Etymology (CLAS-310)
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Course Description
English has an immense vocabulary, far larger than that of any other language, over half of which is based on Latin and Greek roots. The words of this Greco-Roman inheritance are best understood not simply as stones in the vast wall of English, but rather as living organisms with a head, body, and feet (prefix, main root, and suffix), creatures with grandparents, siblings, cousins, foreign relatives, life histories, and personalities of their own; some work for doctors and lawyers, others for columnists, crusaders, and captains of commerce. Systematic study of a few hundred roots opens the door to understanding the meanings and connotations of tens of thousands of words in English, the language now rapidly emerging as the most adaptable for international and intercultural communication.
