morph- (which means 'shape')
&
-eme (which means 'unit')
Hence, a morpheme is a 'unit of shape', but more specifically, 'the smallest unit of shape that has meaning'.
Original source at: http://efl.htmlplanet.com/morphemes.htm
the table of English's Latin-based & Greek-based morphemes
| English meaning | Latin-based Morpheme | Greek-based Morpheme |
| above/over | supra-, super- suprasegmental, superior | hyper- hyperactive, hyperthermia |
| after/beyond | -post- postpone, post facto, post script (P.S.) | meta- metaphor, metamorphosis |
| again | re- repair, respect, review | ana- analysis, anatomy |
| against | contra-, counter counter-terrorism, counter measures, counter attack | -anti- antidisestablishmentarianism |
| back | retro- retro, retrospect, retrograde | - |
| bad | -mal- malady, malice, malevolent, malediction | dys- dysfunction, dyslexia, dyspepsia |
| bear/carry | -fer conifer, infer, defer, prefer, refer | - |
| before | pre- prepare, prefix, preposition, predict, predictor, prediction | -ante- / pro- ante, antemeridian, antedilluvian, prognosticator |
| below/under | sub-, infra-, infer- submarine, subterranean infrared, inferior | hypo- hypothermia, hypodermic |
| between | inter- interact, intercommunication, interface, intercom, interpret, international | - |
| big | grand- grand, grandiose, grandiloquence | mega- megaphone, megabyte |
| body | corp- corpse, corpus, corporation, incorporate, corporal | -soma- psychosomatic |
| book | libro- library | -biblio- Bible, bibliophile |
| both | ambi- ambidextrous, ambiguity, ambivalence | amphi- amphibian |
| bottom | found- found, foundation | - |
| brother | frater- fraternal, fraternity, fraternize | - |
| child (offspring) | -fili- filial piety | - |
| child (any) | - | -ped- pedagogue, pedagogy, pediatrics, pediatrician |
| cold | -frig- frigid, refrigerator | cryo- cryogenics |
| color | -color- color, colorful | -chrom- chromatic, chromium, chromosome |
| come | -vene- convene, convention, intervene, invention | - |
| cut | - | -tomy anatomy, lobotomy, hysterectomy |
| crazy craziness | insane insanity | -maniacal -mania |
| deer (old meaning = animal) | -anima- animal, animate, animation, inanimate | -zo- zoo, zoology, zodiac, protozoa |
| die, death | -mort- mortal, immortal, mortality, mortician, morbid, post mortem | necro- necrology |
| disease | infirmity | patho- (suffering) pathogen, psychopath, homeopathic |
| disease | - | -ia phobia, mania, dyspepsia |
| drink | bib- bib, imbibe, bibber, | - |
| earth, land | -terra- terra firma, terra cotta, territory, extra-terrestrial (E.T.), terrarium | -geo- geography, geothermal |
| eat | come- comestible | -phago- phagocyte |
| eye | oculus ocular, occipital | opt- optometrist, optical |
| far | - | -tele- telephone, telescope, telestial, teleport, telekinesis, telepathy |
| father | pater- paternal, paternity | patri- patriarch, patriot, expatriate |
| fear | terror- terror, terrorize, terrorism | -phob- phobia, phobic, phobe, claustrophobia, xenophobia, |
| feel/feeling (mental) | -sent- sentiment, sentimental | -pathos- apathy, empathy, sympathy, telepathy |
| feel/feeling (physical) | -sens- sense, sensitive | - |
| feet | -ped- pedal, pedestrian, pedastool biped, quadriped, pedantic | -pod- pod, podiatrist, tripod |
| finger | digit- digit, digital | -phalange- phalange, phalanx |
| first | -prime- prime, primal, primate | -proto- protocol, protozoa |
| flesh | -carn- carnate, carnal, incarnate, carnivore, carnival | - |
| forward | pro- project, protest, provoke | - |
| good | -bene- benevolent, benediction, benefit, benefactor, beneficiary | eu- euthanasia, Eugene, eugenics, eulogy, europe, Europa, eustress |
| group | -greg- agregate, congregation, gregarious | - |
| hand | manu- manual, mano-a-mano, manufacture, manipulate | chiro- chiropractor, chiromancy |
| head | -cap- cap, capital, capitol, decapitate, captain | -phren- phrenology |
| hear/hearing | -audio- audience, audio, audition, auditory | - |
| heart | - | -cardio- cardiology, cardiac |
| home | - | dome- dome, domecile, domestic |
| hot | calor- calorie, caloric | -themo- thermometer, thermal |
| human | -human- humane, inhuman, humanity | -anthrop- anthropology, anthromorph, philanthropy |
| in | in-, intra- innate, intramural, intrapersonal, | - |
| know (a concrete thing) | -cogni- cognize, recognize, cognition, precognition, cognizant, cognizance | -
|
| know (an abstract thing) | -science- science, conscience, prescience, omniscience | -gnosis- prognosis, prognosticator, gnostic,agnostic |
| leader | - | -arch- patriarch, matriarch, oligarchy, monarch |
| live, life | -viv- survive, vivacious, vivify, vivid, vivacity | -bio- biology, biography, biosphere, biotic, biochemistry |
| level (level of group) | -class- class, classify, classification, declassify | - |
| light | -luz-, -luc- lucid, elucidate, Lucifer | -photo- photograph, photosynthesis |
| love | -amor- amorous, enamored | -phil- Philip, philanthropy, philosophy, hemophilia, bibliophile, hydrophilic |
| make | -fact-, -fy factory, manufacture, beautify, testify, classify | -ise[UK] -ize[US] apologize, organize, globalize |
| make | create creation | -gen- generate, pathogen, methanogen, genesis |
| man | homo- homo sapiens | andro- android, androgen |
| mind | -ment- mental, dementia | -psycho- psychology, psychosomatic, psychic, |
| moon | -luna- lunar, lunatic | -selene- Selena |
| mother | mater- maternal, maternity | matri- matriarch |
| mouth | or- oral, oration | stoma- stoma (of a leaf), stomach |
| new | -nove-, -novi- novel, novice, nova, Nova Scotia | - |
| nose | nas- nasal | rhino- rhinoceros, rhinitis |
| old (not new) | ancient | archai-, archeo- archaic, archeology |
| outside | e-, ex-, extra- elicit, elete, elect expell, expose, expound extra-terrestrial (E.T.), extra-marital | ex-, exo- exoskeleton, expatriate |
| peace | paz, paci- pacify, pacifist, pacifier, Pacific Ocean | - |
| rock/stone | -petri- (from Greek) petrify | petro-, peter petrol, petroleum, petrology, petroglyph, Peter |
| same | -homeo- homonym, homophone, homosexual, homeostasis | syn-, sym- synonym, sympathy |
| say | -dict- predict, dictate, dictator, dictionary, diction, | - |
| see/seeing | -vis- vission, visual, visor, audio-visual | - |
| self | -auto- (borrowed from Greek) automobile, automatic, automate | - autograph, autobiography |
| shape | -figur- figure, disfigure | -morph- morphology, morpheme, metamorphisis, anthropomorph |
| sister | soro- sorority (sisterhood) | - |
| sleep | -dorm- dormitory, dormant, | narco- narcotic, narcolepsy |
| small | peca-, minute- pecayune, minute | micro- microscope, microphone, microbiology, microbe |
| sound | -son- sonar, sonic | -phono- phonology, phonics, phoneme, telephone, microphone |
| speak | -locu-, -loqu- locutor, interlocutor, loquacious, eloquent | - |
| star | -stella- stellar | aster-, astro- asteroid, asterix, astrology, astronomy, asto-physics |
| sun | -sol- solar | -helio- helium |
| swollen | inflamation | -itis rhinitis, tendonitis, |
| tell | -count- recount, give an accounting of... | - |
| time | -tempo- tempo, temporary, contemporary, extemporaneous | -chronos- anachronism, chonology, chonometer, chronicle |
| together | con-, com- congregate, connect, contact, convene, | - |
| touch | -tact- contact, intact, tactile, tactition | - |
| true, truth | -vera- veracity, veracious, verily | - |
| voice | -voc- vocal, invoke, invocation, vocation, vocabulary | - |
| war | mar-, mart- Mars (god of war), martial, martial art | polem- polemic |
| water | -aqua- aquatic, aquarium, aquamarine, | -hydro- hydrogen, hydro-electric power, hydraulics, |
| weep | -lament- lament, lamentations, lamentable | - |
| wind | vent- vent, ventilate | anem anemometer |
| woman | - | gyn-, gym- gynecology, polygymy, OB-GYN |
| word | -verb- verb, verbose | -lexis- lexis, lexicon, lexicology |
| word (generally: the spoken word) (AKA: the word of reason) | - | -logos- log, prologue, epilogue, eulogy, monologue, dialogue, logic all the sciences that end in psychology, biology, etc. |
| write, writing | -sribe-, -script- scribe, scribble, script, post script, transcribe, transcript | -graph- autograph, graph, photograph, grapheme, graphic, biography |
Numerical Morphemes
| English meaning | Latin morpheme | Greek morpheme |
| one | uni- universe, unicycle, university, unique | mono- monogram, monologue, |
| two | bi- bicycle, biweekly, bimonthly, biannually | di-, dy-, dia- dyad, digress, divide, dialogue |
| three | tri- tricycle, triangle, triple | tri- triad |
| four | quad- quad, quadrilateral, quadruple | tetra- tetragram, tetrapod |
| five | quint- quintuplets, quintessential | pent- pentagon, Pentateuch, Pentecost, pentagram |
| six | sex- sextuplets | hex- hexagon |
| seven | sept- September | hept- heptagon |
| eight | oct- October | -oct- octagon |
| nine | nov- November | -non- nonagon |
| ten | dec- December, decade | dek- dekaliter, dekagram, |
| hundred | cent- century, | hect- hectare |
| thousand | mil- millennium | kilo- kilometer, kilogram |
| many | multi- multiple, multiply | poly- polygon, polygymy |
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