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Word Roots

2 roots • 8 words

PAN

Root Meaning:

PAN comes from a Greek word meaning “all”; as an English prefix, it can also mean “completely,” “whole,” or “general.” A panoramic view is a complete view in every direction. A pantheon is a temple dedicated to all the gods of a religion. A pandemic outbreak of a disease may not affect the entire human population, but enough to produce a catastrophe.

Etymology:

Latin
4 words derived from this root

Words from this root:

panacea

/ˌpænəˈsiːə/
Definition:
A remedy for all ills or difficulties; cure-all.
Example:
Educational reform is sometimes viewed as the panacea for all of society's problems.
Explanation:
*Panacea* comes from a Greek word meaning “all-healing,” and Panacea was the goddess of healing. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, alchemists who sought to concoct the “elixir of life” (which would give eternal life) and the “philosopher's stone” (which would turn ordinary metals into gold) also labored to find the panacea. But no such medicine was ever found, just as no solution to all of a society's difficulties has ever been found. Thus, *panacea* is almost always used to criticize the very idea of a total solution (“There's no panacea for the current problems plaguing Wall Street”).

pandemonium

/ˌpændəˈmoʊniəm/
Definition:
A wild uproar or commotion.
Example:
Pandemonium erupted in the stadium as the ball shot past the goalie into the net.
Explanation:
In John Milton's *Paradise Lost,* the fallen Satan has his heralds proclaim “A solemn Councel forthwith to be held / At Pandaemonium, the high Capital / Of Satan and his Peers.” Milton got the name for his capital of hell, where Satan gathered together all his demons, by linking *pan* with the Latin word *daemonium,* “evil spirit.” For later writers, *pandemonium* became a synonym for hell itself, since hell was then often seen as a place of constant noise and confusion, but also for any wicked and lawless place. Nowadays it's used to refer to the uproar itself rather than the place where it occurs.

pantheism

/ˈpænθiˌɪzəm/
Definition:
A system of belief that regards God as identical with the forces and laws of the universe.
Example:
Most of her students seemed to accept a vague kind of pantheism, without any real belief that God had ever appeared in human form.
Explanation:
*Pantheistic* ideas—and most importantly the belief that God is equal to the universe, its physical matter, and the forces that govern it—are found in the ancient books of Hinduism, in the works of many Greek philosophers, and in later works of philosophy and religion over the centuries. Much modern New Age spirituality is pantheistic. But most Christian thinkers reject pantheism because it makes God too impersonal, doesn't allow for any difference between the creation and the creator, and doesn't seem to allow for humans to make meaningful moral choices.

panoply

/ˈpænəpli/
Definition:
(1) A magnificent or impressive array. (2) A display of all appropriate accessory items.
Explanation:
The fully armed Greek soldier was an impressive sight, even if Greek armor never became as heavy as that of medieval knights on horseback (who couldn't possibly have marched in such outfits). *Panoplia* was the Greek word for the full suit of armor, and the English *panoply* originally likewise referred to the full suit of armor worn by a soldier or knight. Today *panoply* may refer to full ceremonial dress or lavish ceremonial decoration of any kind. And it can also refer to striking spectacle of almost any kind: the breathtaking panoply of autumn foliage, or the stirring panoply of a military parade, for example.

EXTRA

Root Meaning:

EXTRA is Latin for “outside” or “beyond.” So anything extraterrestrial or extragalactic takes place beyond the earth or the galaxy. Something extravagant, such as an extravaganza, goes way beyond the normal. And extra is naturally a word itself, a shortening of extraordinary, “beyond the ordinary.”

Etymology:

Latin
4 words derived from this root

Words from this root:

extradite

/ˈekstrədaɪt/
Definition:
To deliver an accused criminal from one place to another where the trial will be held.
Example:
Picked up by the Colorado police for burglary, he's being extradited to Mississippi to face trial for murder.
Explanation:
Extradition from one state to another is generally a straightforward process. But extradition may become more complicated when two countries are involved, even though most countries have signed treaties stating that they will send criminals to the country where they are wanted. Many countries often won't send their own citizens to another country for trial; countries that don't permit the death penalty may not agree to send a suspect back to face such a penalty; and most countries won't extradite someone accused of political crimes. When extradition seems unlikely, a country may actually kidnap someone from another country, but this is illegal and rare.

extrapolate

/ɪkˈstræpəleɪt/
Example:
Economists predict future buying trends partly by extrapolating from current economic data.
Explanation:
Scientists worry about the greenhouse effect because they have extrapolated the rate of carbon-dioxide buildup and predicted that its effect on the atmosphere will become increasingly severe. On the basis of their *extrapolations,* they have urged governments and businesses to limit factory and automobile emissions. Notice that it's acceptable to speak of extrapolating existing data (to produce new data), extrapolating *from* existing data (to produce new data), or extrapolating new data (from existing data)— in other words, it isn't easy to use this word wrong.

extrovert

/ˈekstrəvɜːrt/
Definition:
A person mainly concerned with things outside him- or herself; a sociable and outgoing person.
Example:
These parties are always full of loud extroverts, and I always find myself hiding in a corner with my drink.
Explanation:
*Extrovert* (sometimes spelled *extravert*) means basically “turned outward”— that is, toward things outside oneself. The word was coined by the eminent psychologist C. G. Jung in the early 20th century. The opposite personality type, in Jung's view, was the *introvert.* Extroverts seem to be favored by societies such as ours, even though introverts seem to be on average more mentally gifted. Psychologists have said that the only personality traits that can be identified in newborn infants are shyness and lack of shyness, which are fairly close to—but not really the same as—*introversion* and *extroversion.*

extraneous

/ɪkˈstreɪniəs/
Definition:
(1) Existing or coming from the outside. (2) Not forming an essential part; irrelevant.
Explanation:
*Extraneous* and *strange* both come from the same Latin word, *extraneus*, which basically meant “external” or “coming from outside.” But unlike *strange*, *extraneous* is a slightly formal word, often used by scientists and social scientists. Researchers always try to eliminate extraneous factors (or “extraneous variables”) from their studies. A researcher conducting a psychological test, for example, would try to make sure that the people were tested under the same conditions, and were properly divided according to gender, age, health, and so on.

Audio Learning

Unit 8 - Split 2

Conversation Script

Follow along with Alex and Ben

!Speaker1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to Word Builders, the show that pieces together the English language, one root at a time. Speaker2: Hi Alex! I was thinking on my way here, after the last few years, everyone knows the word pandemic. I know it has something to do with affecting everyone, but what’s the story there? Speaker1: That's a perfect place to start, Ben. That "pan" in pandemic is our first root today. It comes from Greek and means "all." Speaker2: So a pandemic disease affects nearly all people. That makes sense. Speaker1: Exactly. A panoramic view is a view in all directions. And our first word today, panacea, is something that supposedly cures all ills. Speaker2: A panacea. That sounds like P-A-N-A-C-E-A. So, a miracle cure? Speaker1: Precisely. It’s a remedy for all difficulties or problems. It comes from a Greek word meaning “all-healing,” and Panacea was actually the Greek goddess of healing. Speaker2: So, is there a real panacea for anything, or is it just an idea? Speaker1: It's almost always used to criticize the idea of a total solution. You might hear someone say, "Educational reform is not a panacea for all of society's problems," meaning it's not a simple fix for everything. Speaker2: Got it. So it’s a solution that promises to fix all the problems, but usually falls short. Speaker1: You've got it. Now, from a word about fixing all problems, let's go to a word that describes what happens when all chaos breaks loose: pandemonium. Speaker2: Pandemonium! P-A-N-D-E-M-O-N-I-U-M. I love that word. It means total chaos, right? Speaker1: A wild uproar or commotion. Think of the pandemonium in the stadium when the home team scores the winning goal. Speaker2: Where does that one come from? It still has that "pan" for "all." Speaker1: It does. The poet John Milton actually invented it for his epic poem, Paradise Lost. He combined "pan" with a Latin word for "evil spirit" to name the capital of Hell, where all the demons gathered. Speaker2: Wait, the capital of Hell was called Pandemonium? That is brilliant. Speaker1: It was! Over time, the word shifted from meaning the place of chaos to meaning the chaotic uproar itself. Speaker2: Okay, so we've had "all-curing" and "all-demons." What other kind of "all" do you have for us? Speaker1: How about "all-god"? That brings us to our next word, pantheism. That’s P-A-N-T-H-E-I-S-M. Speaker2: Pantheism. I see "theism" in there, which relates to a belief in God. So this means believing in all the gods? Speaker1: That’s a great guess, but that’s polytheism. Pantheism is the belief that God is not a separate being, but is identical with the forces and laws of the universe. Essentially, God is everything. Speaker2: So, not a person in the sky, but the trees, the stars, gravity... all of it is considered God? Speaker1: That’s the core idea. It's a belief system where the creator and the creation are one and the same. It's quite different from religions that see God as a distinct, personal entity. Speaker2: That's a deep concept. Okay, what's our last "pan" word? Speaker1: Let's end this section on a grand note with panoply. P-A-N-O-P-L-Y. Speaker2: Panoply. That sounds very stately and impressive. Speaker1: It is. A panoply is a magnificent or impressive array. The word originally meant a full suit of Greek armor— all the gear a soldier needed. Speaker2: So "all the armor." How do we use it today? Speaker1: You might talk about the full panoply of a royal coronation, with all the robes and jewels. Or you could describe the breathtaking panoply of autumn leaves, a magnificent display of all the colors. Speaker2: So PAN gives us a complete view of words meaning "all." Where are we headed next? Speaker1: Well, now that we’ve covered "all," let's go beyond that. Our next root is the Latin prefix EXTRA, meaning "outside" or "beyond." Speaker2: Like extraterrestrial, from beyond the Earth. I see it. Speaker1: Exactly. Our first word with this root is a legal one: extradite. Speaker2: Extradite. E-X-T-R-A-D-I-T-E. That’s when a suspected criminal is sent from one country to another for trial, right? Speaker1: That's the one. It means to deliver an accused person to another place where their trial will be held. The prefix "extra" refers to sending them "outside" the jurisdiction where they were found. Speaker2: It always seems so complicated on the news. Speaker1: It can be. Countries have different laws. Some won't extradite if the person faces a death penalty, or if the crime is considered political. Speaker2: Right. Okay, what's next from "beyond"? Speaker1: Our next word takes us into the world of data and prediction: extrapolate. E-X-T-R-A-P-O-L-A-T-E. Speaker2: Extrapolate. I've heard this one, but I'm not totally sure what it means. Speaker1: To extrapolate is to extend or project known facts into an unknown area to make a prediction. You take what you know and make an educated guess about what lies beyond that data. Speaker2: Can you give me an example? Speaker1: Of course. Economists extrapolate from current spending data to predict future shopping trends. They use what's happening now to see what might happen next. Speaker2: So you’re projecting information outward to see the future. That makes me think of personalities that are focused outward. Speaker1: An excellent connection, Ben! That brings us directly to our next word: extrovert. Speaker2: Ah, an extrovert. A sociable and outgoing person. The opposite of an introvert. Speaker1: Correct. An extrovert is mainly concerned with things outside of themself. Their energy is "turned outward," which is what the word literally means. The "vert" part comes from a Latin word meaning "to turn." Speaker2: So an extrovert is "turned outward." That makes perfect sense. Speaker1: It does. The famous psychologist Carl Jung coined the term in the early twentieth century. Speaker2: Fascinating. Okay, what's our final word for today? Speaker1: Our last one is extraneous. E-X-T-R-A-N-E-O-U-S. Speaker2: Extraneous. I know this one. It means something like irrelevant or not essential, right? Speaker1: Exactly. It means existing or coming from the outside, or not forming an essential part. You want to avoid extraneous details in a focused essay. Speaker2: Where does it come from? It feels different from the other "extra" words. Speaker1: It comes from the same Latin source, *extraneus*, meaning "external." In fact, our word *strange* comes from that same root. Something from the outside can often seem strange. Speaker2: Wow, I never would have connected extraneous and strange. That's cool. Speaker1: It's all connected! Alright, shall we do a quick summary of today's words? Speaker2: Let's do it. Speaker1: From the Greek root PAN, meaning "all," we had panacea, a cure-all. Speaker2: Pandemonium, or wild, all-out chaos. Speaker1: Pantheism, the belief that God is all things. Speaker2: And panoply, a magnificent and complete display. Speaker1: Then, from the Latin root EXTRA, meaning "outside," we had extradite, to send a criminal to another jurisdiction. Speaker2: Extrapolate, to predict by projecting known data outward. Speaker1: Extrovert, an outgoing person whose focus is turned outward. Speaker2: And finally, extraneous, meaning irrelevant or coming from the outside. Speaker1: And that's all the time we have for today. Hopefully this discussion was focused and free of any extraneous chatter. Speaker2: I think we offered a whole panoply of useful information! Thanks for listening, everyone. Speaker1: Join us next time for more Word Builders. Goodbye
Ben
Hi Alex! I was thinking on my way here, after the last few years, everyone knows the word pandemic. I know it has something to do with affecting everyone, but what’s the story there?
Alex
That's a perfect place to start, Ben. That "pan" in pandemic is our first root today. It comes from Greek and means "all."
Ben
So a pandemic disease affects nearly all people. That makes sense.
Alex
Exactly. A panoramic view is a view in all directions. And our first word today, panacea, is something that supposedly cures all ills.
Ben
A panacea. That sounds like P-A-N-A-C-E-A. So, a miracle cure?
Alex
Precisely. It’s a remedy for all difficulties or problems. It comes from a Greek word meaning “all-healing,” and Panacea was actually the Greek goddess of healing.
Ben
So, is there a real panacea for anything, or is it just an idea?
Alex
It's almost always used to criticize the idea of a total solution. You might hear someone say, "Educational reform is not a panacea for all of society's problems," meaning it's not a simple fix for everything.
Ben
Got it. So it’s a solution that promises to fix all the problems, but usually falls short.
Alex
You've got it. Now, from a word about fixing all problems, let's go to a word that describes what happens when all chaos breaks loose: pandemonium.
Ben
Pandemonium! P-A-N-D-E-M-O-N-I-U-M. I love that word. It means total chaos, right?
Alex
A wild uproar or commotion. Think of the pandemonium in the stadium when the home team scores the winning goal.
Ben
Where does that one come from? It still has that "pan" for "all."
Alex
It does. The poet John Milton actually invented it for his epic poem, Paradise Lost. He combined "pan" with a Latin word for "evil spirit" to name the capital of Hell, where all the demons gathered.
Ben
Wait, the capital of Hell was called Pandemonium? That is brilliant.
Alex
It was! Over time, the word shifted from meaning the place of chaos to meaning the chaotic uproar itself.
Ben
Okay, so we've had "all-curing" and "all-demons." What other kind of "all" do you have for us?
Alex
How about "all-god"? That brings us to our next word, pantheism. That’s P-A-N-T-H-E-I-S-M.
Ben
Pantheism. I see "theism" in there, which relates to a belief in God. So this means believing in all the gods?
Alex
That’s a great guess, but that’s polytheism. Pantheism is the belief that God is not a separate being, but is identical with the forces and laws of the universe. Essentially, God is everything.
Ben
So, not a person in the sky, but the trees, the stars, gravity... all of it is considered God?
Alex
That’s the core idea. It's a belief system where the creator and the creation are one and the same. It's quite different from religions that see God as a distinct, personal entity.
Ben
That's a deep concept. Okay, what's our last "pan" word?
Alex
Let's end this section on a grand note with panoply. P-A-N-O-P-L-Y.
Ben
Panoply. That sounds very stately and impressive.
Alex
It is. A panoply is a magnificent or impressive array. The word originally meant a full suit of Greek armor— all the gear a soldier needed.
Ben
So "all the armor." How do we use it today?
Alex
You might talk about the full panoply of a royal coronation, with all the robes and jewels. Or you could describe the breathtaking panoply of autumn leaves, a magnificent display of all the colors.
Ben
So PAN gives us a complete view of words meaning "all." Where are we headed next?
Alex
Well, now that we’ve covered "all," let's go beyond that. Our next root is the Latin prefix EXTRA, meaning "outside" or "beyond."
Ben
Like extraterrestrial, from beyond the Earth. I see it.
Alex
Exactly. Our first word with this root is a legal one: extradite.
Ben
Extradite. E-X-T-R-A-D-I-T-E. That’s when a suspected criminal is sent from one country to another for trial, right?
Alex
That's the one. It means to deliver an accused person to another place where their trial will be held. The prefix "extra" refers to sending them "outside" the jurisdiction where they were found.
Ben
It always seems so complicated on the news.
Alex
It can be. Countries have different laws. Some won't extradite if the person faces a death penalty, or if the crime is considered political.
Ben
Right. Okay, what's next from "beyond"?
Alex
Our next word takes us into the world of data and prediction: extrapolate. E-X-T-R-A-P-O-L-A-T-E.
Ben
Extrapolate. I've heard this one, but I'm not totally sure what it means.
Alex
To extrapolate is to extend or project known facts into an unknown area to make a prediction. You take what you know and make an educated guess about what lies beyond that data.
Ben
Can you give me an example?
Alex
Of course. Economists extrapolate from current spending data to predict future shopping trends. They use what's happening now to see what might happen next.
Ben
So you’re projecting information outward to see the future. That makes me think of personalities that are focused outward.
Alex
An excellent connection, Ben! That brings us directly to our next word: extrovert.
Ben
Ah, an extrovert. A sociable and outgoing person. The opposite of an introvert.
Alex
Correct. An extrovert is mainly concerned with things outside of themself. Their energy is "turned outward," which is what the word literally means. The "vert" part comes from a Latin word meaning "to turn."
Ben
So an extrovert is "turned outward." That makes perfect sense.
Alex
It does. The famous psychologist Carl Jung coined the term in the early twentieth century.
Ben
Fascinating. Okay, what's our final word for today?
Alex
Our last one is extraneous. E-X-T-R-A-N-E-O-U-S.
Ben
Extraneous. I know this one. It means something like irrelevant or not essential, right?
Alex
Exactly. It means existing or coming from the outside, or not forming an essential part. You want to avoid extraneous details in a focused essay.
Ben
Where does it come from? It feels different from the other "extra" words.
Alex
It comes from the same Latin source, *extraneus*, meaning "external." In fact, our word *strange* comes from that same root. Something from the outside can often seem strange.
Ben
Wow, I never would have connected extraneous and strange. That's cool.
Alex
It's all connected! Alright, shall we do a quick summary of today's words?
Ben
Let's do it.
Alex
From the Greek root PAN, meaning "all," we had panacea, a cure-all.
Ben
Pandemonium, or wild, all-out chaos.
Alex
Pantheism, the belief that God is all things.
Ben
And panoply, a magnificent and complete display.
Alex
Then, from the Latin root EXTRA, meaning "outside," we had extradite, to send a criminal to another jurisdiction.
Ben
Extrapolate, to predict by projecting known data outward.
Alex
Extrovert, an outgoing person whose focus is turned outward.
Ben
And finally, extraneous, meaning irrelevant or coming from the outside.
Alex
And that's all the time we have for today. Hopefully this discussion was focused and free of any extraneous chatter.
Ben
I think we offered a whole panoply of useful information! Thanks for listening, everyone.
Alex
Join us next time for more Word Builders. Goodbye
Audio ModuleRoot Master