C
Root Meaning in English Origin language Etymology (root origin) English examples cac-, kak- bad Greek (), () cachexia, cacistocracy, cacodemon, cacoepy, cacography, cacophobia, cacophobe, cacophobic, cacophonous, cacophony, cacorrhacitis, kakistocracy, kakistocrat cad-, , cas- fall Latin , accidence, accident, accidental, cadaver, cadaverine, cadaverous, cadence, cadency, cadent, cadential, cadenza, caducity, caducous, cascade, case, casual, casualty, casuistry, chance, cheat, chute, coincide, coincidence, coincident, coincidental, decadence, decadent, decay, decidua, decidual, deciduate, deciduation, deciduous, demicadence, escheat, escheatable, escheatage, escheatment, escheator, incidence, incident, incidental, nonaccidental, nondeciduous, nonincidental, parachute, postaccident, procidentia, recidivous, semelincident caed-, , caes-, cut, kill Latin , caespitose, caesura, cement, cementation, cementitious, cementum, cespitose, chisel, circumcise, circumcision, concise, concision, decidability, decidable, decide, decision, decisive, deciso, excide, excise, excision, excisional, fungicide germicide, genocide, herbicide homicide, imprecise, imprecision, incise, incision, incisive, incisor, incisory, incisure, indecision, indecisive, occision, pesticide, précis, precise, precision, scissors, semidecidable, succise, succision, suicide cal-, call- beautiful Greek () "beautiful"; () "beauty", () calisthenics, calligraphy, Callista, Callisto, calophyllous, kaleidoscope cal- call Latin calendar, claim, class, conciliate, conciliatory, council, intercalate, nomenclature cal- heat Latin , "heat" caldarium, caldera, calefacient, calefaction, calefactive, calefactory, calenture, calescent, calid, calor, calore, caloric, calorie, calorifacient, calorific, calorigenic, calorimeter, caudle, cauldron, chafe, chafery, chalder, chaldron, chaud-froid, chauffer, chauffeur, chauffeuse, decalescence, decalescent, nonchalance, nonchalant, recalescence, scald calc- calcium, stone Latin and Greek from Latin (genitive calcis) "lime", from Greek () "pebble", "limestone" calcite, calcitrant, calcium, calculate, calculus, chalicothere, chalk, recalcitrant calv-, calum- trick, lie, deceive Latin "slander, trickery", from "to trick, deceive" calumnious, calumny, cavil, challenge calyp- cover Greek (), (), () apocalypse, apocalyptic, apocalypticism, calyce, calyptra, Calyptrogyne, calyx, epicalyx, eucalypt, eucalyptus cameria- vault Latin antechamber, bicameral, camaraderie, camber, camera, chamber, chamberlain, comrade, concamerate, concameration, multicamera, tricameral, unicameral camiso- shirt Latin camisade, camisado, Camisard, camisole, chemise camp- field Latin "field", "level ground" camp, campaign, campesino, campestral, campicolous, campimetry, campo, campsite, campus, champertous, champerty, champignon, champion, decamp, decampment, encamp, encampment can- dog Latin canaille, canary, canicular, canicule, canid, canine, Canis, Canis Major, postcanine can- reed, rod Greek (), () cane, canister, canon, canonic can-, , cant-, sing Latin , accent, accentual, accentuate, accentuation, canción, canorous, cant, cantabile, cantata, cantation, cantatory, cantatrice, canticle, canticum, cantiga, cantilena, cantillate, cantillation, cantion, canto, cantor, cantus, canzona, canzone, Carmen, chanson, chansonnier, chant, chanteur, chanteuse, chanticleer, charm, concent, descant, discant, discantus, disenchant, disenchantment, disencharm, disincentive, enchant, enchantment, enchantress, incantation, incantational, incentive, plainchant, precentor, recant, recantation, succentor, vaticinate, vaticination, vaticinator cand-, cend- glowing, iridescent Latin "to be white or glisten" candela, candid, candidate, candle, candor, incandescent, incendiary, incense cap-, , capt-, hold, take Latin , "take or hold" (vowel changes from to in compounds) capable, capacious, captive, caption, captivate, capture, conception, except, forceps, incipient, intercept, recipient capit-, head Latin , achievable, achieve, achievement, ancipital, ancipitous, biceps, bicipital, cabotage, cad, caddie, cadet, cape, capital, capitular, capitulate, capitulation, captain, chapter, chaptrel, chattel, chef, chief, chieftain, co-captain, co-captaincy, decapitate, decapitation, occipital, occiput, precipitation, precipitous, quadriceps, recap, recapitulate, sincipital, sinciput, sous-chef, subcaptain, triceps, tricipital, unicipital, vice-captain, vice-captaincy capn- smoke Greek (), καπνόομαι capnogram, capnograph, capnography, capnolagnia, capnomancy, capnometer, capnometry, capnomor, capnophile, hypercapnia, hypocapnia capr- goat Latin (genitive capri) "goat", also "wild goat" cab, caper, caprice, Capricorn, caprine caps- box, case Latin capsule carbon- coal Latin , bicarbonate, carbon, carbonara, carbonate, carbonation, Carboniferous, carbuncle, radiocarbon carcer- jail Latin , , chancel, chancellery, chancellor, chancery, incarcerate, incarceration, subchancel carcin- cancer (disease) Latin from Greek Latin from Greek () "crab" carcinogenic, carcinoma cardi- heart Greek () cardiac, cardialgia, cardiograph, cardioid, cardiologist, cardiology, cardiomegaly, cardiomyopathy, cardioplegia, cardioplegic, cardiospasm, electrocardiogram, electrocardiography, endocardium, epicardium, hemicardia, myocardium, neurocardiology, pericardium cardin- hinge Latin , cardinal, cardinality, kern carn- flesh Latin , carnage, carnal, carnality, carnary, carnate, carnation, carneous, carnival, carnivore, carnose, carnosity, carrion, caruncle, carunculate, charcuterie, charnel, discarnate, incarnadine, incarnate, incarnation, reincarnate, reincarnation carp- fruit Greek () acarpous, acrocarpous, amphicarpous, angiocarpous, anisocarpic, Carpo, carpogonium, carpology, carpophagous, carpophore, carpospore, cystocarp, dipterocarp, endocarp, epicarp, exocarp, Karpos, mericarp, mesocarp, monocarpic, pericarp, polycarpic, procarp, pseudocarp carp- wrist Greek () carpal, carpal tunnel syndrome, carpus, metacarpus cast- pure, cut Latin and , from kes- (to cut) caste, castigate, castrate, chaste, chastity, incest cata-, cat- down, against, back Greek () "down, against, back" catabolic, catacomb, catalyst, catarrhine, catastrophe, catatonia, cathode, cation caten- chain Latin catenary, concatenation cathar- pure Greek () catharsis, cathartic caud- tail Latin caudal, coda caus-, cause or motive Latin accuse, because, causal, causative, cause, excuse caust-, caut- burn Greek (), (), (), καῦσις (kaûsis), καῦμα (kaûma) calm, catacaustic, causalgia, causalgic, caustic, cauter, cauterize, cautery, diacaustic, encaustic, holocaust, hypocaust cav- hollow Latin cave, cavity, excavation, cavern, cavernous, concave ced-, cess- move, yield, go, surrender Latin , accede, cede, concede, precede, procedure, proceed, procession, recede, secede, succeed, success cel- hide Latin "to hide" ceiling, clandestine, conceal, occult celer- quick Latin , acceleration, celerity cen-, caen- new Greek () caenogastropod, caenogenesis, Cenozoic cen- empty Greek () cenotaph, kenosis cen-, coen- common Greek () cenobite, coenesthesia, coenocyte, epicene, epicœne, koinonos, koinophilia cens- to assess Latin censure, census cent- hundred Latin cent, centennial, centurion, percent, century centen- hundred each Latin centenarian, centenary centesim- hundredth Latin centesimal, centesimation centr- center Greek , , () "needle", "spur", κεντρικός, κεντρισμός acentric, acrocentric, amniocentesis, anthropocentric, anthropocentrism, barycenter, biocentric, biocentrism, centaur, centauromachy, centesis, centre, centric, centrism, centrist, centroid, centromere, centromeric, centrosphere, centrosymmetric, centrosymmetry, centrum, eccentric, eccentrism, eccentrist, ecocentric, ecocentrism, ecocentrist, egocentric, egocentrism, enterocentesis, epicentre, holocentric, metacentric, monocentric, neocentromere, orthocenter, orthocentric, paracentesis, pericardiocentesis, technocentric, technocentrism, telocentric, thoracentesis, thoracocentesis centri- center Latin central, center, concentrate, concentric, centrifugal, centripetal cephal- head Greek () acephalic, acephaly, anencephaly, autocephaly, brachiocephalic, brachycephalic, cephalic, cephalomancy, cephalometry, cephalon, cephalopagus, cephalopod, diencephalon, dolichocephalic, encephalitis, encephalogram, encephalopathy, holoprosencephaly, hydrocephalus, macrocephaly, mesaticephalic, mesencephalic, mesocephalic, metencephalon, microcephaly, myelencephalon, neencephalon, paleencephalon, prosencephalon, rhombencephalon, rhombencephalosynapsis, syncephalus, telencephalon ceram- clay Greek () ceramic cerat- horn Greek (), () keratin, Triceratops cern-, cer- sift Latin "to sift, separate" ascertain, certain, concern, concert, decree, discern, excrement, secern, secret cervic- relating to the neck, relating to the cervix Latin , "neck" cervix, cervical ceter- other Latin et cetera chaet- hair, bristle, or seta Greek () "long hair" chaetophobia, chaetophorous, Chaetomium, Chaetomorpha, Oligochaeta, Polychaeta, polychaete, spirochaete, spirochete chir- of the hand or hands Greek () "hand" chiral, chiropractic, Chiroptera, chirurgy, enchiridion, Haplocheirus chelon- relating to a turtle Greek () "tortoise" Archelon, chelonia chlor- green Greek () chloranthy, chlorine, chlorophobia, chlorophyll, chloroplast, pyrochlore chondr- cartilage Greek () hypochondriasis, osteochondritis chore- relating to dance Greek () "dancing in unison" from () "chorus" chorea, choree, choreia, choreography, chorus, hemichorea chord- cord Latin and Greek "rope" from () Chordata, cord, hexachord, monochord, polychord, tetrachord chres- use Greek , χρῆσθαι (), χρηστός (khrēstós), χρήστης, (), χρήσιμος chresard, chresonym, chrestomathic, chrestomathy, heterochresonym, heterochresonymy, orthochresonym, orthochresonymy chro-, chrom- color Greek () achromat, achromatic, achromatism, achromatopsia, achromatopsic, amphichroic, apochromat, auxochrome, chroma, chromatic, chromatid, chromatophore, chrome, chromium, chromogen, chromolithography, chromophobia, chromophore, chromosome, dichroic, dichroism, dichromatic, heliochrome, heterochromatic, heterochromatin, microchromosome, monochromatic, monochrome, photochromism, pleochroism, polychromatic, polychrome, trichroism, trichromatic, trichromic chron- time Greek () anachronism, asynchronous, biochronology, chronaxie, chronic, chronicle, chronogram, chronograph, chronology, chronometer, chronometry, chronophobia, chronophotography, chronostasis, geochronology, heterochrony, hydrochronometer, isochron, protochronism, synchronic, synchronism, synchronize, synchronous, tautochrone chrys- gold Greek (), χρύσεος "golden" chrysalis, chryselephantine, chrysolite, chrysophobia, chrysoprase cili- eyelash Latin cilia, supercilious ciner- ash Latin , incineration cing-, cinct- gird Latin , succinct circ- circle, ring Latin , circle, circular, circulate, circus circum- around Latin circumcise, circumference, circumlocution, circumnavigate, circumscribe cirr- orange Greek () cirrhosis cirr- curl, tentacle Latin cirrus cis- on this side of, on the side nearer to the speaker (as opposed to trans-) Latin cisalpine, cisandine, cisatlantic, cisgangetic, cisgender, cisjurane, cisleithan, cislunar, cismontane, cispadane, cispontine, cisrhenane cit- call, start Latin , frequentative of citation, cite, excite, incite, solicit, solicitous civ- citizen Latin civic, civil, civilian, civility, civilization clad- branch Greek () clade, cladistics, cladogenesis, cladogram, heterocladic clam- cry out Latin acclaim, claim, clamor, exclamation, proclamation, reclamation clar- clear Latin , clarity, clear, declaration clast- broken Greek κλᾶν, (), κλάσις, κλάσμα anorthoclase, antanaclasis, clastic, iconoclast, orthoclase, osteoclast, plagioclase, pyroclastic, synclastic claud-, , claus-, close, shut Latin , clause, claustrophobia, conclude, exclude, exclusive, include, occlusion, oc