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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