Next up on our tour of English’s classical base words is “P.” Remember, the following list does not include affixes (prefixes or suffixes); just the core, base words to which affixes are often attached!
If you would like to review previous entries, you can browse the links below:
- “A” Base Words
- “B” Base Words
- “C” Base Words
- “D” Base Words
- “E” Base Words
- “F” Base Words
- “G” Base Words
- “H” Base Words
- “I,” “J,” and “K” Base Words
- “L” Base Words
- “M” Base Words
- “N” Base Words
- “O” Base Words
| Base | Meaning | Example |
| pac | peace | pacify |
| pan(t) | all, every | panacea, pantomine |
| p(e)ar | appearance, seem | apparition, disappear |
| par(t) | produce, beget | separate, post partum |
| past(or) | shepherd | pasture, pastoral |
| path(o) | feeling, suffering | sympathy, pathology |
| pati, pass | feeling, suffering | patient, compassion |
| patr(i), patern | father, fatherland | patriot, paternity |
| ped | foot, feet | pedal, impede |
| pel, puls, peal | drive, push | dispel, impulse, repeal |
| pend, pens | weight, hang, pay | pendant, suspense |
| penta | five | pentagon |
| petr | stone | petrify |
| phem | word, saying | euphemism |
| pher | bear, go | periphery |
| phil(o), phil(e) | love, friend | philosophy, Anglophile |
| phon | voice, call, sound | telephone |
| photo | light | photograph |
| phragm | block, enclose | diaphragm |
| phyt | plant | neophyte |
| plac | calm, please | placate |
| ple, plex, ply | fold, multiply | multiple, duplex, imply |
| plur, plus | more | plural, plus |
| pne(um) | breathe | apnea, pneumonia |
| pol(is)(it) | city, citizen | acropolis, political |
| pon, pos, post, pound | put, place | components, positive, compound |
| port | carry | import |
| poss, pot | power | impossible, potentate |
| preci | price, value | precious |
| punct(u), pung | pierce | puncture, pungent |