Latin and Greek terminology

Latin and Greek roots for thought, language and ideas

Thought, language, memory, and knowledge.

48 entries with source words, meanings, and examples. Search or filter this collection in the app.

Thought & mind

• psych/o — Mind

  psychology

• ment- — Mind

  mental

• cogn- — Knowing or recognizing

  cognition

• noet- — Intellectual understanding

  noetic

• ide/o — Idea or form

  ideology

• log/o — Word or reason

  logic

• ration- — Reason or reckoning

  rational

• intellect- — Understanding

  intellect

Knowledge & learning

• gnos- — Knowledge

  agnostic

• sci- — Knowledge

  science

• epistem/o — Knowledge

  epistemology

• soph/o — Wisdom

  sophist

• phil/o — Love or fondness

  philosophy

• math- — Learning

  mathematics

• didact- — Teaching

  didactic

• doc- — Teaching

  doctrine

Language & writing

• lex- — Word

  lexicon

• verb- — Word

  verbal

• lingu- — Tongue or language

  bilingual

• gloss/o — Tongue or language

  glossary

• phon/o — Voice or sound

  phonetics

• graph/o — Writing or drawing

  biography

• grammat- — Letter or written mark

  grammar

• scrib-, script- — Writing

  manuscript

Meaning & interpretation

• semat-, sem- — Sign or meaning

  semantics

• onym- — Name

  synonym

• nomin- — Name

  nominal

• hermeneut- — Interpretation

  hermeneutics

• morph/o — Form or shape

  morphology

• typ/o — Impression or model

  typology

• symbol- — Token or sign

  symbol

• text- — Weaving or connected words

  text

Memory & imagination

• mnem/o — Memory

  mnemonic

• memor- — Memory

  memorandum

• phant- — Appearance or image

  fantasy

• imagin- — Image or likeness

  imagination

• myth/o — Story or traditional account

  mythology

• fabul- — Story or tale

  fable

• creat- — Making or bringing forth

  creative

• poet- — Maker or poet

  poet

Reasoning & inquiry

• crit- — Judgment or distinction

  criticism

• scept-, skept- — Examination or doubt

  skeptic

• thes- — Placing or proposition

  thesis

• theor- — Observation or contemplation

  theory

• hypothes- — Supposition or proposed basis

  hypothesis

• analys- — Breaking down for examination

  analysis

• synthes- — Putting together

  synthesis

• caus- — Cause or reason

  causation