Determining Meaning from Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

Help Questions

SSAT Middle Level Verbal › Determining Meaning from Prefixes, Suffixes, and Roots

Questions 1 - 10
1

Complete this analogy.

Bibliophile is to book as cinephile is to __________.

movie

song

lesson

computer

band

Explanation

To begin with the suffix -phile means lover of. So, an "anglophile" is a lover of English things. A "bibliophile" is a lover of Books. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "cinephile" is a lover of. The correct answer is "movies." The Greek prefix cine-/kine- means related to movement, motion, as in "kinetic" and "cinema."

2

Complete this analogy.

Orthodox is to heterodox as dormant is to __________.

Active

Latent

Pious

Devout

Quiescent

Explanation

The root "dox" means related to established thought or opinion, and the root "ortho" means straight or correct, so someone who is “orthodox” accepts traditions or the established account of things. On the other hand, the prefix "hetero" means other or different, so someone who is “heterodox” challenges traditions and accepts other accounts of things besides the established one. The two words are opposites of another, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out the best antonym for “dormant.” “Dormant” means hidden, asleep or inactive, so the best antonym is “active.” To provide further help, “latent” means hidden and “quiescent” means dormant, while “pious” and “devout” both describe someone who is deeply religious.

3

Complete this analogy.

Bibliophile is to book as cinephile is to __________.

movie

song

lesson

computer

band

Explanation

To begin with the suffix -phile means lover of. So, an "anglophile" is a lover of English things. A "bibliophile" is a lover of Books. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "cinephile" is a lover of. The correct answer is "movies." The Greek prefix cine-/kine- means related to movement, motion, as in "kinetic" and "cinema."

4

Complete this analogy.

Orthodox is to heterodox as dormant is to __________.

Active

Latent

Pious

Devout

Quiescent

Explanation

The root "dox" means related to established thought or opinion, and the root "ortho" means straight or correct, so someone who is “orthodox” accepts traditions or the established account of things. On the other hand, the prefix "hetero" means other or different, so someone who is “heterodox” challenges traditions and accepts other accounts of things besides the established one. The two words are opposites of another, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out the best antonym for “dormant.” “Dormant” means hidden, asleep or inactive, so the best antonym is “active.” To provide further help, “latent” means hidden and “quiescent” means dormant, while “pious” and “devout” both describe someone who is deeply religious.

5

Complete this analogy.

Orthodox is to heterodox as dormant is to __________.

Active

Latent

Pious

Devout

Quiescent

Explanation

The root "dox" means related to established thought or opinion, and the root "ortho" means straight or correct, so someone who is “orthodox” accepts traditions or the established account of things. On the other hand, the prefix "hetero" means other or different, so someone who is “heterodox” challenges traditions and accepts other accounts of things besides the established one. The two words are opposites of another, so to solve this analogy, you have to figure out the best antonym for “dormant.” “Dormant” means hidden, asleep or inactive, so the best antonym is “active.” To provide further help, “latent” means hidden and “quiescent” means dormant, while “pious” and “devout” both describe someone who is deeply religious.

6

Complete this analogy.

Bibliophile is to book as cinephile is to __________.

movie

song

lesson

computer

band

Explanation

To begin with the suffix -phile means lover of. So, an "anglophile" is a lover of English things. A "bibliophile" is a lover of Books. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what a "cinephile" is a lover of. The correct answer is "movies." The Greek prefix cine-/kine- means related to movement, motion, as in "kinetic" and "cinema."

7

Complete this analogy.

Ornithophobia is to birds as xenophobia is to __________.

foreigners

heights

darkness

silence

death

Explanation

The prefix ornith- means birds, so "ornithophobia" means fear of birds. To solve this analogy you need to determine what "xenophobia" is the fear of. To do this you will need to rely on your knowledge of Greek prefixes. The prefix xen- means foreign, so "xenophobia" is fear of foreigners.

8

Complete this analogy.

Phobophobia is to fear as androphobia is to __________.

men

women

machines

technology

ghosts

Explanation

To begin with the suffix -phobia immediately tells you that you are dealing with a fear. So, "anglophobia" is fear of the English. "Phobophobia" is therefore fear of fear itself. To solve this analogy you need to determine what "androphobia" is the fear of. To do this you need to consider the meaning of the Greek prefix andro- which means man. So, "androphobia" is fear of man, fear of men.

9

Complete this analogy.

Ornithophobia is to birds as xenophobia is to __________.

foreigners

heights

darkness

silence

death

Explanation

The prefix ornith- means birds, so "ornithophobia" means fear of birds. To solve this analogy you need to determine what "xenophobia" is the fear of. To do this you will need to rely on your knowledge of Greek prefixes. The prefix xen- means foreign, so "xenophobia" is fear of foreigners.

10

Complete this analogy.

Paedophobia is to children as photophobia is to __________.

light

movies

pictures

phones

angels

Explanation

To begin with the suffix -phobia means fear of. Also, the prefix paed- means children, as in "pediatrician" (children's doctor). So, "paedophobia" is fear of children. So, to solve this analogy you need to determine what "photophobia" is the fear of. Well, the prefix photo- means light, so "photophobia" is the fear of light.

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