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Your Roots2Words Affix of the Week is POLY-:
POLY- is a prefix meaning more than one, many, or excessive.
(Prefixes appear at the beginning of words)
**EXAMPLES**
polygamy (noun) – the condition of having more than one romantic partner or spouse at one time
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + -GAMY (marriage or union)
— polygamous means married to more than one partner at a time
— polygyny is the condition of having more than one wife at a time
— polyandry is the condition of having more than one husband at a time
polyglot (adj) – able to speak or made up of many languages
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + GLOT- (tongue)
polygon (noun) – a plane figure with at least three straight sides and angles
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + -GON (corner or angle)
polyhedron (noun) – a solid figure with many flat faces and straight edges
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + -HEDRON (face)
polymath(noun) – a person with extraordinarily comprehensive knowledge across several fields of study
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + MATH- (learning)
polymorphism (noun) – the ability to assume different shapes; the existence of multiple distinct forms
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + MORPH- (shape) + -ISM (state of)
polysemic (noun) – having more than one meaning or interpretation (also polysemous, polysemantic)
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + SEM- (signal) + -IC (pertaining to)
— a polyseme is a word or phrase that has multiple meanings
— polysemy is the state of having, or the ability of words and symbols to have, multiple meanings
polysyllabic (noun) – consisting of or using more than one syllable
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + SYL- (same) + LAB- (take) + -IC (pertaining to)
polytheistic (adj) – adhering to a belief in more than one god, deity, or spirit, often in the same pantheon
BREAKDOWN: POLY- (more than one) + THEO- (god) + -IST (one who does) + -IC (pertaining to)
**INTERESTING VARIATIONS**
-POLY also appears as a suffix, which also means sale or one who sells in words like duopoly, monopoly, and oligopoly.
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Mike Bergin