Latin and Greek Roots of Some Common Scientific Names

Ab – from away
Acanth – prickle, spine
Ad – towards, to
Aest – summer
Allo – other, different
Amphi – both, double
Ampulla - a flask
Andr – male
Anthro – man
Anti – opposite, against
Annal – ring
Arch – ancient primitive
Arthr – joint
Astra – star
Atr (ium) – hall, antechamber
Auto – self

Basi – at the bottom
Bi – twice, two, double
Blast – germ, bud, shoot
Branchi – arm
Brachy – short
Branch – gill
Bursa – pouch

Caecum – blind gut
Cardi – heart
Cauda – tail
Cephal – head
Chaet – bristle
Chel – claw, pincer
Chlor – green
Choan – funnel, tube
Chondr – cartilage
Chrom – color
Cil – hair
Cirri – hair, tendril
Cloaca – sewer
Cnid – nettle
Coel – hollow
Coen – shared in common
Coron – crown
Cten – comb
Cyst – pocket, pouch
Cyt – cell (hollow vessel)

Dactyl – finger
Dem – tooth
Derm – skin

Deut – second
Di – twice, two, double
Dipl – double
Don – tooth
Duo – twice, two

Echino – spiny
Ect – outer, outside
End – inner, within
Enter – intestine, gut
Erythr - red
Eury – wide, broad

Falc – sickle
Flagell – whip

Gangli – swelling
Gaster (gastro) – stomach
Gnath – jaw
Grad – walk
Gymn – naked
Gyn – women

Haem – blood
Helminth – worm
Hemi – half
Hetero – different
Hol – entire, whole, complete
Homo – same, alike
Hydr – water
Hyper- over, above
Hypo – under, beneath

Ichthy – fish
Iso – equal

Kino – movement
Klino – turn aside, bend

Labi – lip
Lact – milk
Lamella – leaf, layer

Macr – long, large
Magn – great
Mandibul – jaw
Mastig – whip
Maxill – jaw
Med – middle
Mega – great
Meso – middle

Meta – after
Micro – small
Mini – small
Morph – shape, form
Mucro – a sharp point
Multi – many
Myo – muscle

Nema – thread
Nephr – kidney
Not – dorsal, back

Odont – tooth
Oligo – few
Onych – nail, claw
Opistho – behind
Oral – mouth
Ortho – straight
Osti – mouth, door
Oxys – sharp, keen

Palli – mantle, cover
Para – near, beside
Pectin – comb, scallop
Ped – foot, or the base
Peri – around, near
Phag – eat
Phor – bear, carry
Plan – flat, level
Platy – flat, broad, wide
Pneu (mo) – air, breathing of the lung
Pod – foot
Pogon – beard
Poly- many
Por – pore, passage
Prim – first
Pro – in front, toward, before
Proct – anus
Proto – first, primary
Pseudo – false
Pter – wing, feather, fin
Pulmo – lung
Pyg – rump

Ret (icul) – net, netted
Retro – turned backward, bent
Rhynch – beak, snout
Rot – wheel

Sarc – flesh
Scaph – anything hollow

Schiz – cleave, split
Scler – hard
Semi – half
Sinus – bay, curve
Sipuncul – a little siphon, tube
Som – body
Sten – narrow
Stom – mouth
Sub – under, below
Sup (er) – over, above
Syn – together

Tard – slow, sluggish
Tag (u) men – covering
Tel – far, at a distance
Theca – case
Trich – hair
Triplo – triple
Troch – wheel, hoop
Troph – food
Tunic – garment

Ultra – beyond
Unc – hook
Uni – one, single
Uro – tail, urine

Vita – life
Vitell – yolk
Viv (-a –i) alive, living

Zo - animal

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