Welcome to Unit Two. This unit introduces the general principles for deriving English nouns from Greek and Latin. The principles themselves are simple, and will result in simple nouns.

Ara Pacis (detail), Rome

The following topics are addressed:

• nouns and their roles in most languages,
• how Greek and Latin nouns work,
• four general rules of derivation, and
• the difference between etymological meanings and those of English derivatives.

After exploring Unit 2, students should be able to infer the definitions of English nouns by recognizing the Greek and Latin roots from which they are formed.