Our next stop through classical root words is “B.” It’s a short list this time around! Again, these are all taken from Appendix C in Greek and Latin Roots: Keys to Building Vocabulary, with some small changes of my own in the “Example” column. You can see the “A” words here.
Remember, these are base words, or stems: these are the main “chunks” onto which affixes are added, rather than actual affixes.
Base | Meaning | Example |
barbar | savage; savagery | barbarian |
bell(i), bellum | war | belligerent, antebellum |
bi(o) | live, life | biography, biology |
bibli(o) | book | bibliography |
bol | throw | symbol |
bon, bene | good, well | bonanza, benefit |
bov | cow | bovine |
brev | short | abbreviation |
bys | bottom | abyss |