MANIA is Latin means "madness," and the meaning passed ove into English unchanged. Our word mania can mean a mental illness, or at least an excessive enthusiasm. We might call someone a maniac who was wild, violent, and mentally ill--or maybe just really enthusiatic about something. Too much caffeine might make you a bit manic. But the intense mood swings once known as manic-depressive illness are now usually called bipolar disorder instead.

Word Phonetic Audio
kleptomania ˌklep-tə-ˈmā-nē-ə
dipsomaniac ˌdip-sə-ˈmā-nē-ˌak
megalomaniac ˌme-gə-lō-ˈmā-nē-ˌak
egomaniac ˌē-gō-ˈmā-nē-ˌak

PSYCH comes from the Greek word psyche, meaning "breath, life, soul." Psychology is the science of mind and behavior, and a psychologist treats or studies the mental problems of individuals and groups. Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that deals with mental and emotional disorders, and a psychiatrist (like any other doctor) may prescribe drugs to treat them.

Word Phonetic Audio
psyche ˈsī-kē
psychedelic ˌsī-kə-ˈde-lik
psychosomatic ˌsī-kō-sə-ˈma-tik
psychotherapist ˌsī-kō-ˈther-ə-pist

CEPT comes from the Latin verb meaning "take, seize." Capture, which is what a captor has done to a captive, has the same meaning. Captivate once meant literally "capture," but now means only to capture mentally through charm or appeal. But in some other English words this root produces, such as those below, its meaning is harder to find.

Word Phonetic Audio
reception ri-ˈsep-shən
intercept ˌin-tər-ˈsept
perceptible pər-ˈsep-tə-bəl
susceptible sə-ˈsep-tə-bəl

FIN comes from the Latin word for "end" or "boundary." Final describes last things, and a finale or a finish is an ending. (And at the end of a French film, you may just see the word "Fin.") But its meaning is harder to trace in some of the other English words derived from it.

Word Phonetic Audio
confine ˈkän-ˌfīn
definitive di-ˈfi-nə-tiv
finite ˈfī-ˌnīt
infinitesimal (ˌ)in-ˌfi-nə-ˈte-sə-məl

JECT comes from jacere, the Latin verb meaning "throw" or "hurl." To reject something is to throw (or push) it back; to eject something is to throw (or drive) it out; and to inject something is to throw (or squirt) it into something else.

Word Phonetic Audio
interject ˌin-tər-ˈjekt
conjecture kən-ˈjek-chər
projection prə-ˈjek-shən
trajectory trə-ˈjek-t(ə-)rē

TRACT comes from trahere, the Latin verb meaning "drag or draw." Something attractive draws us toward it. Something distracting pulls your attention away. And when you extract something from behind the sofa, you drag it out.

Word Phonetic Audio
traction ˈtrak-shən
retract ri-ˈtrakt
protract prō-ˈtrakt
intractable (ˌ)in-ˈtrak-tə-bəl

DUC/DUCT from the Latin verb ducere, "to lead," shows up regularly in English. Duke means basically "leader." The Italian dictator Mussolini was known simply as Il Duce, "the leader." But such words as produce and reduce also contain the root, even though their meanings show it less clearly.

Word Phonetic Audio
conducive kən-ˈdü-siv
deduction di-ˈdək-shən
induce in-ˈdüs
seduction si-ˈdək-shən

SEQU comes from the Latin verb sequi, meaning "to follow." A sequel follows the original novel, film, or television show.

Word Phonetic Audio
subsequent ˈsəb-si-kwənt
consequential ˌkän(t)-sə-ˈkwen(t)-shəl
non sequitur ˌnän-ˈse-kwə-tər
Apollonian ˌa-pə-ˈlō-nē-ən

Words from Mythology

Word Phonetic Audio
bacchanalian ˌba-kə-ˈnāl-yən
Dionysian ˌdī-ə-ˈni-zhē-ən
jovial ˈjō-vē-əl
mercurial (ˌ)mər-ˈkyu̇r-ē-əl
Olympian ə-ˈlim-pē-ən
venereal və-ˈnir-ē-əl
sequential si-ˈkwen(t)-shəl
delphic ˈdel-fik