Etymology (Advanced Awareness)

## Word Formation and Etymology: Word List and Examples Learn C2-level metalinguistic vocabulary and common Latin/Greek prefixes and suffixes that build English words. ### Word List **etymology** (the origin and history of a word), **morpheme** (the smallest unit of meaning in a word), **affix** (a prefix or suffix added to a root), **prefix**, **suffix**, **root** (the core part of a word carrying its main meaning), **derivation** (forming a new word by adding affixes), **inflection** (changing a word’s form to show grammar, like tense/plural), **compound word** (a word made of two combined words), **cognate** (a word related in origin to a word in another language), **loanword** (a word borrowed from another language), **portmanteau** (a blend of two words, like «brunch»), **neologism** (a newly coined word), **eponym** (a word derived from a person’s name), **acronym**, **backformation** (creating a new word by removing an affix, like «edit» from «editor»), **calque** (a word/phrase translated literally from another language), **false friend** (a word that looks similar in two languages but differs in meaning), **semantic shift** (a change in a word’s meaning over time), **folk etymology** (a mistaken but popular belief about a word’s origin), **circum-** (meaning «around,» as in «circumnavigate»), **ante-** (meaning «before,» as in «antecedent»), **post-** (meaning «after,» as in «postpone»), **hyper-** (meaning «excessive,» as in «hyperactive»), **hypo-** (meaning «under/below,» as in «hypothermia»), **mal-** (meaning «bad,» as in «malfunction»), **bene-** (meaning «good,» as in «benevolent»), **omni-** (meaning «all,» as in «omnipresent»), **poly-** (meaning «many,» as in «polyglot»), **mono-** (meaning «one,» as in «monologue»), **-phobia** (meaning «fear,» as in «claustrophobia»), **-philia** (meaning «love/attraction,» as in «bibliophilia»), **-cide** (meaning «killing,» as in «homicide»), **-graph** (meaning «writing,» as in «autograph»), **-scope** (meaning «viewing instrument,» as in «telescope»), **-metry** (meaning «measurement,» as in «geometry»), **-ology** (meaning «study of,» as in «biology»), **-cracy** (meaning «rule/government,» as in «democracy»), **-phile** (meaning «lover of,» as in «cinephile»), **-genic** (meaning «producing/causing,» as in «photogenic»). Examples: The word «brunch» is a portmanteau of «breakfast» and «lunch.» «Sandwich» is an eponym, named after the Earl of Sandwich. «Embarazada» and «embarrassed» are famous false friends between Spanish and English. The prefix «hyper-» means excessive, as in «hyperactive.» Remember: recognizing common prefixes and suffixes (like «hyper-» = excessive, «-phobia» = fear) helps you decode unfamiliar words without needing a dictionary — a key C2 reading skill.