Classics 22: Etymology

Lesson 2

The 'stem' of a Greek word is the part that is an English combining form. Usually English dictionaries give you the stem. We need to look at some Greek words and their stems.

Sometimes, you just take off the ending to get the stem:

Greek Word	Transliteration	Meaning in Greek	Greek Stem	Transliterated stem	English derivative example
ἡμέρα	hemera	day	ἡμέρ-	hemer-	ephemeral, hemerocallis
φωνή	phone	voice	φων-	phon-	phonology, telephone
ἰατρός	iatros	physician	ἰατρ-	iatr-	geriatric, iatrogenic, psychiatry
ὀστέον	osteon	bone	ὀστε-	oste-	osteology, osteomyelitis

Sometimes there are two forms of the Greek word: you take off the ending of one form for the stem:

Nominative Greek form	Genitive Greek form	Meaning	Greek stem	English Stem	English derivative
οὖς	ὠτός	ear	ὠτ-	ot-	otitis
φύσις	φύσεως	nature	φύσ-	phys-	physics

Verb stems:

Greek verb	English transliteration	Meaning	Greek stem	Transliterated stem	English derivative example(s)
κινέω	kineo	move	κινέ-	kine-	kinematics, cinema
παύομαι	pauomai	stop	παύ-	pau-	pause
φάγειν	phagein	eat	φάγ-	phag-	coprophage, sarcophagous
στρέφεσθαι	strephesthai	turn	στρέφ-	streph-	strephosymbolia reversal of letters in reading

3. Cement -o-

Most Greek stems are connected to other Greek stems with an -o- in English words. That is the "Cement -o-."

Why o?
In Greek itself, when words whose nominative ends in -ος form compounds, they keep the omicron after the stem and omit the sigma. Because so many Greek words end in -ος, and because they keep the -ο- omicron in Greek compounds, the "connective" or "cement" -o- became the standard connector for Greek roots in Greek, and from there it became the standard when combining Greek roots in English and other modern languages, as seen in words like micr-o-phone, macr-o-scopic, oste-o-myelitis, and pyr-o-maniac.

Exceptions (there are always exceptions in the English language)

When the first stem ends in a vowel, the -o- usually remains (oste-o-myelitis), but not always (agora-phobia).
If the second stem begins with a vowel, the -o- is usually omitted (phil-anthropy), but not always (hydr-o-electric).
Dictionaries often list the -o- as part of the stem, for valid reasons.

NOTE:

Cement -o- is used to connect stems.
Cement -o- is NOT used to connect prefixes or suffixes to stems.

A few prefixes and suffixes have o's in them, but those are not instances of cement -o-.
For example pro- and -osis have o's in them that are not cement -o-.

Some stems have o's in them. They too are not cement -o-. Examples include:

odont- "tooth"
oste- "bone"
onym-/onomat- "name"
bio- "to live"

EXERCISES

1. Transliterate the following Greek words, then find at least a few English words that include each and their typical meanings in English words.

οἶκος
φωνή
παῖς, παιδός
ποῦς, ποδός
καρδία
νόμος
ὁδός
ψυχή
φυτόν
ἔργον
φίλος
ἥλιος
ἄγειν
γράφω
πο(ι)έομαι
φοβέω
παύεσθαι
φάγειν

2. Match the words in column A with their synonyms in Column B

A	B
ameristic i emblem k ataxia b androgynous a apathic f synthetic d anaclastic j analysis g anamnesis h synchronic m anomalous e utopia l trigonometry c	hermaphroditic (perhaps, but this is sensitive) disorder triangulation composed irregular sensationless dissolution recollection unsegmented refracted injection nowhere contemporary

6. Find words that mean:

Rule of/power held by the people	_________democracy__________________
Rule of/power held by the worst people	___________________________kakistocracy
Rule of/power held by women	___________________________gynecocracy
Rule of/power held by the few	___________________________oligarchy
Rule of/power held by the best	___________________________aristocracy
Rule of/power held by one	___________________________monarchy
Rule of/power held by the mob	___________________________mobocracy, ochlocracy
Lack of ruling powers	___________________________anarchy
Rule of/power held by the old	___________________________gerontocracy
Rule of/power held by the sea(faring)	___________________________nauarchy/
Rule of/power held by the deserving	___________________________meritocracy
Rule of/power held by the fathers	___________________________patriarchy
Rule of/power held by the self	___________________________autocracy
Rule of/power held by the holy (priests)	___________________________hierarchy, hierocracy
Rule of/power held by the mothers	___________________________matriarchy
Rule of/power held by the rich	___________________________plutocracy

7. See how far you can carry the following sequences (find the numbers in a later chapter):
triangle, square, pentagon, hexagon, ...
tetrahedron, pentahedron, ...
monarch, diarch, triarch, ...
(look up the first four of that last list in a dictionary: surprised?)