Greek and Latin Root Word Origins
- Magister Brunner
- I have long been fascinated by Greek and Roman mythology, and the Greek and Latin roots of English vocabulary words; their infusion within the English language respectively forms the core of cultural literacy and English vocabulary. Learning a vast array of English vocabulary words can help people write more powerfully, speak clearly and confidently, and read with a much deeper appreciation for great literature, not to mention perform well on college and graduate school entrance examinations, such as the SAT and GRE. Other than intense reading itself, there is no better way of learning and, most importantly, remembering English vocabulary words than by learning Greek and Latin root words. My own love for reading and subsequent keen interest in English vocabulary began with the B.A. (hon) degree in English I received from UW Madison, and continued with the M.A. in English I earned from the University of Virginia; I currently teach Latin and Greek and Roman mythology at Tandem Friends School in Charlottesville, VA, farm organically, am Executive Editor of Membean.com, and practice yoga and dhyana on a daily basis (qigong when clement!).
