Get the meaning of these words through the use of the affixes. The first one is done for you: Root Meaning of Root Word Meaning of Word aud hear auditorium A place where people listen to speeches loc place dislocate ced go precede cogn to learn recognize fid trust, faith fidelity frater brother fraternity liber to free liberty mers dip immerse lum light illuminate ocu eye ocula
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Sure! Here’s the completed table with the meanings of the words derived from the roots:
| Root | Meaning of Root | Word | Meaning of Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| aud | hear | auditorium | A place where people listen to speeches |
| loc | place | dislocate | To put something out of its usual place |
| ced | go | precede | To go before something or someone |
| cogn | to learn | recognize | To identify someone or something as known |
| fid | trust, faith | fidelity | Faithfulness or loyalty to a person or belief |
| frater | brother | fraternity | A group united by shared interests or brotherhood |
| liber | to free | liberty | The condition of being free and independent |
| mers | dip | immerse | To submerge completely into something |
| lum | light | illuminate | To provide or brighten with light |
| ocu | eye | ocular | Related to or affecting the eye |
Explanation:
Understanding word roots and affixes is a powerful strategy for decoding unfamiliar vocabulary. Many English words originate from Latin and Greek roots. When a root combines with prefixes or suffixes, the resulting word usually retains a core meaning linked to that root.
For example, “aud” means hear. Combine it with the suffix “-itorium,” and you get “auditorium,” a space designed for hearing, such as during performances or speeches. “Precede” joins the root “ced,” meaning go, with the prefix “pre,” meaning before. Thus, the word means to go before. Similarly, “recognize” stems from “cogn” (to learn) and suggests re-learning or identifying something previously known.
This approach also works with more abstract ideas. “Fidelity,” with the root “fid” for faith, implies trustworthiness or loyalty. “Liberty,” from “liber,” reflects the state of being free, either physically or socially. Even anatomical and scientific words follow this logic—“ocular” means related to the eye because of the root “ocu.”
By mastering roots, learners develop a toolset that empowers them to infer meanings without needing a dictionary. This strategy is especially valuable in academic reading, technical vocabulary, and standardized tests, where unfamiliar terms often appear but follow predictable linguistic patterns.
