Greek and Latin RootsUnit Eleven

From the Latin word ‘serere’,

‘sertum’

Join

SER

Assertion

Noun; Something declared or stated positively

Lennie’s girlfriend’s assertion that he was a creative genius prompted shouts of disagreements from the crowd.

Words from “ser” (join)

Exertion

Noun; The use of power and of strength

Chloe’s swim across the lake required so much exertion that she was exhausted afterward.

Antonym: relaxation

Words from “ser” (join)

Dissertation

Noun; A formal and unusually long paper, written for a degree at a university or college

Marietta’s dissertation was entitles, “The Somnambulant Effects of Clock Ticking.”

Words from “ser” (join)

From the Latin word ‘cernere’, ‘certum’

To separate, distinguish,

decide

CERT

Disconcert

Verb; To upset and confuse

The thought of Nadia becoming class president was disconcerting to her fellow seniors, who felt she was unorganized and incompetent.

Words from “cert” (to separate, distinguish, decide)

Certitude

Noun; Certainty; inevitability

Winnie expressed certitude that her train would reach the station in time.

Synonym: surety Antonym: doubt

Words from “cert” (to separate, distinguish, decide)

Ascertain

Verb; To discover with certainty through examination or experimentation

The lack of evidence made it difficult to ascertain the precise angle of the gunshot.

Synonym: determine

Words from “cert” (to separate, distinguish, decide)

From the Latin word ‘nectere’,

‘nexus’

Connect

NEX

Annex

Verb; To attach or connect

The town of Smyrna sought to annex land from a neighborhood village, but the state legislature denied the motion.

Antonym: disconnect

Words from “nectere”, “nexus”

(connect)

Nexus

Noun; The core or center

The restaurant was located at the nexus of the town’s two busiest streets, which was very convenient.

Synonym: crux Antonym: periphery

Words from “nectere”, “nexus”

(connect)

From the Latin word ‘ligare’,

‘ligatum’

To bind

LIG, LIA

Liaison

Noun; Someone who serves as a communicator between concerned parties

Sheila had an interview the other day for a position as a White House press liaison.

Words from “ligare”, “ligatum” (to bind)

Obligatory

Adjective; Expected or required

Although Rachel had never been a big fan of the coach, she offered him the obligatory handshake when he retired.

Synonym: mandatory

Words from “ligare”, “ligatum” (to bind)

Ligature

Noun; A binding or joining

When the rope that held the bundle snapped, Rocky had to improvise by using his belt as a ligature.

Words from “ligare”, “ligatum” (to bind)