Word Roots
2 roots • 8 wordsMANIA
Root Meaning:
MANIA in Latin means “madness,” and the meaning passed over into English unchanged. Our word mania can mean a mental illness, or at least an excessive enthusiasm.
Etymology:
Latin
4 words derived from this root
Words from this root:
kleptomania
/ˌklep.toʊˈmeɪ.ni.ə/
Definition:
A mental illness in which a person has a strong desire to steal things.
Example:
Kleptomania leads its sufferers to steal items of little value that they don't need anyway.
Explanation:
*Klepto-* comes from the Greek word *kleptein*, “to steal.” Even though kleptomania is often the butt of jokes, it's actually a serious mental illness, often associated with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Klepotomaniacs tend to be depressed, and many live lives of secret shame because they're afraid to seek treatment.
dipsomaniac
/ˌdɪp.soʊˈmeɪ.ni.æk/
Definition:
A person with an extreme and uncontrollable desire for alcohol.
Example:
She didn't like the word *alcoholic* being applied to her, and liked *dipsomaniac* even less.
Explanation:
*Dipsomaniac* comes from the Greek noun *dipsa*, “thirst,” but thirst usually has nothing to do with it. Some experts distinguish between an alcoholic and a dipsomaniac, reserving *dipsomaniac* for someone involved in frequent episodes of binge drinking and blackouts.
megalomaniac
/ˌmeɡ.ə.loʊˈmeɪ.ni.æk/
Definition:
A mental disorder marked by feelings of great personal power and importance.
Example:
When the governor started calling for arming his National Guard with nuclear weapons, the voters finally realized they had elected a megalomaniac.
Explanation:
Since the Greek root *megalo-* means “large,” someone who is *megalomaniacal* has a mental disorder marked by feelings of personal grandeur. *Megalomania* has probably afflicted many rulers throughout history.
egomaniac
/ˌiː.ɡoʊˈmeɪ.ni.æk/
Definition:
Someone who is extremely self-centered and ignores the problems and concerns of others.
Example:
He's a completely unimpressive person, but that doesn't keep him from being an egomaniac.
Explanation:
*Ego* is Latin for “I,” and in English *ego* usually means “sense of self-worth.” Most people's egos stay at a healthy level, but some become exaggerated. Egomaniacs may display a grandiose sense of self-importance, with fantasies about their own brilliance or beauty, intense envy of others, a lack of sympathy, and a need to be adored or feared.
PSYCH
Root Meaning:
PSYCH comes from the Greek word psyche, meaning “breath, life, soul.” Psychology is the science of mind and behavior, and a psychologist treats or studies the mental problems of individuals and groups. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with mental and emotional disorders, and a psychiatrist (like any other doctor) may prescribe drugs to treat them.
Etymology:
Latin
4 words derived from this root
Words from this root:
psyche
/ˈsaɪ.ki/
Definition:
Soul, personality, mind.
Example:
Analysts are constantly trying to understand the nation's psyche and why the U.S. often behaves so differently from other countries.
Explanation:
Sometime back in the 16th century, we borrowed the word *psyche* directly from Greek into English. In Greek mythology, Psyche was a beautiful princess who fell in love with Eros (Cupid), god of love, and went through terrible trials before being allowed to marry him. The story is often understood to be about the soul redeeming itself through love.
psychedelic
/ˌsaɪ.kəˈdel.ɪk/
Definition:
(1) Of or relating to a drug (such as LSD) that produces abnormal and often extreme mental effects such as hallucinations. (2) Imitating the effects of psychedelic drugs.
Example:
In her only psychedelic experience, back in 1970, she had watched with horror as the walls began crawling with bizarrely colored creatures.
Explanation:
The most famous—or notorious—of the psychedelic drugs is LSD, a compound that can be obtained from various mushrooms and other fungi but is usually created in the lab. The other well-known *psychedelics* are psilocybin (likewise obtained from fungi) and mescaline (obtained from peyote cactus).
psychosomatic
/ˌsaɪ.koʊ.səˈmæ.tɪk/
Definition:
Caused by mental or emotional problems rather than by physical illness.
Example:
Her doctor assumed her stomach problems were psychosomatic but gave her some harmless medication anyway.
Explanation:
Since the Greek word *soma* means “body,” *psychosomatic* suggests the link between mind and body. Since one's mental state may have an important effect on one's physical state, research on new medicines always involves giving some patients in the experiment a placebo (fake medicine), and some who receive the sugar pills will seem to improve.
psychotherapist
/ˌsaɪ.koʊˈθer.ə.pɪst/
Definition:
One who treats mental or emotional disorder or related bodily ills by psychological means.
Example:
He's getting medication from a psychiatrist, but it's his sessions with the psychotherapist that he really values.
Explanation:
Many psychologists offer psychological counseling, and psychological counseling can usually be called *psychotherapy*, so many psychologists can be called psychotherapists. The most intense form of psychotherapy, called *psychoanalysis*, usually requires several visits a week.