Root Meaning in English Origin language Etymology (root origin) English examples nap- turnip Latin nāpus napiform, neep nar- nostril Latin naris internarial, nares , narial, naris , prenarial narc- [ 1] numb Greek ναρκᾶν (narkân νάρκη (nárkē narcolepsy , narcosis , narcotic narr- tell Latin narrare counternarrative, inenarrable, narration , narrative , narrator nas- nose Latin nāsus intranasal, nasal, nasalance , nasalis , nasality , nasolabial, nonnasal nasc- , nat- born Latin nascere , nāsci (past participle natus adnascent, adnate, adnation , agnate , agnatic , agnation , binational, cognate , cognatic , cognation , connascence, connascent, connate, connation , connatural, denature, enascent, enate , enatic , enation , impregnate, innate, international, multinational , nada, naïf, naissant, naïve, nascency, nascent, natal, natality, nation , national, nationality, native, nativity, natural, naturality, nature , née , nonnative, postnatal, pregnancy , pregnant, prenatal, preternatural , renaissance , renaissant, renascence, renascent, renature, subnational, supernatural , supranational , transnational, transnationality naut- [ 2] ship Greek ναῦς (naûs ναύτης (naútēs aeronautic , Argonaut , astronaut , cosmonaut, nausea , nautical, nautilus nav- ship Latin nāvis antenave, naval, nave , navicular, navigable, navigate, navy , nonnavigable ne- [ 3] spin, thread Greek νεῖν (neîn νῆσις "spinning", νῆμα, νήματος (nêma nḗmatos ) axoneme , diplonema, leptonema, nematocyst , nematocyte , nematode , nematology , pachynema , synnema , treponema , zygonema ne- , neo- [ 4] new Greek νέϝος νέος (néos Neolithic , neologism , neon , neonate, neophyte neb- , nub- cloud Latin nebula , nubes nebula, nebular, nebulosity, nebulous, nuance, nubilous, obnubilate necr- [ 5] dead Greek νεκρός (nekrós νέκρωσις nékrōsis necromancy , Necronomicon , necrophilia , necrophobia , necropolis , necropsy , necrosis , necrospermia , necrotic, necrotize, necrotomy nect- swimming Greek νηκτός (nēktós nectopod, nekton nect- , nex- join, tie Latin nectere , nexus adnexum , annectent, annex, annexation , annexion, connect, connexion, deannexation, disconnect, interconnect, nexus, reconnect neg- say no Latin negare negative, renegade, renege nem- , nom- [ 6] arrangement, law Greek νέμειν (némein ), νομός (nomós νόμος (nómos némesis ), νομάς, νομάδος (nomás , nomádos ), νομαδικός (nomadikós ), νομαδία, νομή, νομίζειν (nomízein ), νόμισμα (nómisma ) anomie , anomy, antinome, antinomic, antinomy , archnemesis, autonomy , isonomy, metronomic, nemesis, nomad, nomadic, nomadism, nomadize, nomarch, nomarchy, nome, nomology, nomothetic, Numidia , numismatics nemat- hair Greek νῆμα, νήματος (nêma, nḗmatos nematocyst , nematocyte , nematode , nematology nemor- grove, woods Latin nemus , nemoris nemoral , nemorous nephr- [ 7] kidney Greek νεφρός (nephrós mesonephric, mesonephros , metanephridium , metanephros , nephridiopore , nephridium , nephrite , nephritis , nephrogenesis, nephrolith, nephrolithiasis , nephrologist, nephrology , nephron , nephroptosis , nephrostome , pronephros , protonephridium nerv- sinew, nerve Latin nervus enervate, enervation, enervative, innervate, innervation, nerval, nervate, nerve , nervose, nervosity, nervous, reinnervation , trinervate nes- [ 8] island Greek νῆσος (nêsos Chersonesus , Indonesia , Melanesia , Micronesia , Peloponnese , Polynesia neur- [ 9] nerve , sinew Greek νεῦρον (neûron aponeurosis , endoneurium , epineurium , neural, neurapraxia , neurasthenia , neuritis , neuroblast , neuroblastoma , neurocranium , neurocyte , neuroendocrine, neuroendocrinology , neurologic, neurologist , neurology , neuromorphology , neuron , neurone , neuropathic , neuropathology , neuropathy , neuroplastic , neurosis , neurosurgeon , neurosurgery , neurotic, neuroticism , perineurium , polyneuropathy nict- beckon, wink Latin nictari nictate, nictation, nictitate, nictitation nigr- black Latin niger denigrate, denigration, denigrative, denigrator, negrita, nigrities, negrito, negritude, nigrescence, nigrescent, nigrine, nigritude. nihil- nothing Latin nihilum annihilate, annihilation , annihilator, nihil , nil niv- snow Latin nix , nivis Nevada , névé , nival, nivation, niveus, subnival, subnivean noc- hurt, harm Latin nocere innocence , innocent, innocuity, innocuous, innoxious, nocebo , nocent, nociception , nociceptive, nocifensor, nocument, nocuous, noxious, nuisance, obnoxious noct- night Latin nox (noctis equinoctial, equinox, noctambulous, noctiluca, noctilucent, noctule, nocturn , nocturnal, nocturnality , nocturne , notturno , seminocturnal, trinoctial nod- knot Latin nodus acnode , binodal , crunode , denouement, extranodal, internodal, internode, intranodal, multinodal, nodal, node, nodose, nodosity, nodular, nodulation, nodule, nodulose, nodulus, nodus, supernode , tacnode , trinodal, uninodal nom- arrangement, law , order Greek νόμος (nómos νομή agronomy, antinomy , astronomy, autonomous, autonomy , bionomics, economics, economy, gastronomy , metronome, numismatic, polynomial , taxonomy nomad- those who let pasture herds Greek νομάς, νομάδος (nomás, nomádos νομαδικός nomadikós nomad, nomadic, nomadism, nomadize nomen- , nomin- name Latin nomen , nominis agnomen , agnominal, agnomination, binomen , binominal , denomination, denominational, denominative, denominator , ignominious, ignominy, innominate, innomine, interdenominational , multidenominational, multinominal, nomenclator, nomenclature , nominal , nominate, nomination , nominative , nominator, nominee, nondenominational, noun , postnominal , praenomen , prenominal , pronominal , pronoun , redenomination , renominate, renown, surnominal, trinomen , trinominal non- not Latin non none, nonexistent, non-fiction , noninvasive non- ninth Latin nōnus nonary , None , nonet, noon nonagen- ninety each Latin nonageni nonagenarian, nonagenary nonagesim- ninetieth Latin nonagesimus nonagesimal norm- carpenter's square Latin norma abnormal, abnormality, binormal , circumnormal, denormal , enormity, enormous, nonnormal, nonnormative, norm, normable , normal, normality, normative , quasinorm , seminorm , seminormable, seminormal, subnormal not- [ 10] south Greek νότος (nótos Notogaea , Notomys, Nototherium not- [ 11] back Greek νῶτον (nôton νῶτος, νωτιαῖος notochord not- letter, mark, note Latin notare annotate, annotation , annotator, connotation , connotational, connotative, connote, denotation , denotational, denotative, denotatum, denote, nondenotative, nonnotable, nonnotational, notability, notable, notarial , notariat , notary , notate, notation , notational noth- [ 12] spurious Greek νόθος (nóthos nothogenus nov-, nome-, non-, novem- nine Latin novem November , novennial, Nonillion , Nomedecillion nov- new Latin novus innovate, innovation , innovational, innovative, innovator, innovatory, nova , novation, novel, novella , novelty, novice , novitiate , renovatable, renovate, renovation, renovative, renovator, supernova noven- nine each Latin noveni Novena , novenary novendec- nineteen Latin novendecim novemdecillion nox- harm Latin noxa noxious, obnoxious nu- nod Latin nuere circumnutate, circumnutation , counternutation, innuendo , innuent, numen, numinous, nutant, nutation nub- , nupt- to marry, to wed Latin nubes , nubis nubere connubial, connubiality, nubile, nuptial, postnuptial , prenuptial nuc- nut Latin nux , nucis enucleate, enucleation, extranuclear, internuclear, intranuclear, multinucleate , nougat , nucament, nucellar, nucellus , nucifer, nuciferine , nuciferous, nuciform, Nucifraga , nucivorous, nuclear, nucleate, nucleation, nucleolar, nucleolate, nucleolus , nucleus, pronuclear, pronucleus , supranuclear nuch- back of neck Latin nucha nuchal cord nud- naked Latin nudus denudation, denude, nonnude, nude, nudist , nudity, seminude, seminudity null- none Latin nullus nullify numer- number Latin numerus denumerable, enumerable, enumerate, enumeration , enumerative, enumerator, equinumerant, equinumerous, innumerable, innumeracy, innumerate, innumerous, nonenumerative, numerable, numeracy , numéraire , numeral , numerary, numerate, numeration, numerative, numerator , numerical, numero, numerosity, numerous, renumerate, supernumerary nunci- announce Latin nuntius announce, announcement, annunciation , denounce, denouncement, denunciation , enounce, enouncement, enunciable, enunciate, enunciation, enunciative, internuncial, internuncio, nunciature, nuncio , obnounce, pronounce, pronouncement, pronunciation , pronuntiatio , renounce, renouncement, renunciation nutri- nourish Latin nutrire innutrition, malnourish , malnourishment , malnutrition , nonnutritional, nourish, nourishment, nurse, nurturance, nurture, nutrient , nutriment, nutrition , nutritional, nutritious nyct- [ 13] night Greek νύξ, νυκτός (núx, nuktós nyctalgia, nyctanthous, nyctinasty, nyctophilia, nyctophobia nyst- nod Greek νυστάζειν (nustázein nustagmós ) electronystagmography , nystagmic, nystagmus