Teaching Vocabulary:
How Latin Roots Make it Easy

If you’re teaching vocabulary, you’ll love our system of Latin roots. Each root word yields up to a dozen or more English derivatives. Taught properly, a Latin root word becomes a powerful hub at the center of a derivative family.

Unlock the latent potential in your students, and pick up a few new vocabulary words for yourself along the way.

Latin Root: To Teach

doceo = I teach
docere = to teach
docui = I taught
doctus = taught

The Latin verb to teach (doceo, docere, docui, doctus) brings several memorable derivatives into English. Start a with few that you and/or your students may already know, and then move on to those words that are new. Teaching vocabulary has never been so easy!

1. Doctor (n.) = One who teaches, or one who has been taught. The suffix -tor forms a noun meaning one who does what ever the root word means.

2. Doctrine (n.) = Something taught; teachings. What doctrines do you follow?

3. Indoctrinate (v.) = To instruct in a certain system of beliefs; to teach, to provide with learning. Today we like to teach students to think for themselves, rather than simply be indoctrinated into old ways of thinking.

4. Docile (adj.) = A docile child is easily taught; a docile animal is easily controlled.

5. Indocile (adj.) = Just the opposite of docile, and so not easily taught or controlled.

6. Docility (n.) = the quality of being calm, controlled, and teachable.

7. Docent (n.) = A person who guides group tours in a museum, teaching about the contents of the collection. A docent can also be a lecturer or teacher.

8. Docentship (n.) = The position held by a docent.

9. Ph.D. = Philosophiae Doctor: A teacher of philosophy. You don’t have to havae a Ph.D. to excel in teaching vocabulary.

10. J.D. = Juris Doctor: A teacher of law.

11. Doctoral (adj.) = about or concerning a doctor or teacher.

12. Doctorate (n.) = the degree or status conferred by a university onto those now qualified to teach.

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