Post on 27-Jul-2018
The Benefits of Etymology in the Vocabulary Development of Greek ESL Students
Konstantinos Chatzisavvas Chatzisavvas K (2005) The Benefits of Etymology in the Vocabulary Development of Greek ESL Students study (Instruction and Curriculum ESL KEAN UNIVERSITY NJ USA) Contents
Abstract 3 Introduction 4 Literature Review 6 Methodology 19
Design 19 Materials 20 Procedure 24 Analysis of the Data 25 Conclusion 27 References 29 Roots and Prefixes 31 Pre-test 37 Explanation of the Pre-test 43 Post-test 56 Explanation of the Post-test 51 The Greek Alphabet 54 Graphs 57
Chatzisavvas 1
Abstract A study examined if etymology is useful for vocabulary
development in English as a Second Language classrooms There
was an investigation as to whether Greek the studentsrsquo native
language has an impact on learning new lexicon in English
The subjects obtained a pre- and post-test to assess the
knowledge of the English vocabulary Results proved that
etymology has a positive impact when learning new words When
students compare words from their native language to words
from the target language they can learn more words more
easily
Chatzisavvas 2
Introduction
Etymology ldquothe scientific study of the origins and
history of the changing meanings and forms of wordsrdquo (Pierson
1989) makes a difference in learning a new language Using
etymology students can learn new words faster and more easily
because they compare and contrast each foreign word with
similar words in their native language The purpose of this
study is to examine the impact of etymology in acquiring the
English language within a particular context Important to the
study is the link between English words learned by students
and their native language
To test if etymology makes a difference in learning
there will be two groups learning new words in English which
is studentsrsquo second language Studentsrsquo native language Greek
should be taken into account since we need the first language
to compare words in the target and native tongues
Students in Group A will learn new words without the help of
etymology Group B will learn new words with the help of
etymology Doing so students in Group B will search for
Chatzisavvas 3
similarities between their native language and the second
language As a result students in Group B will study
vocabulary within meaningful contexts An example will
illustrate this point The word polygon (πολυγώνιο) has the word
ldquopolyrdquo as a prefix meaning too much and the root ldquogoniordquo
meaning angle (Τζιροπούλου - Ευσταθίου 1995) Therefore
polygon means too many angles This is an easy word for Greek
speakers because they know what the prefix and the root of the
word mean Following this example etymology makes a
difference in learning another language (Pitman 2003)
This study of the impact of etymology will take place in
Greek ESL classrooms Students participating in the study will
learn the English language through the help of their native
language by using etymology and thus trace several thousands
of words in the Greek and English language Etymology will
also help the students find the similarities between the
target and native language These will show connections among
some words in the two languages and make them more meaningful
as a result This circumstance offers evidence of cognitive
learning that is the new English words are taught through
the help of prior knowledge something that exists in long
term memory or even in ESL studentsrsquo native language
Chatzisavvas 4
Literature Review
etymology
Using etymology to teach ESL can help students learn more
English words It can also help scientists doctors and
lawyers acquire any language in depth At the same time it
might be misleading difficult or confusing If studentsrsquo
native language and the target language share similarities
students will find learning a second language much easier
(Maylath 1997) On the contrary there is a great chance that
students will understand the similarities between languages
and they will be able to get the meaning of the words if
teachers use etymology patterns in classroom (Holmes Thomas
Keffer and Ronald 1995) Teachers need to instruct students
about the prefixes roots and suffixes in English Almost
fifty per cent of the English words are complex and they can
be more understandable through the study of the root of each
word (Pitman 2003)
Some other linguists argue that teaching etymology in
classroom can help students whose native language is not
Chatzisavvas 5
related to English at all such as Chinese Arabic and others
(Bellomo 1999) Teachers need to teach prefixes roots and
suffixes in class even if these are not related to studentsrsquo
native tongue Of course students who have Latin and Greek
backgrounds will be more at an advantage The point is that
etymology helps non-native English speakers expand their
English vocabulary (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) It is more helpful
to students that have a European language as their native
tongue
If teachers analyze and compare each word to studentsrsquo
native language they will not have a problem memorizing the
new words in L2 For example when students learn the word
ldquogumrdquo teachers should mention the word ldquoγόμαrdquo (goma) in Greek
This way helps students learn a new word in English with the
help of their native language This way of teaching a foreign
language solves one of the biggest problems for anyone who
learns a foreign language because they can learn a huge number
of words just by using etymology (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) In
this case Greek students do not know that they already knew
the word ldquoimpermeablerdquo
If students use their native language in learning a
foreign language they will be able to guess a lot of words
correctly The reason is that European languages and English
share a huge amount of common vocabulary In some cases
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 1
Abstract A study examined if etymology is useful for vocabulary
development in English as a Second Language classrooms There
was an investigation as to whether Greek the studentsrsquo native
language has an impact on learning new lexicon in English
The subjects obtained a pre- and post-test to assess the
knowledge of the English vocabulary Results proved that
etymology has a positive impact when learning new words When
students compare words from their native language to words
from the target language they can learn more words more
easily
Chatzisavvas 2
Introduction
Etymology ldquothe scientific study of the origins and
history of the changing meanings and forms of wordsrdquo (Pierson
1989) makes a difference in learning a new language Using
etymology students can learn new words faster and more easily
because they compare and contrast each foreign word with
similar words in their native language The purpose of this
study is to examine the impact of etymology in acquiring the
English language within a particular context Important to the
study is the link between English words learned by students
and their native language
To test if etymology makes a difference in learning
there will be two groups learning new words in English which
is studentsrsquo second language Studentsrsquo native language Greek
should be taken into account since we need the first language
to compare words in the target and native tongues
Students in Group A will learn new words without the help of
etymology Group B will learn new words with the help of
etymology Doing so students in Group B will search for
Chatzisavvas 3
similarities between their native language and the second
language As a result students in Group B will study
vocabulary within meaningful contexts An example will
illustrate this point The word polygon (πολυγώνιο) has the word
ldquopolyrdquo as a prefix meaning too much and the root ldquogoniordquo
meaning angle (Τζιροπούλου - Ευσταθίου 1995) Therefore
polygon means too many angles This is an easy word for Greek
speakers because they know what the prefix and the root of the
word mean Following this example etymology makes a
difference in learning another language (Pitman 2003)
This study of the impact of etymology will take place in
Greek ESL classrooms Students participating in the study will
learn the English language through the help of their native
language by using etymology and thus trace several thousands
of words in the Greek and English language Etymology will
also help the students find the similarities between the
target and native language These will show connections among
some words in the two languages and make them more meaningful
as a result This circumstance offers evidence of cognitive
learning that is the new English words are taught through
the help of prior knowledge something that exists in long
term memory or even in ESL studentsrsquo native language
Chatzisavvas 4
Literature Review
etymology
Using etymology to teach ESL can help students learn more
English words It can also help scientists doctors and
lawyers acquire any language in depth At the same time it
might be misleading difficult or confusing If studentsrsquo
native language and the target language share similarities
students will find learning a second language much easier
(Maylath 1997) On the contrary there is a great chance that
students will understand the similarities between languages
and they will be able to get the meaning of the words if
teachers use etymology patterns in classroom (Holmes Thomas
Keffer and Ronald 1995) Teachers need to instruct students
about the prefixes roots and suffixes in English Almost
fifty per cent of the English words are complex and they can
be more understandable through the study of the root of each
word (Pitman 2003)
Some other linguists argue that teaching etymology in
classroom can help students whose native language is not
Chatzisavvas 5
related to English at all such as Chinese Arabic and others
(Bellomo 1999) Teachers need to teach prefixes roots and
suffixes in class even if these are not related to studentsrsquo
native tongue Of course students who have Latin and Greek
backgrounds will be more at an advantage The point is that
etymology helps non-native English speakers expand their
English vocabulary (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) It is more helpful
to students that have a European language as their native
tongue
If teachers analyze and compare each word to studentsrsquo
native language they will not have a problem memorizing the
new words in L2 For example when students learn the word
ldquogumrdquo teachers should mention the word ldquoγόμαrdquo (goma) in Greek
This way helps students learn a new word in English with the
help of their native language This way of teaching a foreign
language solves one of the biggest problems for anyone who
learns a foreign language because they can learn a huge number
of words just by using etymology (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) In
this case Greek students do not know that they already knew
the word ldquoimpermeablerdquo
If students use their native language in learning a
foreign language they will be able to guess a lot of words
correctly The reason is that European languages and English
share a huge amount of common vocabulary In some cases
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 2
Introduction
Etymology ldquothe scientific study of the origins and
history of the changing meanings and forms of wordsrdquo (Pierson
1989) makes a difference in learning a new language Using
etymology students can learn new words faster and more easily
because they compare and contrast each foreign word with
similar words in their native language The purpose of this
study is to examine the impact of etymology in acquiring the
English language within a particular context Important to the
study is the link between English words learned by students
and their native language
To test if etymology makes a difference in learning
there will be two groups learning new words in English which
is studentsrsquo second language Studentsrsquo native language Greek
should be taken into account since we need the first language
to compare words in the target and native tongues
Students in Group A will learn new words without the help of
etymology Group B will learn new words with the help of
etymology Doing so students in Group B will search for
Chatzisavvas 3
similarities between their native language and the second
language As a result students in Group B will study
vocabulary within meaningful contexts An example will
illustrate this point The word polygon (πολυγώνιο) has the word
ldquopolyrdquo as a prefix meaning too much and the root ldquogoniordquo
meaning angle (Τζιροπούλου - Ευσταθίου 1995) Therefore
polygon means too many angles This is an easy word for Greek
speakers because they know what the prefix and the root of the
word mean Following this example etymology makes a
difference in learning another language (Pitman 2003)
This study of the impact of etymology will take place in
Greek ESL classrooms Students participating in the study will
learn the English language through the help of their native
language by using etymology and thus trace several thousands
of words in the Greek and English language Etymology will
also help the students find the similarities between the
target and native language These will show connections among
some words in the two languages and make them more meaningful
as a result This circumstance offers evidence of cognitive
learning that is the new English words are taught through
the help of prior knowledge something that exists in long
term memory or even in ESL studentsrsquo native language
Chatzisavvas 4
Literature Review
etymology
Using etymology to teach ESL can help students learn more
English words It can also help scientists doctors and
lawyers acquire any language in depth At the same time it
might be misleading difficult or confusing If studentsrsquo
native language and the target language share similarities
students will find learning a second language much easier
(Maylath 1997) On the contrary there is a great chance that
students will understand the similarities between languages
and they will be able to get the meaning of the words if
teachers use etymology patterns in classroom (Holmes Thomas
Keffer and Ronald 1995) Teachers need to instruct students
about the prefixes roots and suffixes in English Almost
fifty per cent of the English words are complex and they can
be more understandable through the study of the root of each
word (Pitman 2003)
Some other linguists argue that teaching etymology in
classroom can help students whose native language is not
Chatzisavvas 5
related to English at all such as Chinese Arabic and others
(Bellomo 1999) Teachers need to teach prefixes roots and
suffixes in class even if these are not related to studentsrsquo
native tongue Of course students who have Latin and Greek
backgrounds will be more at an advantage The point is that
etymology helps non-native English speakers expand their
English vocabulary (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) It is more helpful
to students that have a European language as their native
tongue
If teachers analyze and compare each word to studentsrsquo
native language they will not have a problem memorizing the
new words in L2 For example when students learn the word
ldquogumrdquo teachers should mention the word ldquoγόμαrdquo (goma) in Greek
This way helps students learn a new word in English with the
help of their native language This way of teaching a foreign
language solves one of the biggest problems for anyone who
learns a foreign language because they can learn a huge number
of words just by using etymology (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) In
this case Greek students do not know that they already knew
the word ldquoimpermeablerdquo
If students use their native language in learning a
foreign language they will be able to guess a lot of words
correctly The reason is that European languages and English
share a huge amount of common vocabulary In some cases
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 3
similarities between their native language and the second
language As a result students in Group B will study
vocabulary within meaningful contexts An example will
illustrate this point The word polygon (πολυγώνιο) has the word
ldquopolyrdquo as a prefix meaning too much and the root ldquogoniordquo
meaning angle (Τζιροπούλου - Ευσταθίου 1995) Therefore
polygon means too many angles This is an easy word for Greek
speakers because they know what the prefix and the root of the
word mean Following this example etymology makes a
difference in learning another language (Pitman 2003)
This study of the impact of etymology will take place in
Greek ESL classrooms Students participating in the study will
learn the English language through the help of their native
language by using etymology and thus trace several thousands
of words in the Greek and English language Etymology will
also help the students find the similarities between the
target and native language These will show connections among
some words in the two languages and make them more meaningful
as a result This circumstance offers evidence of cognitive
learning that is the new English words are taught through
the help of prior knowledge something that exists in long
term memory or even in ESL studentsrsquo native language
Chatzisavvas 4
Literature Review
etymology
Using etymology to teach ESL can help students learn more
English words It can also help scientists doctors and
lawyers acquire any language in depth At the same time it
might be misleading difficult or confusing If studentsrsquo
native language and the target language share similarities
students will find learning a second language much easier
(Maylath 1997) On the contrary there is a great chance that
students will understand the similarities between languages
and they will be able to get the meaning of the words if
teachers use etymology patterns in classroom (Holmes Thomas
Keffer and Ronald 1995) Teachers need to instruct students
about the prefixes roots and suffixes in English Almost
fifty per cent of the English words are complex and they can
be more understandable through the study of the root of each
word (Pitman 2003)
Some other linguists argue that teaching etymology in
classroom can help students whose native language is not
Chatzisavvas 5
related to English at all such as Chinese Arabic and others
(Bellomo 1999) Teachers need to teach prefixes roots and
suffixes in class even if these are not related to studentsrsquo
native tongue Of course students who have Latin and Greek
backgrounds will be more at an advantage The point is that
etymology helps non-native English speakers expand their
English vocabulary (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) It is more helpful
to students that have a European language as their native
tongue
If teachers analyze and compare each word to studentsrsquo
native language they will not have a problem memorizing the
new words in L2 For example when students learn the word
ldquogumrdquo teachers should mention the word ldquoγόμαrdquo (goma) in Greek
This way helps students learn a new word in English with the
help of their native language This way of teaching a foreign
language solves one of the biggest problems for anyone who
learns a foreign language because they can learn a huge number
of words just by using etymology (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) In
this case Greek students do not know that they already knew
the word ldquoimpermeablerdquo
If students use their native language in learning a
foreign language they will be able to guess a lot of words
correctly The reason is that European languages and English
share a huge amount of common vocabulary In some cases
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 4
Literature Review
etymology
Using etymology to teach ESL can help students learn more
English words It can also help scientists doctors and
lawyers acquire any language in depth At the same time it
might be misleading difficult or confusing If studentsrsquo
native language and the target language share similarities
students will find learning a second language much easier
(Maylath 1997) On the contrary there is a great chance that
students will understand the similarities between languages
and they will be able to get the meaning of the words if
teachers use etymology patterns in classroom (Holmes Thomas
Keffer and Ronald 1995) Teachers need to instruct students
about the prefixes roots and suffixes in English Almost
fifty per cent of the English words are complex and they can
be more understandable through the study of the root of each
word (Pitman 2003)
Some other linguists argue that teaching etymology in
classroom can help students whose native language is not
Chatzisavvas 5
related to English at all such as Chinese Arabic and others
(Bellomo 1999) Teachers need to teach prefixes roots and
suffixes in class even if these are not related to studentsrsquo
native tongue Of course students who have Latin and Greek
backgrounds will be more at an advantage The point is that
etymology helps non-native English speakers expand their
English vocabulary (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) It is more helpful
to students that have a European language as their native
tongue
If teachers analyze and compare each word to studentsrsquo
native language they will not have a problem memorizing the
new words in L2 For example when students learn the word
ldquogumrdquo teachers should mention the word ldquoγόμαrdquo (goma) in Greek
This way helps students learn a new word in English with the
help of their native language This way of teaching a foreign
language solves one of the biggest problems for anyone who
learns a foreign language because they can learn a huge number
of words just by using etymology (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) In
this case Greek students do not know that they already knew
the word ldquoimpermeablerdquo
If students use their native language in learning a
foreign language they will be able to guess a lot of words
correctly The reason is that European languages and English
share a huge amount of common vocabulary In some cases
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 5
related to English at all such as Chinese Arabic and others
(Bellomo 1999) Teachers need to teach prefixes roots and
suffixes in class even if these are not related to studentsrsquo
native tongue Of course students who have Latin and Greek
backgrounds will be more at an advantage The point is that
etymology helps non-native English speakers expand their
English vocabulary (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) It is more helpful
to students that have a European language as their native
tongue
If teachers analyze and compare each word to studentsrsquo
native language they will not have a problem memorizing the
new words in L2 For example when students learn the word
ldquogumrdquo teachers should mention the word ldquoγόμαrdquo (goma) in Greek
This way helps students learn a new word in English with the
help of their native language This way of teaching a foreign
language solves one of the biggest problems for anyone who
learns a foreign language because they can learn a huge number
of words just by using etymology (Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) In
this case Greek students do not know that they already knew
the word ldquoimpermeablerdquo
If students use their native language in learning a
foreign language they will be able to guess a lot of words
correctly The reason is that European languages and English
share a huge amount of common vocabulary In some cases
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 6
students need help finding the similarities between their
native and target language Moreover students learn more
words easily if teachers explain why a word is written the way
it is (Ilson 1983) For instance some Greek consonants are
transmitted with double consonants in the Latin alphabet such
as lsquoχrsquo becomes lsquochrsquo (χαρισματικό = charismatic) or lsquofrsquo
becomes lsquophrsquo (φιλοσοφία = philosophy) Instructed in this
manner students grasp a more in-depth meaning to each word
and are therefore able to commit it to memory
Furthermore students will remember the words that are
taught with the help of etymology since these words exist in
their native language This way learning becomes meaningful
ldquoa quality of learning which is related to prior learning and
thus is more likely to be retained and generalized to other
learningrdquo (Pierson 1989) When using etymology in class
students learn something that they already know They build
new knowledge from what they learned in the past This
practice makes it less likely that students forget the new
words in L2 The words they study are familiar and usable and
they learn how to use these words in different ways In other
words students are more likely to engage in this learning
involving etymology since they can totally relate to their
native language Some linguists regard etymology as extremely
helpful in learning new words
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 7
It is perhaps the most neglected tool in our bag of devices particularly in light of its great potential Before we inquire how we can best employ etymology as a device for teaching language use we should ask ourselves what a word is (Laird)
It will be easier for ESL students (students whose English is
their second language) to learn English if teachers show the
similarities between studentsrsquo native language and the target
language (if they share similarities) because they will not be
going through the process of memorization (Pierson 1989)
This is because etymology helps students remember more English
words It also makes learning fun and it is helpful when
learning the meaning of unknown words
Most people who have never been taught better methods try to learn words one by one whereas usually they could learn a dozen of words more easily and in ways that will help them to understand better and to remember longer if they learn words in related families(Laird)
It seems really tedious and complicated to learn new words by
memorizing them The result is that most people learn these
words but because they do not use them they forget them In
contrast teaching with etymology aims to have students
comprehend each word rather than just memorize each word one
by one Consequently etymology can have a positive impact in
learning new words It is a teaching method that makes
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 8
learning more simple meaningful and pleasant Also the new
lexicon makes sense to learners
The new lexicon makes sense to learners because the study
of language focuses on the similarity between the target
language and the native language which is stored in long term
memory ldquothe memory system used for relatively permanent
storage of meaningful informationrdquo (Coon 2001) Almost all of
the words in our native language are stored in there The
problem when teaching a foreign vocabulary without using
etymology is that usually students process these words in
short term memory where it cannot hold a huge amount of
information (Solagne and Sao 2001) Sometimes they do not use
these words and they forget them If teachers show the
similarity between studentsrsquo native and target language
students will memorize the English lexicon in long term memory
(Thelen 1986) If we want students to memorize English words
and remember them there must be an etymological connection
between the target and native language (Moras 2001)
Etymology might benefit some students more than others
because of their native language For example students whose
language comes from Latin Greek or German might be more
advantaged because English is a combination of these languages
Chinese students can learn English through etymology but they
need to put more effort since they do not know the roots of
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 9
the words Studentsrsquo first language makes a difference in
learning another language A French student can learn Italian
faster rather than Japanese This is because French and
Italian come from Latin
In brief most linguists support the fact that etymology
helps ESL students learn more English words (Thelen 1986)
Some others argue that studentsrsquo native language is not
important in using etymology in classrooms On the other hand
other professors using etymology in classroom state that it
might be misleading (Small 1987) The point is that there are
several thousands of similar words in the European languages
Some linguists believe in the Indo-European theory some
others believe that the Greco-Roman civilization influenced
the European languages in a high degree Whatever the answer
is we can help students and teach them new words by showing
similarities between languages
Studentsrsquo Native Language and Its Aid in Teaching ESL
Studentrsquos native language plays a main position in
learning a new language In this case the Greek language
helps learners enhance their lexicon in English Also the
study of etymology supports the learning of scientific terms
such as melanoma (μελάνομα) astigmatism (αστιγματισμός)
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 10
chiropractor (χειροπράκτορας) and so many others Every year
thousands of doctors pharmacists and other educated people
study Classical Greek or Latin because these two languages
help them learn the scientific lexicon with the help of
etymology Further several thousands of abstract words have
been taken from the Greek language such as aroma
(αρωμα) problem (πρόβλημα) stigma (στίγμα) drama (δράμα) and
idea (ιδέα) (Maurice and Gilbert 2003) If Greek students know
how to transmit each word from the Greek to Latin alphabet
there will not be a problem to identify and understand these
kinds of words
However there are thousands of words that have changed
completely in a point that nobody can recognize them as Greek
words such as the word ldquoeleemosynerdquo (ελεημοσύνη) became ldquoalmsrdquo
in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) In this case it will be more
difficult to teach students the similarities between Greek and
English words Another example would be the word ldquofemalerdquo
ldquoThe word goes back to Greek lsquothelazeinrsquo (θηλάζειν) to suckle
and then with some changes Latin lsquofelarersquo to suck and Latin
lsquofeminarsquo woman Associations with male may have influenced
The English form of the wordrdquo (Gorrell 2001 57) Therefore
some words that come from the same root change and they can
be confusing when learning English Sometimes in order to
remember the origin of the word female it is difficult to
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 11
explain to the students whose native language is Greek that
the word female originates from the Greek word ldquothelazeinrdquo
This is because these two words have a completely different
meaning in Modern Greek and English In this case students
will discover that the answers are not obvious or consistent
(Small 1987) Another example would be the word ldquocouthourosrdquo
(κούθουρος) meaning coward in English (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It
might be difficult for students to find the similarity between
these two words in their native language and L2 since letters
pronunciation and the meaning changes from one language to
another over a period of time
Another problem that exists in the field of etymology is
that the meaning and articulation of some words change in
languages through years For instance the Greek word ldquoidiotrdquo
coming from the word ldquoιδιώτηςrdquo means someone who thinks only
for their needs or self Besides that this word ended up
meaning something silly
Another example would be in the difference between the
Modern and Ancient Greek pronunciation For instance the
letter z is pronounced as ldquozdrdquo (like wisdom) or as tz (like
pizza) in Ancient Greek (Morwood and Warman 1995) In
contrast ldquozrdquo is pronounced as ldquozebrardquo in Modern Greek (refer
to pages 54-56) There are several words that have been taken
from Ancient Greek and changed into Latin and French and
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 12
translated into the English language (Maylath 1997) At the
same time there are differences between Ancient and Modern
Greek In this case there might be a huge difference between
the Greek words that exist in the English language and the
words that native Greek students use even if in both cases
they are derived from Ancient Greek Also pronunciation
words and sounds have been changing in the English language
They are relatively stable They change of course and presumably all sounds are changing all the time but they change so slowly that few sounds have been lost from the English language in historic timeshellip (Laird)
Since pronunciation and sounds change there might be
other problems that can make this study more difficult when
learning new words with the help of etymology In this case
students might not be able to connect the similarities between
their native and the target language
Also another case would be that some English words came
from Classical Greek but Modern Greek speakers do not use
them any more However they still exist in the English
language For example the verb ldquoflaeordquo (φλαίω) means that
something rises up (Τζιροπούλου 1995) It is a verb that is
not used in Modern Greek any more but it exists in English as
ldquoinflationrdquo and ldquodeflationrdquo Greek ESL students might have a
hard time recognizing these words because they are not used
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 13
anymore in the Modern Greek language If students know
Classical Greek it will be easier for them to use etymology
and memorize more Greco words that exist in English
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990) The point is that it is better for
learners to know their native language in depth before they
start using etymology If students acquire the knowledge of
their native language they will improve their second and
third language
If the participants in this study need to learn their
language in depth they need to learn Ancient Greek This is
because it aims to have students learn some main roots
prefixes and suffixes For example the English word
impermeable has the ldquoimrdquo as prefix that means not or
something that is the opposite In Greek it would be ldquoinrdquo
The root ldquopermerdquo can be related to the Greek word ldquoperasmardquo
(πέρασμα) meaning pass and the suffix ldquoablerdquo proves that the
word is an adjective If Greek students first see the word
ldquoimpermeablerdquo they will not understand it On the other hand
students will be able to expand their knowledge in the English
dictionary if they learn one root every day For example if
students remember the word cranium (κρανίον) they will
remember what craniate craniology craniometry and
craniotome because these words have the same root (Pierson
1989)
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 14
Learning a new word with the use of etymology can also be
taught by stating its history For example the word
ldquodisasterrdquo can be taught in a unique way According to the
Oxford American Dictionary ldquoDisrdquo the prefix of the word
expresses a negation The root of the word ldquoasterrdquo (αστήρ)
means star (Classical Greek and Latin) The word ldquodisasterrdquo
primarily means that the stars were a bad position therefore
a catastrophic event would occur (Τζιροπούλου 1995) Students
are expected to learn the prefixes and some roots of the words
For example the prefix lsquoarsquo stands for lsquonotrsquo or lsquowithoutrsquo the
prefix lsquoabrsquo stands for the meaning lsquoaway fromrsquo lsquoantirsquo stands
for something against (refer to pages 31-36)
Foreign words in studentrsquos native language
Teachers can show the foreign words in studentsrsquo native
language and compare them to similar words in the target
language There are some words in the Greek language that come
from English ldquoIn the meantime other foreign words and modern
terms especially English made their appearance such as okay
sorry thank you booking parking flight one way duty free
video video-club and many othersrdquo (Κολίτσις 1988) There are
a lot of English words that are used every day in the Greek
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 15
language Teachers can take these words and teach them during
class This way students will have less hard time learning
ESL
In addition there are a lot of Latin or old French words
that exist both in the Greek and English language Moreover
the Greek-Cypriot dialect studentsrsquo dialect has a lot of
Latin Venetian and Old French words because the island used
to be a colony of these empires Studentsrsquo dialect can
absolutely help them learn more English words since there is a
connection between their dialect and the English language For
example the word lsquochairrsquo is lsquoκαρέκλαrsquo (karekla) in Greek
coming from the word lsquokathedrikosrsquo (cathedral) Besides that
the word for chair in Cyprus is lsquotsaerarsquo (τσαέρα) borrowed
from Old French (Κολιτσίς 1986) The French and Italians left
a number of words on the island that can be used to learn
English Teachers on the island can teach English through the
geography of Cyprus For example there is an area called
ldquoFontana Amorozardquo (the fountain of love) The word fountain
means jets of water made to spout for ornamental purposes or
for drinking In the Cypriot dialect lsquofountanarsquo is the tap
Teachers can also take other locations on the island and teach
ESL such as ldquoMare-Monderdquo [Μάρε-Μόντε] (sea-mountain) ldquoBella
Baysrdquo [Μπέλλα Πάϊς] (beautiful country) ldquoLiverardquo [Λιβερά]
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 16
(coming from the French word ldquoreviererdquo meaning on the coast)
(Χατζηιωάννου 1986)
Moreover the Modern Greek language has a lot of French
Italian or Latin words that are used In the Greek or English
language For example ldquorealismrdquo (Latin) ldquogaragerdquo (French)
and ldquogasrdquo (French) (Κουλάκης 1993) These words should be
taken into account when teaching a new language In some cases
teachers do not show these similarities Furthermore it might
be difficult for some students due to the difference in
pronunciation
The literature review points to the similarities among
languages that support studentsrsquo effort to expand their
lexicon As well the literature highlights some of the
problems with using etymology in language learning This study
will examine if a group of Greek students can learn and
memorize more English words by using their mother tongue in
comparison to those who will learn new words without the help
of etymology It will focus on learning new words by teaching
prefixes roots and suffixes and it will aim to answer if
etymology has a positive or a negative impact in studying a
foreign language
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 17
Methodology
Subjects
Twelve students between the ages of fourteen and fifteen
participated in this study Group A intermediate II had six
students three male and three female One female is 14 years
old and the rest of the students are fifteen years old Group
B Intermediate I had one male and five female Three of the
female are fourteen years old and the rest of the students
are fifteen years old Some of the participants are a year
older than the rest of their classmates but they are at the
same level of learning English in private schooling On the
other hand the students who are 15 years old have learned
English one year more in public schools This is because
students start learning English when they are on the third
grade Therefore even if this study takes place in a private
school students who are younger have learned English one year
less in public schools
All of the participants have Greek as their first
language and English as their second language Participants
have also been learning Classical Greek and French since the
first grade of Gymnasium The reason why they learn English in
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 18
private schools is because some of these students will go to
Universities in the United Kingdom and the United States Some
other students take these English classes to obtain several
degrees in English Every year students get prepare for taking
English exams These exams involve reading a text writing an
essay and grammar Therefore students who take place in this
study will be helped because they will learn some techniques
for guessing correct answers for words they do not know One
of these techniques is to teach participants English words
with the help of their native tongue
Design
This study has been designed to examine if the use of
etymology can help Greek ESL students learn more English words
through the similarities between their native and target
language Can etymology have an impact on Greek ESL students
and aid them gain more knowledge in English through their
native language To evaluate the potential impact of etymology
on second language learning participating students will
complete a post-test after a month learning of new English
words in the two different circumstances described
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 19
Materials
The subjects were given a pre-test with twenty multiple
choice words There were four possible answers related to the
root or prefix of each word and students had to guess the
correct answer Students whose answer got only the root or the
prefix correct received only half point Students who guessed
both the prefix and root correctly received a point One of
the possible answers was not related at all with the correct
answer The pres-tests were intended by the designer they
were designed in this manner because they aimed to get
students to select the correct answer if they knew the roots
and prefixes of each word
Each multiple choice question was taken from an
etymological dictionary (see pages 40-56) The first group
memorized five new words every class period for one month
(each class takes place for one and a half hours twice a week)
Students in the first group had to come up with their own
examples of how they can use each word in sentences Students
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 20
got a dictation in the next class period This process of
learning took ten minutes every class period
The second group studied new words with the help of
etymology Students analyzed the meaning of the prefix and
roots of each word in the class period for the first ten
minutes They used etymology broke down words like these
get the meaning and combined them together Students also
identified synonyms and antonyms For example students
analyzed the word ldquoignorantrdquo Primarily they had to separate
the word in the prefix root and suffix i-gnor-ant The
prefix ldquoirdquo can be transmitted as ldquoinrdquo (ιν) in Greek meaning
something the opposite The root ldquognorrdquo is related to
knowledge in Greek ldquognorizordquo (γνωρίζω) Therefore ignorant
means someone who does not know or does not want to know
Students also gathered the same root meaning if they presented
with the word recognize They had to learn five words every
class period At the end of the term students got examined in
the words they learned
The two groups Groups A and B got the same words on
this post-test consisting of twenty multiple choice questions
whereby students had to guess the correct prefix and root of
each word Each correct answer was worth one point If
students guessed the prefix or the root correctly they get
only a half point
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 21
Students who participated in this study were from a
private English tutoring institute in Limassol Cyprus All
students have Greek as their first language and they have
taken ESL for seven years The students also have a background
of Ancient and Modern Greek and they are at the same level of
English in public high schools Besides that some limitations
in this study such as students might not get help by their
parents in English and even in Greek must be taken into
account Another limitation is that students might be speaking
another language at home and therefore they might not be
fluent Greek speakers If so students might not be able to
get the similarity between English and Greek
In the first group students learned new words in the
traditional way by memorizing each word without any help of
etymology The researcher translated each word in their native
language without any other help The second group followed
this technique of etymology when learning new English words
and there was a relationship between Greek and these words
Each word on the pre-test and post-test has a Greek root
or it is a word that comes from Latin Italian English or
French but it is used by the native Greek speakers This is
because recent studies have proved that literacy in L1 helps
literacy growth in L2 The more we know our first language
the more we can achieve in the second language (Bigelow amp
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 22
Tarone 2004) In this case if students know their native
language in depth they will not have a hard time in answering
these questions
For example Greek students might have less difficulty
determining the correct meaning of the word ldquohemipathiserdquo
because it has a Greek root and prefix (This is a pseudo
word)to half understand somebodyrsquos problems
(a) to half divide a path
(b) to suffer from a blood disease
(c) to create a path for the blood to flow through
(Γιουγκιούκλης 1990)
In this case the first answer is correct Therefore
students who get this correct get one point If they choose
the second option they get half point as it only has the
prefix correct The third answer has its root only correct so
students get only a half point for this The last answer has
its prefix and root incorrect Therefore students do not get
any point for this answer
Students in the second group learned new words with the
help of etymology After three months they completed a post-
test They needed to know all roots that exist in the English
words and several roots This way helped students guess the
correct answer even if they had never heard some of these
words The first group is expected to score lower in the post
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 23
test because they just learned new words without using
etymology or cognitive thinking This is because even if
students in both groups were at the same level they learnt
new words in a different way in a period of time where we
observed if etymology makes a difference in teaching
Procedure
The instructions were given to the students on the front
page of the pre-post test and explained in their target
language They were also told that their names and scores
would remain anonymous Students were told to guess all
questions related to words they use in their native language
After they had finished participants explained what
strategies they used to guess the correct answer Some of them
explained that they used etymology to understand the root of
each word Some others just guessed
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 24
Analysis of the data
The answers of the forty (40) questions were put into
table 1 including the averages (means X)
Table 1
Pre-test
X1 X2
1 Constellation 2 3
2detour 4 3
3 revive 0 2
4 decline 2 2
5 Inflation 4 5
6 Insole 3 2
7 semicircle 5 5
8 impermeable 3 3
9 Semidome 1 2
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 25
10 bipods 3 3
11 Interference 5 4 12 Incline 6 5
13 Indicate 4 5 14 Dilute 7 7
15 discourage 7 8
16 disaster 7 9
17 dismember 3 5
18 indifference 5 3
19 deflation 3 2
20 immortal 2 5
Σχ= 78 83
Post-test
X1 X2
1 pedestrian 8 8
2 aviation 7 75 3 assimilate 4 7 4 assistant 7 7 5 agriculture 5 6 6 destination 6 7 7 dimension 5 6 8 alternative 6 7
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 26
9 predict 5 8 10 contradict 7 8 11 indicate 4 6 12 disperse 5 6 13 bigamist 5 8 14 brevity 2 4 15 acrostic 7 9 17 amorphous 7 10 18 aspect 4 4 19 antinomy 7 10 20 impetuous 3 4
Σχ = 114 135
Conclusion
The results of this study prove that etymology has a
positive impact in learning a second language The difference
between the two groups of the pre-test is 5 However the
difference of the post-test becomes 21 This confirms that
students can learn more words by comparing L1 and L2 The
graph on page 62 illustrates pre- and post-results presenting
the positive impact of students using etymology as part of
their English language studies
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 27
Additional anecdotal information provides further
insights into the study that some students in group B found
teaching with etymology fun After a month of teaching with
etymology some participants stated that it was interesting
learning English this way They could also remember some of
the roots Some others stated that it was boring because there
were a lot of ancient routes they had to memorize A few of
them seemed to hate anything related to Ancient Greek Other
students just guessed during the test for the right answer
According to the results etymology has a positive impact in
learning new English words Students in group B developed
better skills in learning new lexicon in a foreign language
Therefore participants can hold more amount of information in
English when this is related with their native language
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 28
References
Balme M amp Lawall G (2003) Athenaze an introduction to
Ancient Greek (2nd ed) New YorkOxford Oxford University press
Bellomo T (1999) Etymology and vocabulary development for
the L2 college student Bigelow M amp Elaine T (2004) The forum The role of literacy
level in second language acquisition doesnrsquot who we study determine what we know TESOL quarterly Vol 38 No4 Winter 2004
Coon Dennis (2001) Introduction to psychology gateways to
mind and behavior Ninth edition Belmont CA Davies P (1981) Roots-family histories of familiar words
(1st ed) USA Kingsport press Gorrell R (2001) Whatrsquos in a word (1st ed) Reno Kaelin
Chappell Harris Robert Evaluating internet research sources VirtualSalt 17 Nov 1997 Retrieved October 2 2004 from
the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsaltcom evalu8ithtm
Holmes C amp Ronald L (1995) A computerized method to
teach Latin and Greek root words effects on verbal SAT scores Journal of educational research 0022-0671 Vol 89 Issue 1 1
Ilson R (1983) Etymological information can it help our
students ELT journal 37 79
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 29
Κουλάκης Γ (1993) Το Μεγάλο ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νεοελληνικής γλώσσας (Α έκδοση) Θεσσαλονίκη Εκδόσεις Μαλλιαρής-Παιδεία ΑΕ
Laird C Down Giantwife The uses of etymology English
Journal 1106-1112 Maylath B (1997) Why do they get it when I say ldquogingivitisrdquo
but not when I Say ldquogum swellingrdquo New directions of teaching and learning 70 2930
Morwood J amp Warman M (1990) Our Greek and Latin roots
(3rd ed) Musselburgh Cambridge university press Oxford American dictionary and language guide (1999) New York
Oxford University Press Pierson H (1989) Using etymology in the classroom ELT
journal 431 January 1989 5862 Pittman W (2003) Building vocabulary through prefixes
roots and suffixes The internet TESL journal VolIX No 7 July 2003 Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpitesljorgtechniques Pittman-BuildingVocabularyhtml
Robert H (2003) Word roots and prefixes Retrieved October 2 2004 from the World Wide Web httpwwwvirtualsalt comrootshtm Small R (1987) Linguistics in the English class
Educational journal 289 171 CS 210866 16 Solagne M amp Sao C (2001 July) Teaching vocabulary to
advanced students a lexical approach Retrieved September 21 2004 from the World Wide Web http www3telusnetlinguisticissuesteachingvocabulary html
Thelen J (1986) Vocabulary instruction and meaningful
learning Journal of reading 604607 Τζιροπούλου-Ευσταθίου A (1995) How the Greek language
fertilized the European languages (1st ed) Athens Nea thesis
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 30
Γιουγκιούκλης Καμπάκης Κ (1990) Lexical decomposition as a strategy for guessing unknown words usersrsquo competence and confidence Educational research 328 096 FL
019066 29
Roots and Prefixes
Root or Prefix Meaning Examples a an not without atheist anarchy anonymous apathy
aphasia anemia Ab away from absent abduction aberrant
abstemious Ambul to walk ambulatory amble ambulance
somnambulist Ante before anteroom antebellum antedate
antecedent antediluvian anti ant against opposite antisocial antiseptic antithesis
antibody antichrist antinomies antifreeze antipathy antigen antibiotic
Audi to hear audience auditory audible auditorium audiovisual audition
Be thoroughly bedecked besmirch besprinkled Auto Self automobile automatic autograph
autonomous autoimmune Bene good well benefactor beneficial benevolent
benediction beneficiary benefit cede ceed cess to go to yield succeed proceed precede recede
secession exceed succession Chron Time chronology chronic chronicle
chronometer anachronism cide cis to kill to cut fratricide suicide incision excision
circumcision Circum around circumnavigate circumflex
circumstance circumcision circumference circumorbital
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 31
circumlocution circumvent circumscribe circulatory
clud clus claus to close include exclude clause claustrophobia enclose exclusive reclusive conclude
con com with together convene compress contemporary converge compact confluence concatenate conjoin combine
contra counter against opposite contradict counteract contravene contrary counterspy contrapuntal
Cred to believe credo credible credence credit credential credulity incredulous
Cycl circle wheel bicycle cyclical cycle encliclical De from down away detach deploy derange deodorize
devoid deflate degenerate deice dei div God god divinity divine deity divination
deify Demo people democracy demagogue epidemic Dia through across between diameter diagonal dialogue dialect
dialectic diagnosis diachronic Dict speak predict verdict malediction
dictionary dictate dictum diction indict
dis dys dif away not negative dismiss differ disallow disperse dissuade disconnect dysfunction disproportion disrespect distemper distaste disarray dyslexia
duc duct to lead pull produce abduct product transducer viaduct aqueduct induct deduct reduce induce
dyn dyna power dynamic dynamometer heterodyne dynamite dynamo dynasty
Ecto outside external ectomorph ectoderm ectoplasm ectopic ectothermal
Endo inside withing endotoxin endoscope endogenous Equi equal equidistant equilateral equilibrium
equinox equitable equation equator e ex out away from emit expulsion exhale exit express
exclusive enervate exceed explosionexter extra outside of external extrinsic exterior
extraordinary extrabiblical extracurricular extrapolate
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 32
extraneous flu flux Flow effluence influence effluvium
fluctuate confluence reflux influx flect flex to bend flexible reflection deflect
circumflex graph gram to write polygraph grammar biography
graphite telegram autograph lithograph historiography graphic
Hetero other heterodox heterogeneous heterosexual heterodyne
Homo same homogenized homosexual homonym homophone
Hyper over above hyperactive hypertensive hyperbolic hypersensitive hyperventilate hyperkinetic
Hypo below less than hypotension hypodermic hypoglycemia hypoallergenic
in im Not inviolate innocuous intractable innocent impregnable impossible
Infra beneath infrared infrastructure inter intro between international intercept intermission
interoffice internal intermittent introvert introduce
Intra within into intranet intracranial intravenous jac ject to throw reject eject project trajectory
interject dejected inject ejaculate Mal bad badly malformation maladjusted dismal
malady malcontent malfeasance maleficent
Mega great million megaphone megalomaniac megabyte megalopolis
Meso middle mesomorph mesoamerica mesosphere
Meta beyond change metaphor metamorphosis metabolism metahistorical metainformation
Meter measure perimeter micrometer ammeter multimeter altimeter
Micro small microscope microprocessor microfiche micrometer micrograph
Mis bad badly misinform misinterpret mispronounce misnomer mistake
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 33
misogynist mit miss to send transmit permit missile missionary
remit admit missive mission Morph shape polymorphic morpheme amorphous Multi many multitude multipartite multiply
multipurpose Neo New neologism neonate neoclassic
neophyte Non Not nonferrous nonabrasive nondescript Omni All omnipotent omnivorous omniscient Para beside paraprofessional paramedic
paraphrase parachute Per through intensive permit perspire perforate persuade Peri around periscope perimeter perigee
periodontal Phon sound telephone phonics phonograph
phonetic homophone microphone Phot Light photograph photosynthesis photon Poly many polytheist polygon polygamy
polymorphous Port to carry porter portable report
transportation deport import export Re back again report realign retract revise regain Retro backwards retrorocket retrospect retrogression
retroactive Sanct Holy sanctify sanctuary sanction
sanctimonious sacrosanct scrib script to write inscription prescribe proscribe
manuscript conscript scribble scribesect sec Cut intersect transect dissect secant
section Semi Half semifinal semiconscious
semiannual semimonthly semicircle Spect to look inspect spectator circumspect
retrospect prospect spectacle Sub under below submerge submarine substandard
subnormal subvert super supra above superior suprarenal superscript
supernatural supercede Syn together synthesis synchronous syndicate Tele distance from afar television telephone telegraph
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 34
telemetry theo the God theology theist polytheist therm thermo Heat thermal thermometer thermocouple
thermodynamic thermoelectric Tract to drag draw attract tractor traction extract
retract protract detract subtract contract intractable
Trans across transoceanic transmit transport transducer
Un Not uncooked unharmed unintended veh vect to carry vector vehicle convection vehementvert vers to turn convert revert advertise versatile
vertigo invert reversion extravert introvert
Vita Life vital vitality vitamins revitalize
Number Prefixes
Prefix Meaning Examples
mono uni One monopoly monotype monologue mononucleosis monorail monotheist unilateral universal unity unanimous uniform
bi di Two divide diverge diglycerides bifurcate biweekly bivalve biannual
Tri three triangle trinity trilateral triumvirate tribune trilogy
quat quad Four quadrangle quadruplets
quint penta Five quintet quintuplets pentagon pentane pentameter
hex ses sex Six hexagon hexameter sestet sextuplets
Sept seven septet septennial
Oct eight octopus octagon octogenarian
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 35
octave
Non Nine nonagon nonagenarian
Dec Ten decimal decade decalogue decimate
Cent hundred centennial century centipede
mill kilo thousand millennium kilobyte kiloton
Mega million megabyte megaton megaflop
Giga billion gigabyte gigaflop
Tera trillion terabyte teraflop
Milli thousandth millisecond milligram millivolt
Micro millionth microgram microvolt
Nano billionth nanosecond nanobucks
Pico trillionth picofarad picocurie
Femto quadrillionth femtosecond
(Robert Harris 2003)
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 36
Pretest
Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each
unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions
(1) Constellation
(a) a group of thieves
(b) a group of stars
(c) a situation that still remains the same
(d) when a situation gets cancelled
(2) detour
(a) the top of Eiffel tower
(b) a tourist who asks for directions
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 37
(c) a road that has a dead end
(d) an alternative route
(3) revive
(a) to drink a glass of wine
(b) to live again
(c) to repeat the same mistake continuously
(d) someone who talks loud
(4) decline
(a) the northern part of hemisphere
(b) to go down
(c) when an object falls down
(d) When somebody visits a clinic
(5) Inflation
(a) increase of money or credit
(b) increase the fire
(c) put out the fire
(d) loss of something important
(6) Insole
(a) inner part of the brain
(b) inside of a shoe
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 38
(c) blasphemy
(d) the upper part of a shoe
(7) semicircle
(a) a part of the moon
(b) a half part of a circle
(c) a part of a circle
(d) a full moon
(8) impermeable
(a) to pass
(b) to make a favour
(c) not able to talk
(d) not able to passgo through
(9) Semidome
(a) a roof covering the half of a circular room
(b) a roof that covers the whole room
(c) a room usually basement to store wine
(d) an attic
(10) bipods
(a) a fish with two legs
(b) an animal that has two legs
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 39
(c) an animal with four legs
(d) a human that lives over a century
(11) Interference (a) to become full of fear
(b) to get involved in a situation (c) to give something to a person (d) to become friends with someone
(12) Incline
(a) leaning or bending (b) to go down (c) when an object falls down (d) When somebody visits a clinic (13) Indicate (a) to point out (b) to hide something from a person (c) to show (d) all of the above (e) a amp c
(14) Dilute
(a) to reduce the strength of a fluid
(b) to increase the strength of a fluid
(c) a coward person
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 40
(d) a and b
(15) discourage
(a) lack of courage
(b) a feeling of confidence
(c) patience
(d) all of the above
(16) disaster
(a) a catastrophic event
(b) a helpful event
(b) to be in a hurry
(d) all of the above
(17) dismember
(a) to put things together
(b) to cut into pieces
(c) to throw away something
(d) a and b
(18) indifference
(a) lack of sympathy
(b) lack of interest
(c) lack of concern
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 41
(d) all of the above
(19) deflation
(a) to reduce
(b) to increase
(c) to put fire
(d) all of the above
(20) immortal
(a) eternal
(b) someone who died
(c) undying
(d) a and c
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 42
Explanation of the Pre ndash test words
Constellation
κων με + στέλλα ndash αστήρ ndash αστέρι
detour
τουρνός ταξιδιώτης
revive
re = ξανά + βίος
decline
απο κάτω + κλήνω
inflation εν + φλαίω insole
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 43
εν + σόλα semicircle ήμισον + κύκλος impermeable α + πέρασμα semi dome ήμισον + δομή bipods δύο + πους πόδι interfere ανα + φερώ incline εν + κλήνω indicate εν + δεικνύω dilute διαλυτικό discourage δις + κουράγιο
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 44
disaster δις + αστήρ dismember δις + μέλος deflation από κάτω + φλαίω immortal Αμβροσία
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 45
Post ndash Test Name_________________________________________________
Date__________________________________________________
Please choose one out of the four possible answers for each unknown word You have to answer all twenty questions (1) Pedestrian (a) A person who walks in a town (b) Someone with a disability (c) Someone who uses public transportation (d) A and C (2) Aviation (a) to avoid a situation (b) to operate an aircraft (c) to prevent something happening (d) A bird that originates from Africa
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 46
(3) Assimilate (a) to incorporate (b) to take in (c) to understand (d) all of the above (4) Assistant (a) Helper (b) Supporter (c) Chief (d) A and B (5) Agriculture (a) Farming (b) Anything related to foreign cultures (c) Flora (d) Fauna (6) Destination (a) Purpose (b) Objective (c) Intention (d) all of the above (7) Dimension (a) Measurement
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 47
(b) to mention someone (c) An amusement park (d) All of the above (8) Alternative (a) option (b) choice (c) substitute (d) all of the above (9) predict (a) Expect (b) Guess (c) Observe (d) all of the above (10) contradict (κόντρα + δεικνύω) (a) Disagree (b) Correspond (c) Correct (d) a and c (11) Indicate (a) Specify (b) Show
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 48
(c) Point (d) all of the above (12) Disperse (a) to break up (b) to go away (c) to put things together (d) a and b (13) Bigamist (a) to glue two parts (b) to play a game (c) to have two marriages (d) all of the above (14) Brevity (a) Shortness (b) Briefness (c) Lengthiness (d) a and b (16) Acrostic (a) a poem in which certain letters in each line form a word (b) the meaning on each conversation (c) the end of a line
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 49
(d) an ankle less than 90 degrees (17) Amorphous (a) Formless (b) Shapeless (c) Defined (d) a and b (18) Aspect (a) Feature (b) Portion (c) Characteristic (d) all of the above (19) Antinomy (a) Against the law (b) Against reputation (c) to give a nick name (d) a and b (20) Impetuous (a) Hasty (b) Spontaneous (c) Rash (d) all of the above
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 50
Explanation of the Post ndash Test Words Pedestrian πους πόδι = πεζός Aviation αιβετός (Ancient Greek) = αητός Assimilate α + lsquoομοιους Assistant α + ιστήμι Agriculture αγρός + colos LT (κουλτούρα) Destination δι + ιστάνω
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 51
Dimension δι + μετρώ Alternative άλλος + έτερος predict προ + δεικνύω Indicate εν + δεικνύω Disperse δια + σπέρνω Bigamist δύο + γάμος Brevity βραχύς Acrostic άκρος + στίχος Amorphous α + μορφή
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 52
Aspect α + σκοπέω Antinomy αντί + νόμος Impetuous εν + πετώ
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 53
The Greek Alphabet Letter Translit- Pronunciation Pronunciation eration in Ancient Greek in Modern Greek Αα alpha α (short) as in α (short) as the father α (long) sound of father as in father but held longer Bβ beta as in base as in vase Γγ gamma an in gray as in York Δδ delta as in Denmark as in there Εε epsilon as in get as in get Ζζ zeta as in wisdom as in zebra or as in pizza
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 54
Ηη eta as in get but as in the sound held longer in it Θθ theta as in top as in thanks or as in thanks Ιι iota ι(short) as in the as in the sound sound in it ι(long) in it as in the sound in keen Κκ kappa as in sack as in sack Λλ lambda L L Μμ mi M M Νν ni N N Ξξ xi as in axe as in axe Οο omicron as in donrsquot as in donrsquot Ππϖ pi as in sap as in sap Ρρ rho a trilled r a trilled r Σσ cs sigma as in sing as in sing Ττ taf as in sat as in sat
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 55
Υυ upsilon u (short) as in as in the tu in Frenchu sound in it long as in tu French but longer Φφ phi aspirated sound as in fame as in pot or as in fame Χχ chi as in kit as travajo in Spanish Ψψ psi as in lips as in lips Ωω omega as in caught as in caught but longer
Chatzisavvas 56
Chatzisavvas 56