Root Meaning in English Origin language Etymology (root origin) English examples lab- , lep- [ 1] grasp, seize, take Greek λαμβάνειν (lambánein λῆψις (lêpsis λῆμμα (lêmma analemma , analemmatic , analeptic , catalepsy , cataleptic, dilemma, dilemmatic, epilepsy , epileptic , hypnolepsy, hysteroepilepsy , metalepsis , narcolepsy , nympholepsy, octosyllabic, procatalepsis , prolepsis , proleptic, proslepsis , syllabic, syllabism, syllable, syllabogram , syllepsis, trisyllabic, trisyllable lab- , laps- slide, slip Latin labi , lapsus collapse, collapsible, elapse, labile, lapse, prolapse , relapse labi- lip Latin labia , labiae bilabial, bilabiate, infralabial, labial, labiate, labium, sublabial , supralabial labor- work Latin labor collaborate, collaboration , collaborative, collaborator, elaborate, elaboration, elaborative, elaborator, labor, laboratory, laborious lacer- tear Latin lacer laceration lacrim- cry, tears Latin lacrima lachrymal, lachrymose, lachrymosity, lacrimal, lacrimation, lacrimator, lacrimatory , lacrimous lact- milk Latin lac , lactis lactare ablactate, ablactation, lactary, lactase , lactate, lactation , lactational, lacteal, lacteous, lactescent, lactic, lactose , laitance, latte lag- hare Greek λαγός (lagós ) lagomorph , Sylvilagus lamin- layer, slice Latin lāmina bilamellate, bilaminar, lame, lamé , lamella, lamellar, lamellate, laminate , lamination, laminose, laminous, multilaminar, omelet, omelette , trilaminar, unilaminar lamp- [ 2] shine, torch Greek λάμπειν (lámpein λαμπάς (lampás lamp , lamprid , Lampris lapid- stone Latin lapis , lapidis dilapidate, dilapidation, lapidarian, lapidary , lapidate, lapidation, lapidator, lapideous, lapidescence, lapidescent, lapidicolous, lapidification, lapillation, lapilli larg- large Latin largus allargando , enlarge, enlargement, largamente , largando, large, largess, largesse, largition, largo larv- ghost, mask Latin larva larva , larvae , larval lat- broad, wide Latin latus laticlave , latifoliate, latifundium , latitude , latitudinal, latitudinarian , latitudinous later- side Latin latus lateris ambilateral, ambilaterality, bilateral, bilaterality, collateral, contralateral , equilateral, extralateral, inequilateral, ipsilateral , lateral, laterality, matrilateral , multilateral, nonlateral, patrilateral, plurilateral , quadrilateral, semilatus , septilateral, trilateral, unilateral laud- , laus- praise Latin laudare "to praise"laud, laudable, laudanum , laudation, Lauds , summa cum laude lav- wash Latin lavare launder, laundry, lava, lavation, lavatory, lave, lavender, lavish, lotion lax- not tense, slack Latin laxus , laxare delay, disrelish, laches , lax, laxation, laxative , laxity, leasable, lease, relax, relaxant , relaxation, relay, release, relish , sublease lecith- [ 3] egg yolk Greek λέκιθος (lékithos lecithin led- , les- , -lid- -lis- hurt, strike Latin laedere , laesus , -lidere allision, collide, collision, elide, elidible, elision , illesive, lesion leg- [ 4] say Greek λέγειν (légein ), λέγεσθαι (légesthai ), λεκτός (lektós ), λεκτικός (lektikós ), λέξις (léxis ), λεξικός (lexikós ), λεξικόν (lexikón ), λόγος (lógos ), (logḗ ), λεγόμενον (legómenon ), λογεῖον alexia , alexithymia , apologetic, apologia , apology, dialect , dialectic , dialectologist, dialectology , dialog , dialogue , dyslexia , dyslexic , dyslogia, dyslogism , ethnolect , legomenon , lexeme , lexicography , lexicology , lexicon , lexigram , lexis , logic , logion , logos , prolegomenon leg- , lect- choose, gather, read Latin legere coil, colleague, collect , collectible , collection, collective , collector, college , collegial, collegiality, collegian, collegiate, collegium , counterintelligence, cull, deselect, diligence , diligent, elect, electability, electable, electee, election , elective, elector, electoral, electorate, eligibility, eligible, elite, illegibility, illegible, ineligibility, ineligible, intellect , intellection, intellectual, intellectuality, intelligence, intelligent, intelligentsia, intercollegiate, lectern , lectin, lection , lectionary , lector , lectorate, lecture , legend , legendary, legendry, legibility , legible, legion , legionary, legionnaire, legume, leguminous, lesson, neglect, negligee , negligence , negligent, negligible, nonelective, nonelite, nonnegligible, nonselective, postelection, predilect, predilection, preelection, prelect, prelection, prelector, preselect, recollect, recollection, reelect, reelection, religion, reselect, sacrilege, select, selectance, selectee, selection, selective, selectivity, selector, superselection , uniselector leg- law Latin lex , legis allege, disloyal, disloyalty, extralegal, illegal, legal , legality, legific, legislate, legislation , legislative , legislator , legislature , legitim, legitimacy, legitimate, loyal, loyalty, nonlegal, privilege leg- send Latin legare (from legis allegation, delegable, delegacy, delegate , delegatee, delegation , delegator, delegatory, league, legacy, legatary, legate, legatee, legatine, legation , legato, nondelegate, relegate, relegation , superdelegate lei- [ 5] smooth Greek λεῖος (leîos leiomyoma lekan- , lanx- , lanc- [ 6] dish, pot Greek, Latin λεκάνη (lekánē lanx balance, lekane, phalanx, valance leni- gentle Latin lenis , lenire leniency , lenient, leniment, lenis , lenition , lenitive, lenitude, lenity leon- lion Latin leo , leonis dandelion , Leo , leonine, Leopold lep- [ 7] flake, peel, scale Greek λέπειν (lépein λεπίς, λεπίδος (lepís, lepídos antilepton, lepidolite, Lepidoptera , Lepidorhombus , lepidote, lepidotrichia , leprosy lepto- [ 8] small, fine, thin Greek λεπτός (leptós leptocyte, leptogenesis , Leptomonas , lepton , leptophyllous leuc- , leuk- [ 9] white Greek λευκός (leukós aleukemia , aleukocytosis, leucism , leucocyte , leucopenia, leucoplast , leukemia , leukocytopenia, leukopenia , leucophore lev- lift, light, raise Latin levare "lighten, raise", from levis "light" (in weight)alleviate, alleviation, bas-relief , counter-relief , deleverage , elevate, elevation , elevator , leaven, legerity, levade , Levant , levee , lever , leverage, leviable, levitate, levitation , levity, levy, relevé , relief , relieve, sublevation, superelevation liber- free Latin liber , liberare deliver, deliverance, illiberal, illiberality, liberal, liberality, liberalize, liberate, liberation , liberator, libertarian, liberticide, libertinage, libertine, liberty , ultraliberal libr- book Latin liber , libri interlibrary, libel , libellant, libellee, libellous, librarian , library , libretto lig- bind Latin ligare , ligatus ligament , ligature limac- slug Latin limax , limacis limacine, limacoid , limacon , Limax limpa- clear, water Latin limpa "water"limpid, limpidity, lymph line- line Latin linea align, alignment, ambilineal, ambilineality , bilinear, collinear, collinearity, collineation , curvilinear, curvilinearity, delineate, delineation, delineavit, line, linea , lineage, lineal, lineament, linear, linearity , lineate, lineation, matrilineal, multicollinearity , multilinear , nonalignment, noncollinear, nonlineal, nonlinear, nonlinearity , quasilinear, realign, realignment, rectilinear, rectilinearity, sesquilinear , sublineage, sublinear, supralinear, trilinear , unilinear line- smear, smudge Latin linere delete, deletion, indelible, liniment lingu- language, tongue Latin lingua bilingual, bilinguality, bilinguous, collingual, elinguation, interlanguage, language , ligula, ligular, ligule, lingua franca , lingual, linguiform, linguine , multilingual , prelingual, quadrilingual, sublingual, trilingual linqu- , lict- leave Latin linquere , lictus relict , relinquish lip- [ 10] fat Greek λίπος (lípos lipolysis , lipophile , lipophilic , lipopolysaccharide , lipoprotein, synaloepha liqu- flow Latin liquere deliquesce, liquefy, liqueur, liquid, liquor, prolix lit- [ 11] prayer, supplication Greek λιτή (litḗ λιτανεία (litaneía litany liter- letter Latin littera alliteration , alliterative , biliteral, biliterate, illiteracy, illiterate, literacy , literal, literary, literate, literati, literatim, literation, literator, literature , multiliteral, nonliteral, nonliterary, nonliterate, obliterate, obliteration, preliterate, quadriliteral, transliteracy , transliterate, transliteration , triliteral , uniliteral lith- [ 12] stone Greek λίθος (líthos aerolithology , endolith , endolithic, epilithic , lithagogue, lithic , lithography , lithology , lithophile , lithophone , lithophyte , lithosphere , lithotomy, megalith , Mesolithic , microlite , monolith , monolithic, Neolithic , Paleolithic , photolithography , phytolith , regolith , stylolite loc- place Latin locus , locare accouchement, allocate, bilocation, bilocular, cislocative , collocation , couch , couchant, dislocate, dislocation , interlocal, lieu, local, locale, locality, locate, location , locative , locator, locomotion, loculament, locular, locule , loculose, loculus, locus, milieu, multilocal, multilocation, multilocular, nonlocal, relocate, relocation , translocate, translocation, translocative , trilocular, unilocular log- , -logy word, reason, speech, thought Greek λόγος (lógos λογία (logía analogy, anthology, apology, biology, dialogue doxology, ecology, epilogue, etymology, eulogy, geology, ideologue, logarithm, logic , logogram, logopaedics , logophile, logotherapy , meteorology, monologue, morphological, neologism, neurology, philology, prologue, psychology, tautology , terminology, theology, toxicology, trilogy, zoology long- long Latin longus allonge , elongate, elongation, longa , longanimity, longe, longeron , longinquity, longitude , longitudinal, longum , lunge, lungo , oblong, prolong, prolongation, purloin loqu- , locut- speak Latin loqui allocution , circumlocution, colloquial, colloquy, elocution, eloquent, eloquence , grandiloquent, interlocution, loquacious, loquacity, magniloquent, obloquy, soliloquy luc- bright, light Latin lūx (genitive lūcis ), lucere elucidate, elucidation, elucubrate, elucubration, lucent, lucid, lucidity, Lucifer (bearer of light), luciferase , luciferin , luciferous, lucifugal, lucubrate, lucubration, luculent, noctilucent, pellucid, pellucidity, relucent, semipellucid, translucency , translucent, translucid, translucidus lud- , lus- play Latin ludere , lusus allude, collude, delude, elude, elusive, elusory, illude, illusion , ludicrous, lusory, prelude lumin- light Latin lumen , luminis , luminare dislimn, enlumine, illuminable, illuminance, illuminant, illuminate, illuminati , illumination , illumine, intraluminal , limn, lumen , luminaire , luminal, luminance , luminant, luminaria , luminary , lumine, luminescence , luminescent, luminiferous, luminosity , luminous, relumine, subluminal , subluminous, superluminal , transluminal lu- , luv- , lut- wash Latin luere (see also diluere , fluere and pluere )abluent, ablution, alluvium , colluvium , deluge, depollute, diluent , dilute, dilution, dilutive, diluvial, diluvian, diluvium , elute, elution , eluvial, elluviation, eluvium , illuviation, illuvium , lutaceous, lutite , pollution lun- moon Latin lūna circumlunar , cislunar , demilune , luna, lunar, lunate, lunatic , lunation , lune, lunette , luniform, lunisolar , mezzaluna , mezzelune , plenilunary, semilunar, sublunar, sublunary , superlunary, translunar lut- yellow, golden Latin lūtum , lūteus corpus luteum , luteal, lutein , luteinizing hormone , luteous ly- , lysi- , lyt- [ 13] dissolving Greek λύειν (lúein λυτός lutós λυτικός lutikós λύσις (lúsis analyse, analysis, analytic, aparalytic, autolysis , catalyse, catalysis , catalyst , catalytic, cytolysis , dialysis, electrolysis, electrolyte , electrolytic, Hippolyte, hydrolysis , hydrolyte, hydrolytic, lysigeny , lysine , lysis , lysosome , lytic, meta-analysis , palsy , paralyse , paralysis , paralytic , plasmolysis, proteolysis lyc- wolf Greek λύκος (lýkos ) Lycaon , lycanthropy, lycopersicon, lycoris