GRE Word Roots: Gaining PERspective

English is funny, isn’t it? And in a lot of ways. Like, why do we park on driveways and drive on parkways? How in the world can inflammable and flammable mean the same thing? And why does no food soar skyward when we eat something up?

Today, we’re focusing on that last question. Sure, English is funny sometimes, but it’s not unique.That up is a particle that serves to intensify the verb. It doesn't actually mean “up”; it means something more like “completely.” Intensive particles are used in many, many (I hesitate to say “all,” but would bet money it’s darn near close) languages, and it’s their presence in Latin that will help us on Test Day.

We’ve discussed several times that word roots are the quickest way to a giant vocabulary with which to destroy the GRE Verbal section, but I’m sure you’ve noticed during the course of your studies that sometimes everything doesn’t quite add up. Let’s start with what we PERCEIVE.

Or, rather, let’s start with our PERCEPTION. The trained eye will be able to separate this into two roots, PER, meaning “through,” and CEPT, meaning “receive” or “catch,” as in capture. (Sometimes vowels get self-conscious between consonants and need to change their clothes.) So, I guess, root wise, this word means “catch through”? Through what? How can we apply direction to catching? Exactly. We don’t. This is the intensive PER, so PERCEPTION is what you’ve “caught completely.” Totally got it, yeah?

How about PERFECT. We see PER, and we see FECT. Applying the same vowel change in PERCEPTION, we realize that this is actually FACT as in factory, meaning “make.” And “make through” doesn’t really make sense, but “make through and through; make completely” does! No problem.

Here’s a tough one: PERTINACIOUS.

What’ve we got? PER, which you’ve probably guessed by now, is intensive in this instance, and TINAC? Is that a root? Let’s take a breath and realize that -CIOUS is an ending in itself (DELICIOUS, EFFICACIOUS, MENDACIOUS), so how about TINA? Not quite, but could the vowel have changed like above?

Yes!

If we figure it to be TEN, meaning “hold, keep,” then we end up with “keep complete hold of.” And a PERTINACIOUS person gets something in his head and sticks to it.

Here’s one hard word and one possibly unexpected word to look up for homework:

PERFUNCTORY

PERMANENT

Last one: Let’s use what we learned back in Word Roots, Part II: Double Vision to crack 

PELLUCID.

Of course, it looks weird at first because PEL doesn’t seem to be a friendly root, but if we figure it used to be an R that really liked L’s style, then we’ve got PER-lucid, or “totally clear.” And LUCID, by the way is from our old friend LUX, possessive LUCIS, “light.”

More on other intensive prefixes to come!

And P.S. – because driving used to be a real treat, parkways used to be very nicely landscaped.Like parks. Two mysteries for the price of one.

(Written by: Beau Henson-Kaplan test prep)