*apo-

Meanings

1.
away, off
(Notable English members of this family are of, off, after, apology, apocalypse and apostrophe. Check the entry for more details.)
How useful:

Word Family

Root: *apo-

The core idea of this root was:

off, away

It’s still well preserved in the German word ab.
English offspring are of, off and after, as well ebb (the water is “away”).
And it’s also the origin of the words with the Latin prefix ab- and the branch around the Greek apo-.
Here’s a little (incomplete) overview:

  • abnormal (away from normal)
  • abdicate (“say away”)
  • apology (“the speech that removes”)
  • apocalypse (Originally: “taking the lid away” – it used to be about insights, not doom)
  • aperitif (removing the cover, starting)
0 0 votes
Article Rating

Questions and Comments

🗨
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments


Never miss out!

Join over 20.000 German learners and get my epic newsletter whenever I post a new article :)

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.