DEVELOPING WORD POWER

Academicians claim that there are 490,000 words in the English Language. Scholars say
that 200,000 words are essential for an educated person. A senior high school student may
know from 10,000 to 15,000 words. In college, the texts and materials used will require a
vocabulary of some 100,000 words.

A wide range of vocabulary is indeed your one effective weapon in meeting with
confidence the challenges of your course. Dr. Rudolf Flesh & A.H. Lass recommend five easy
steps to build up your vocabulary:

1. Read. You can’t make friends if you don’t meet anybody. In the same way, you can’t build up
a vocabulary if you never meet any new words. Keep on reading and keep on meeting
unfamiliar words.

2. Look up unfamiliar words in the dictionary. Read everything the dictionary says about the
word. Determine its pronunciation, its derivation, what it means and what other words are
connected with it. Be sure you find the meaning that its exactly into the sentence in which you
found the word.

3. Say the word. Get used to the way it is pronounced. Pronounce the word the way the
dictionary says you should, and say it aloud often.

4. Use the word. You can never say the word is yours unless you use it. Get the word off in
speaking as if It had always been yours.

5. Keep in touch with your vocabulary. As we have said, knowing words is like knowing people.
If you don’t keep in touch with them, you lose them and even forget their names. So keep up
with your latest word acquaintances. Keep on using them and watch how fast your vocabulary
grow.

(Essentials of English; Dorcas M. Avila)

WEEK 4: STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF WORDS

The meaning of a word can be deduced by recognizing its root word and affixes.

 Root word is a base word by which affixes are added. Affixes are classified into two: prefix and
suffix.
 Prefix is a word segment added before the root word to make another word of different
function and meaning.
 Suffix is a word segment added after the root word to form a new word with different meaning.
Examples:

Prefix Root Word

re- schedule schedule

discomfort comfort
pre- historic history
unrealistic real
Root word Suffix
entertain entertainer
govern government
mathematics mathematicians

A method of enriching your vocabulary knowing the meaning of common prefixes and suffixes.

Prefixes Meaning Example

a- not, away, from, off anomalous, amoral

ad- motion toward, against admit, adjoin
ante- before antedate, anteroom
anti- against, opposed to antibiotic, antipathy
audio- hearing audiovisual, audition
auto- self, same autobiography
bene- well, good benefit, benefactor
bi- twice, double3 bicycle, bilateral
bio- life biological, biopsy
circum- around circumference, circumstance
co- join, together co-owner, co-author
com with, together combine, combat
contra- against contradict, counterattacked
de- away, from decline, decrease
dis- apart, from dispel, display
dia- across, through diagonal, diagram
dis- not disobedient
ex- former, out of ex-convict, expel
extra- beyond, without extracurricular
hyper- beyond, over hyperactive, hyperbole
im, in, ir not impossible, inactive, irregular
inter- between, among interschool, interpersonal
mis- wrong misinformed
mono- one, alone monologue, monotone
multi- many multi-purpose, multiple
neo- new, recent neophyte, neoteric
over- above, too much overwork, overload
 poly- many polyclinic, polyglot
pre- before preschool, prewar
pro- for, forward proceed, produce
re- back, again recall, review
semi- half semi-final, semi-annual
sub- under substandard, submerge
super- above, beyond superman, superhero
tele- distance television, telescope
tri- three tricycle
un- not uncertain
uni- one, single unity, universal
under- insufficient, not enough underage, under privilege

Exercise 1. Give the correct form of the word using the proper affixes as needed in the
sentence.
Example: (forbidden) In apayao, wedding rite, the couple is strictly forbidden to eat the
meat or porl slabs distributed to guests.
(Compare) 1. The Palawanon’s means of celebrating weddings is______much simpler
than the Pasiguenos.,
(prevail) 2. Nowadays, early marriages are _______even in the rural areas.
(dominate0 3. Most people believe that the husband should always emerge as the more
_________spouse.
(signify) 4. The wedding rite is one of the most _____________experience in one’s life.
(sacrifice) 5. The ___________animal’s bile is first inspected by the arbiter before the
Ifugao wedding rites push through.
(symbol) 6. The hands of the groom are covered by a white veil ___________the
groom’s sincere intentions.
(hilarious) 7. ___________is one characteristic of Filipino countryside weddings.
(prohibit) 8. The ________of the butchering of spotted pigs for the wedding reception
goes with the belief that this would cause the groom to become fickle-minded.
(depart) 9. Slabs of meat are given to guest upon their _______by the newly-wed Igorot
couple.
(meaning) Truly, filipinos weddings become more special and ________because of our
rich culture.
 COMBINING FORMS

A combining form is a term for a word element that rarely appears independently but
forms part of a longer word. Graph for example is a combining form that appears in such words
as photograph and lithography.

Combining Words Meaning Examples

anima life animal, animation
aqua water aquarium, aqualung
aristes the best aristocrat, aristocracy
beatus blessed beatitude, beautification
bios life biosphere. Biopsy
causa cause casual, causation
culpa fault culprit, culpable
decem, ten December, decennial
domus house domestic, domicile
ego I egocentric, egoism
facilis easy facilitate, facile
gramma letter grammatical, grammar
hostis enemy legal, legalize
liber book library, libretto
locus place local, locality
mater mother maternal, matriarch
navis ship navy, navigate
opus work opera, operation
pedi foot pedicure, pedometer
penta five pentagon, pentameter
petra rock petroleum, petrology
plus plural plural, plurality
populus people population, populate
sanctus holy sanctuary, sanctify
sophia wisdom sophomore, sophisticated
tacitus silence tacit, tacitum
thermo heat thermometer, thermal
umbra shade umbrella
vita life vitamin, vital