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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Words from Mythology