Leslie Ferguson
English Word Origins
May 14, 2001
Word Journal
20 Words Common to the Study of Rangeland Ecology:
Their Definitions and Etymologies
Abiotic:
Modern Definition: non-living
A: a prefix from Greek meaning “without”
Biotic: a root from Greek biote meaning “mode of life”
Binary:
Modern Definition: something made up of two main parts
Binary: a root form Latin binarias or bini meaning “composed
of two parts”
Biocide:
Modern Definition: a substance that kills many different forms of
living organisms
Bio: a root from Greek biote meaning “mode of life”
Biota:
Modern Definition: living organisms, both plant and animal
Biota: a root from Greek biote meaning “mode of life”
Biotic:
Modern Definition: living
Biotic: a root from Greek biote meaning “mode of life”
Clone:
Modern Definition: the asexual reproductive output of a living
organism
Clone: a root from Greek klon meaning “twig or slip”
Dendrology:
Modern Definition: the study of trees and shrubs
Dendro: a root from the Greek dendron meaning "tree"
-logy: a suffix from Greek meaning “the study of”
Ecology:
Modern Definition: the study of the biotic and abiotic interactions in
a community
Eco: a root from Greek oiko meaning “home or
environment”
-logy: a suffix from Greek meaning “the study of”
Ecotone:
Modern Definition: the blending of the margins when two plant communities
meet, a transition zone
Eco: a root from Greek oiko meaning “home or
environment”
Tone: a root from Greek tonon meaning “tension”
Limnology:
Modern Definition: the study of fresh water systems
Limno: a root from the Greek limne meaning “pool or marsh”
-logy: a suffix from Greek meaning “the study of”
Mineralology:
Modern Definition: the study of minerals and their formations
Mineral: a root from Medieval Latin meneralis from Latin minera
meaning “mine, or ore”
-logy: a suffix from Greek meaning “the study of”
Photorespiration:
Modern Definition: It is the reaction of ribulose biphosphate
and Oxygen (with RUBISCO as a catalyst) to produce sugars and carbon dioxide. It
occurs under specific conditions in certain groups of plants (David Y.);
Oxidation of carbohydrates in plants with the release of carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis (AHD);
Photo: a prefix or root from Greek phos meaning “light”
Respir: a root from Latin respiratio from respirare
meaning “a breathing out”
-ation: a suffix form Latin meaning an action or process
Photosynthesis:
Modern Definition: the ability of plants to chemically turn the energy
found in sunlight into useable and storable energy
Photo: a prefix or root from Greek phos meaning “light”
Synthesis: a root from Greek synthetikos meaning “to put
together”
Phylogeny:
Modern Definition: the development or organization or a particular
group of organisms
Phylo: a root from Greek phylon meaning “race, tribe, or
class”
-geny: a suffix from Greek geneia meaning “origin”
Physiognomy:
Modern Definition: the outward appearance or growth form of a plant or
animal
Physio: a root from Greek physike meaning “science
of nature”
-gnomy: a suffix or root form Greek gnomia meaning “knowledge”
Physiography:
Modern Definition: physical geography, related to geomorphology, the
systematic description of nature
Physi: a prefix or root from Greek physike meaning “science
of nature”
-ography: a root from Greek graphia meaning “to draw or write”
Physiology:
Modern Definition: the study of how organisms appear, their growth
forms
Physi: a prefix or root from Greek physike meaning “science
of nature”
-logy: a suffix from Greek meaning “the study of”
Polymorphic:
Modern Definition: the ability to assume different forms, existence,
in various forms, of a singles species regardless of gender
Poly: a prefix from Greek polys meaning “many”
Morph: a root form Greek morphe meaning “form”
-ic: a suffix form Greek meaning “the condition of being”
Sere:
Modern Definition: a stage in vegetative composition in a community
undergoing succession
Sere: a root from Latin series or serere meaning “to
connect”
Seral:
Modern Definition: the characteristic of being one of the steps on
vegetative succession, either replacing or being replaced by a different
vegetative component, not static
Sere: a root from Latin series or serere meaning “to
connect”
-al: a suffix from Latin meaning “of or related to”
This project was conducted with the help of the Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged dictionary of the English Language and the etymological dictionary at www.yourDictionary.com.