Analogies: Prefixes from Latin

Help Questions

SSAT Upper Level Verbal › Analogies: Prefixes from Latin

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete this analogy.

Ichthyology is to fish as ecclesiology is to __________.

churches

birds

skyscrapers

architecture

reptiles

Explanation

To solve this analogy you need to rely on your knowledge of Greek roots. To begin with the prefix ichthy- means fish, so "ichthyology" is the study of fish. So, what is "ecclesiology" the study of? The Greek prefix ecclesi- means congregation, church. So, "ecclesiology" is the study of churches.

2

Complete this analogy.

Septuagenarian is to __________ as octogenarian is to eighty.

seventy

sixty

fifty

forty

ninety

Explanation

The key to solving this analogy is to know that the prefix sept- means seven and the prefix oct- means eight. So, a "septuagenarian" is someone who is in their seventies and an "octogenarian" is someone who is in their eighties.

3

Complete this analogy.

Autonomy is to __________ as theocracy is to God.

self

king

wealthy

workers

chaos

Explanation

The prefix theo- means related to religion or to "God." So, "theocracy" is the rule of a government through "God" or the application of religious laws. To solve this analogy you need to determine what "autonomy" is the rule of. Well, auto- means "self," so "autonomy" is the ability to rule oneself.

4

Complete this analogy.

Xenophobia is to foreigners as zoophobia is to __________.

Animals

Men

Women

Children

Death

Explanation

Xenophobia is the fear of foreigners, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what zoophobia is a fear. This question is a little easier than most phobia analogy questions because the prefix zoo- is such a dead giveaway. The correct answer is that zoophobia is the fear of animals.

5

Complete this analogy.

Misogynist is to women as Luddite is to __________.

technology

men

animals

politics

environmentalism

Explanation

Someone who is a misogynist hates women, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what it is that a Luddite dislikes. The Luddites were a nineteenth-century organization in Britain, dedicated to fighting the introduction of life changing technology during the Industrial Revolution; as such, the word has come to be used to describe all disdain for “technology” in the contemporary era. The prefix mis- is often used to describe the dislike of something.

6

Complete this analogy.

Hydrodynamics is to water as thermodynamics is to __________.

heat

sound

feel

peace

wealth

Explanation

The Greek prefix hyrdo- means related to water. "Hydrodynamic" means a branch of science concerned with the movement of water and other fluids. To solve this analogy you need to consider the meaning of the Greek prefix therm- which means heat, temperature. "Thermodynamics" is therefore a branch of science concerned with heat, temperature and their relationship to movement and energy. The correct answer is therefore "heat." You might also have noticed that the root -dynam- means related to energy.

7

Complete this analogy.

Eighty is to octogenarian as seventy is to _________.

Septuagenarian

Pentagenarian

Pretty old

None of these answers

Nonagenarian

Explanation

An octogenarian is somebody in his or her eighties, so to solve this analogy you have to determine what name is given to somebody in his or her seventies. The prefix sept- is commonly used to refer to the number seven or things composed of seven parts; therefore the correct answer is “septuagenarian.” For clarification, a nonagenarian is somebody in his or her nineties, and pentagenarian is not a word.

8

Complete this analogy.

Aquaphobia is to water as chronophobia is to __________.

time

insects

love

poverty

loneliness

Explanation

Aquaphobia is the fear of water. Whenever you see the prefix ­­"aqua_-_," you can assume that the word will have something to do with water. So to solve this analogy, you have to determine what chronophobia is a fear of. Chronophobia has the same prefix as the word "chronological" (which has to do with the passage of time), so it would be reasonable to assume that the prefix "chrono-" implies a relationship to time. This line of thinking would lead you to the correct answer, that chronophobia is the fear of time or the passage of time.

9

Complete this analogy.

Arachnophobia is to spiders as triskaidekaphobia is to __________.

The number thirteen

The afterlife

Outlandish behavior

Clowns

The outdoors

Explanation

Arachnophobia, as you might have gathered from the prefix arach- and the suffix -phobia, is the fear of spiders; therefore, in order to solve this problem you have to determine what exactly triskaidekaphobia is the fear of. This is a tough question, but there are some clues in the word to help you determine the answer. The prefix tri­- suggests it might have something to do with the number three, and the inclusion of deka (think decathlon) suggests it might have something to do with the number ten. In the absence of any other clues it seems logical to guess the correct answer is triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number thirteen. Now, good luck trying to pronounce it.

10

Complete this analogy.

Cartographer is to map as vintner is to __________.

wine

hats

coffee

shoes

soda

Explanation

A cartographer is someone who makes maps, so in order to solve this analogy, you have to determine which of the items is produced by a vintner. The prefix "vin_-_" might clue you in that the answer choice has to be wine (from the Latin for wine, vino).

Page 1 of 2
Return to subject