MODULE 1- Vocabulary

INTRODUCTION

Law students are often told that words are tools for lawyers. A lawyer’s mastery and use
of words could translate to better communication skills. It is precisely for this reason why
vocabulary building with its far-reaching benefits to a successful career in law practice should
be foremost for would-be-lawyers.

Lesson 1
Prefixes, Suffixes and Common Root Words

Prefixes
Are syllables added to the beginning of words to change or add to their meaning. Some
of the most common prefixes are listed below.

Prefix Meaning Example Definition Sentence

uni- One unify (v) to form into a single unit, to The new leader was able to
unite unify the three factions into
one strong political party.
mono- One monologue (n) a long speech by one person or The student delivered a heart
performer warming monologue.
bi- two bisect (v) to divide into two equal parts If you bisect a square, you will
get two rectangles of equal
size.
duo- Two duality (n) having two sides or part The novel explores the duality
of good and evil in humans.
tri- Three triangle (n) a figure having three angles In an isosceles triangle, two of
the three angles are the same
size.
quadri- Four quadruped (n) an animal with four feet Some quadrupeds evolved
into bipeds.
tetra- Four tetralogy (n) series if four related artistic “Breaking Dawn” was the
works, such as plays, operas, fourth and final book of
novels, etc. American romantic drama
fantasy tetralogy.
quint- Five quintuplets(n) five offspring born at one time. Each quintuplet weighed less
than four pounds at birth.
pent- Five pentameter(n) a line of verse (poetry) with five Most of Shakespeare’s sonnets
metrical feet. are written in iambic
pentameter.
multi- Many multifaceted(adj) having many sides This is a multifaceted issue,
and we must examine each
side carefully.
poly- Many polyglot (n) one who speaks or understands It’s no wonder he’s a polyglot;
he’s lived in eight different
countries.
omni- All omniscient (adj) knowing all My mother must be
omniscient; she always knows
 when something is troubling
me.
micro- Small microcosm(n) little or miniature world; A microcosm of Aklan Map
something representing could be found at the back of
something else on a very small the Capitol Building.
scale.
mini- Small minority(n) small group within a larger BA Political Science is but a
group. minority, yet their candidate
for President of School
Campus always win.
acro- Large macrocosm(n) the large scale world or Any change to the microcosm
universe; any great whole will eventually affect the
macrocosm.
anti- against, antipode(n) exact or direct opposite North is the antipode of
opposite South.
counter- against, counter- working against production Complaining is
opposing productive (adj) counterproductive.
dis- not, away, dispel (v) to drive away; not having order To dispel rumors that I was
opposite of quitting, I scheduled a series
of appearances in the public
array.
mis- wrong,ill misuse(v) to use wrongly He misused the fund allocated
for infrastructure that is why
he is facing charges against
him.
mal- bad, wrong, malaise(n) feeling of discomfort or illness The malaise many women feel
ill during the first few months of
pregnancy is called “morning
sickness”.
non- Not nonstop(ajv, without a stop The new puppy ran nonstop
adv) through the vast field.
in- Not invariable(adj) not changing The weather here is invariable
during summer- always sunny
and warm.
un- not, against unmindful(adj) not conscious or aware of, The boy was unmindful of
forgetful what is going on with his
surroundings when he paints.
contra- Against contradict(v) to state that (what is said) is I know we do not have to
untrue; to state the opposite of, agree with everything, but we
be opposed to do not have to contradict
everything that we say.
ante- Before antechamber (n) a smaller room leading into a The acolytes waited in the
larger main room antechamber before the mass
began.
pre- before precede(v) to come before in time or order The appetizer preceded the
main course
post- After postscript(n) message added after the close of His postscript was almost as
a letter long as his letter!
inter- between intervene (v) to come between Yrnst, intervened in the fight
between AJ and Kean.
inter- together interact (v) to act upon or influence each The investigator took notes as
other. he watched Calvin interact
with his friends.
intra- Within intravenous (adj) within or into a vein She could not eat and had to
be fed intravenously for three
days.
intro- into, within introvert (n) a person whose attebtion is Unlike his brother Coco, quiet
largely directed inward, toward Zeke was a real introvert.
himself or herself; a shy or
withdrawn person
in- in, into induct (v) to bring in (to a group) She was inducted into the
honor society.
ex- out, from expel (v) to drive out or away The rebels expelled the
invaders.
circum- Around circumscribe (v) to draw a line around; to mark She carefully circumscribed
the limits of the space that would become
her office.
sub- Under subvert (v) to bring about the destruction The rebels’ attempt to subvert
of, overthrow; to undermine the government cost them
their lives.
super- above, over supervisor (n) one who watches over Alex accepted the promotion
to supervisor and was happy
about it.
con- with, consensus (n) general agreement After hours of debate, the
together group finally reached a
consensus and selected a
candidate.
pseudo- false, fake pseudonym (n) false or fake name Quijano de Manila is a
pseudonym of Nick Joaquin.
auto- by oneself or automaton (n) a robot; a person who seems to The workers in the assembly
itself act mechanically and without lime looked like automatons.
thinking
co- together cohesive (adj) having a tendency to bond or Though they came from
with, jointly stick together; united different backgrounds and
had many different interests,
they have formed a
remarkably cohesive team.

Suffixes
Are syllables added to the ends of words to change or add to their meaning. Some of the
most common suffixes are listed below.

Suffix Meaning Example Definition Sentence

-en to cause to broaden (v) to make more broad, widen Travelling around the world
become will broaden your
understanding of other
culture.
-ate to cause to be resuscitate (v) to bring or come back to life or Thanks to the hard work of the
 consciousness; to revive accounting faculty, we were
able to resuscitate the
program.
-ify/ -fy to make or electrify (v) to charge with electricity The boy was electrified when
cause to be he saw Mickey Mouse in
Disneyland.
-ize to make, to Alphabetize to put in alphabetical order Please alphabetize the
give students’ record.
-al capable of, practical (adj) suitable for use; involving He has years of practical
suitable for activity as distinct from study experience in the industry.
or theory
-ial pertaining to commercial of or engaged in commerce Negotiable instrument law,
(adj) corporation law, insurance law
are under the umbrella of
commercial law.
-ic pertaining to aristocratic (adj) of or pertaining to the Though he was never rich or
aristocracy. powerful, he has very
aristocratic manners.
-ly resembling, tenderly (adv) done with tenderness; gently, He held the newborn baby
having the delicately, lovingly tenderly in his arms.
qualities of
-ly in the boldly (adv) in a bold manner Despite his fear, he stepped
manner of boldly onto the stage.
-ful full of meaningful significant, full of meaning When Robert walked into the
(adj) room with Annette, she cast a
meaningful glance to me.
-ous/ -ose full of humorous (adj) full of humor, funny Jo Koy’s humorous experience
with Vicks vaporub received
laughter and applause from
the audience.
-ive having the descriptive (adj) giving a description The letter was so descriptive
quality of that I could picture every place
he had been.
-less lacking, free painless (adj) without pain, not causing pain The doctor assured me that it
of is a painless procedure.
-ish having the childish (adj) like a child; unsuitable for a He didn’t get a job because of
quality of grown person. his childish behaviour during
the interview.
-ance/-ence quality or tolerance (n) willingness or ability to tolerate He has a high level of
state of a person or thing tolerance for rudeness.
-acy quality or indeterminacy state or quality of being The indeterminacy of his
state of undetermined (without defined statement mad it impossible to
limits) or vague. tell which side he favoured.
-tion act, state or completion (n) the act of completing; the state The second siren signalled the
condition of of being completed or finished completion of the fire drill.
-or/-er one who narrator (n) one who tells the story; gives an One would agree that Charo
does or account of Santos is a good narrator.
performs
-atrium/ place for arboretum (n) a garden devoted primary to The University of San Agustin
-orium trees and shrubs has several arboretums as they
are important in an
Augustinian life.
-ary place for, sanctuary (n) a sacred pace, refuge With three noisy roommates,
 pertaining to Ellen, frequently sought the
quiet sanctuary of the library.
-cide Kill pesticide (n) substance for killing insects Pesticides are also dangerous
for humans.
-ism quality, state optimism (n) belief that things will turn out Her optimism makes people
or condition for the best; tendency to take a want to be around her.
hopeful view of things.
-ity quality or morality (n) state or quality of being moral PK argued that morality
state of means differently to two
persons.
-itis inflammation tonsillitis (n) inflammation and infection of Her tonsillitis was so severe
of the tonsils that the doctors decided to
remove it immediately.
-ment act or judgment (n) ability to judge or make He exercised good judgment
condition of decisions wisely; act of judging. during the meeting and did
not challenge his supervisor.
-ology the study of Zoology the scientific study of animal Because of her strong interest
life in zoology, she took an unpaid
summer job at the zoo.

Common Latin Word Roots

Many words in the English language have their origins in Latin. Latin words serve as
roots, providing the core meaning of the words.

Root Meaning Example Definition Sentence

Amare to love amorous(adj) readily showing or feeling love She told him to stop his
amorous advances as she was
already engaged.
Audire to hear audience(n) assembled group of listeners or The audience listened intently
spectators; people with hearing to the riveting speaker.
Bellum war antebellum(adj) before the war In American history
antebellum refers to the
period before the Civil War.
Capere to take captivate(v) to capture the fancy of The story captivated me from
the beginning; I couldn’t put
the book down.
Dicere to say, speak dictate (v) to state or order; to say what She began to dictate her notes
needs to be written down into the microphone.
Duco to lead conduct (v) to lead or guide (through) He conducted a detailed tour
of the building.
Equus Equal equilibrium (n) a state of balance I have finally achieved
equilibrium between work
and leisure.
Facere to make or do manufacture to make or produce The clothes are manufactured
(v) here in this factory.
Lucere to light lucid(adj) very clear No one could possibly have
misunderstood such a lucid
explanation.
Manus Hand manicure (n) cosmetic treatment of the A manicure is not only
fingernails. important hygiene, but clean
and neat nails also tell a great
deal about a person.
Medius Middle median (n) middle point; middle in a set of The median household income
numbers this wealthy neighbourhood is
P5,000,000.
Mittere to send transmit (v) to send across The message was transmitted
over the intercom.
Omnis all, every omnipresent present everywhere That top-40 song is
(adj) omnipresent; wherever I go, I
hear it playing.
Plicare to fold application(n) putting one thing on another; His loan application was
making a formal request denied because of his poor
credit history.
ponere/ to place position(n) the place a person or thing Although he is only 22, he
positum occupies holds a very powerful position
in the company.
Protare to carry transport (v) to carry across The goods will be transported
by boat.
Quarere to ask, Inquiry act of inquiry, investigation, or The inquiry lasted several
question questioning months but yielded no new
information.
Scriber to write scribe (n) person who makes copies of The scribe had developed
writings thick calluses on his fingers
from years of writing.
Sentire to feel sentiment (n) personal experience; one’s own After reading the collection of
feeling letters, it was easy to tell the
sentiments of the writer.
Specere to look at spectacle (n) striking or impressive sight. The debate was quite a
spectacle; the candidates made
accusations about each other
that were unexpected and
slightly unprofessional.
Spirare to breathe respiration(n) the act of breathing His respiration was steady,
but he remained unconscious.
Tendere to stretch extend (v) to make longer, stretch out Please extend the deadline by
two weeks so we can complete
the project properly.
Verbum Word verbatim (adj) word for word The student failed because she
had copied an article verbatim
instead of writing her own
essay.

Common Greek Root Words

Many English words have their origins in the ancient Greek language. The Greek words
serve as roots, providing the core meaning of words. Prefixes, suffixes, and other alterations
give each word is distinct meaning.

Root Meaning Example Definition Sentence

Bios Life biology (n) the science of living organisms He is majoring in biology and
plans to go to medical school.
Chromos Time chronological arranged in the order in which The story is confusing because
(adj) things occurred she did not put the events in
chronological order.
Derma Skin dermatology(n) branch of medical science She had decided to study
 dealing with the skin and its dermatology because she
diseases. wants to find a cure for skin
cancer.
Gamos marriage, polygamy (n) the practice or custom of Polygamy is illegal in the
union having more than one spouse Philippines.
or mate at a time.
Genos race, sex, kind genocide (n) the deliberate extermination of The recent genocide in Bosnia
one race of people. has created a crisis in
orphaned children.
Geo Earth geography(n) the study of the Earth’s surface; The geography of this region
the surface or topographical made it difficult for the
features of a place. different tribes to interact.
Graphein to write calligraphy (n) beautiful or elegant She used calligraphy to
handwriting address her wedding
invitations.
Kryptos hidden, secret cryptic (adj) concealing meaning, puzzling He left such a cryptic message
(adj) on my chat box that I don’t
know what he wanted.
Metron to measure metronome (n) device with a pendulum that She used a metronome to help
beats at a determined rate to her keep the proper pace as
measure time/rhythm. she played the song.
Morphe form polymorphous having many forms Most mythologies have a
(adj) polymorphous figure, a “shape
shifter” who can be both
animal and human.
Pathos suffering, pathetic (adj) arousing feelings of pity or There are plenty of pathetic
feeling sadness individuals who use the social
media as a platform to solicit
affection.
Philos Loving xenophile (n) a person who is attracted to Linda is a xenophile; I doubt
foreign people, culture, or she’ll ever come back to the
customs Philippines.
Phobos Fear xenophobe( n) person who fears or hates Don’t expect Len to go on the
foreigners or strange culture or trip; she’s a xenophobe.
customs
Photos Light photobiotic living or thriving only in the Plants are photobiotic and will
(adj0 presence of light. die without light.
Podos Foot podiatrist (n) an expert in diagnosis and The podiatrist saw that the
treatment of ailments of the ingrown toenail had become
human foot infected.
Pyr Fire pyromaniac (n) one who has a compulsion to The warehouse fire was not an
set things on fire. accident; it was set by a
pyromaniac.
Soma Body psychosomatic of or involving both the mind In a psychosomatic illness,
(adj) and body physical symptoms are caused
by emotional distress.
Tele Distant telescope (n) optical instrument for making While Galileo did not invent
distant objects appear larger the telescope, he was the first
and nearer when viewed to use it to study the planets
through the lens and stars.
Therme Heat thermos (n) insulated job or bottle that The thermos kept my coffee
keeps liquids hot or cold hot all afternoon.
Lesson 2 – Context Clues
Context refers to the parts of a piece of writing or speech that precede or follow a word
and contribute to its full meaning. Context clues are hints in the writing that help you figure out
what a word means.

There are many types of context clues. Some are listed below:

1. Definition. This is an outright explanation of the meaning of a word by introducing and

describing it within the same context.
Example: The cornea is the transparent outer coating of the eyeball.

2. Synonym. The meaning of the unknown word is understood because the idea is
repeated in familiar words.
Example: In his complete uniform and with his shining sword, the man appeared bellicose
or warlike.

3. Simile. The word as and like are used to show an idea of comparison, hence, suggesting
the meaning of the word to be learned.
Example: The boy’s eyes glistened like the bright stars in the sky.

4. Example. An example help illuminate the meaning of the word.

Example: The artist engages in aesthetic activities such as writing poems about the beauty
of nature and painting scenic spots.

5. Apposition. An appositive is a descriptive word, phrase, or clause placed beside the

unknown word and is often enclosed or set off by commas.
Example: An ecologist, a scientist who specializes in the relationship between living things
and their environment, is likely to have authoritative opinion on the problem of
pollution versus man’s survival.

6. Antonym. An antonym is a word which has an opposite meaning. The word but is often
used to show contrast.
Example: Lynne is calm but her mother’s anxiety over trivial things sometimes makes her
tense.

7. Inference. To infer is to reach an opinion based on the given facts. It involves making a
conclusions as a result of reasoning.
Example: When he passed the sentry, Jose gave his forged ID card and held his breath.
The guard on duty was busy talking to a friend and gave it a perfunctory glace, so Jose
breathed easily again.
 8. Analysis. Many words are made of word parts which give direct clues to meaning. The
word parts (i.e., roots, affixes, compounds, and syllables) are separated and analyzed.
Example: The new recipe of the cook was unpleasant to the taste. In fact, it was inedible.

LESSON 3- KNOW THE LEGAL LATIN

Below are some of the common Latin words used in reading law, statutes and court
decisions. To have a background of some of these words will make reading in law school easy
and comprehensible.

A fortiori
‘From stronger argument”- used to express a conclusion for which there is a stronger
evidence for a previously accepted one.

Ab initio
“From the beginning”- if a contract is void (say for mistake) ab initio, this has the
consequence that no innocent third parties can acquire rights under any subsequent contract.

Ad hoc
“To this”- created or done for a particular purpose as necessary.

Ad referendum
“Subject to reference”- denoting a contract or other matter that is subject to agreement by
other parties and finalization of the details.

Alibi
“Elsewhere”- a defence in a criminal case alleging that the defendant was not at the place
at which the offence was committed at the time of its alleged commission and so could not have
been responsible for it.

Aliunde
“From elsewhere”- from a source outside the document currently under consideration.
Evidence aliunde may be considered where the meaning of a document (e.g. will) is otherwise
unclear.

Amicus Curiae
“Friend of the court tribunal”- a non-party who gives evidence before the court so as to
assist it with research, argument, or submissions.

Animus
“Intention”- the term is often used in combination; for example:
  Animus furandi- the intention to steal;
 Animus manendi- the intention to remain in one place (for the purposes of yhe
law relating to domicile)
 Animus donandi:- the intention to transfer property.

Bona fide
“With good faith’- genuine, real

Caveat
“Let him beware”- A notice, usually in the form of an entry in a register, to the effect that
no action of a certain kind may be taken without first informing the person who gave the notice
(the caveator).

Caveat emptor
“Let the buyer beware”- A common- law maxim warning a purchaser that he could not
claim that his purchases were defective unless he protected himself by obtaining express
guarantees from the vendor.

Corpus delicti
“The body of the offence”- The proof that the crime has been committed. Originally this
referred literally to the corpse of a murdered person. It now refers to the factual evidence of the
crime.

De bene esse
“Of well-being”- denoting a course if action that is the best that can be done in the present
circumstances or in anticipation of a future event.

De facto
“In fact”- existing as a matter of fact rather than of right.

De jure
“Of law”- As a matter of legal right; by right.

De minimis (non curat lex)

“The law is not concerned with trivial matters”.

Dictum
“ A saying”- An observation by a judge with respect to a point of law arising in a case
before him.
Erratum
An error in printing or writing
Ex gratia
Done as a matter of favour- An ex gratia payment is one not required to be made by a
legal duty.

Ex officio
By virtue of holding an office

Ex Parte
1. On the part of one side only- a hearing where only one party is allowed to attend
and make submissions.
2. On behalf of- This term is used in the headings of law reports together with the
name of the person making the application to the court in the case in question, for
example in applications for judicial review.

Ex post facto
“In light of subsequent events”- Describing any legal act, such as a statute, that has
retrospective effect.

Habeas Corpus
“You shall have the body (in court)”- A prerogative writ used to challenge the validity of a
person’s detention, either in official custody (e.g. when held pending deportation or extradition)
or in private hands.

Ignorantia juris non excusat

“Ignorance of the law does not excuse”- i.e. no defence against criminal or other proceedings
arising from its breach.

In loco parentis
“In place of a parent”- used loosely to describe anyone looking after children on behalf of
the parents, e.g. foster parents or relatives,.

In personam
“Against the person”- describing a court action or a claim made against a specific person
or a right affecting a particular person or group of people.

In re
“In the matter of”- A phrase used in the headings of law reports, together with the name
of the person or thing that the case is about.
In rem
“Against the thing”
1. Describing a right that should be respected by other people generally, such as ownership
of property, as distinct from a right in personam.
2. Describing a court action that is directed against an item of property, rather than against
a person or group of people.

Inter alia
“Among other things”- The phrase is used to make it clear that a list is not exhaustive.

Intra vires
“Within the powers”- Describing an act carried out by a body that is within the limits of
the powers conferred on it by statute or some consisting document.

Inter vivos
“Between living people”- if a trust is created inter vivos it is created during lifetime, as
distinct upon death.

Ipso facto
“By that very fact or act”

Locus in quo
“The place in which”- The place where an event took place. Fact finders may visit the
locus in quo in order to understand the evidence and the judge..

Mens rea
“A guilty mind”- The state of mind that the prosecution must prove a defendant to have
had at the time of committing a crime in order to secure a conviction. Mens rea varies from
crime to crime.

Non est factum (suum)

“It is not my deed” – A plea that an agreement mentioned in the statement of case was not
the act of the defendant. It may be applicable where the person signing a document had no real
understanding of the character or effect of that document.

Obiter dictum
“ A remark in passing”- Something said by a judge while giving judgement that was not
essential to the decision in the case.
Prima facie
“At first appearance”- on the face of things

Quasi
“As if, almost”

Qui facet per alium facit per se

“He who acts through another, acts through himself”- The traditional basis of vicarious
liability.

Res judicata
“A matter that has been decided”- The principle that when a matter had been finally
adjudicated upon by a court of competent jurisdiction it may not be reopened or challenged by
the original parties or their successors in interest. It is also known as action estoppels.

Res ipsa loquitor

“the thing speaks for itself”- A principle often applied in the tort of negligence. If an
accident has occurred of a kind that usually only happens if someone had been negligent, and
the state of affairs that produced the accident was under the control of the defendant, it may be
presumed in the absence of evidence that the accident was caused by the defendant’s
negligence.

Sic
“So, thus”- used in brackets after a copied or quoted word that appears odd or erroneous
to show that the word is quoted exactly as it stands in the original.

Stare decisis
“To stand by things decided- A maxim expressing the underlying basis of the doctrine of
precedent, i.e. that it is necessary to abide by former precedents when the same points arise
again in litigation.

Sui generis
“Of its own kind”- Forming a class of its own; unique

Ultra vires
“Beyond the powers”- Describing an act by a public authority, company, or other body
that goes beyond the limits of the powers conferred on it.