A Dictionary of the Roots and Combining Forms of Scientific Words

Book excerpt: Have you ever wondered where scientific words and names come from? Why are honey bees known as 'Apis mellifera', why is a daisy known as 'Bellis perennis'? If you are curious about words you can use this book to find out exactly what 'artiodactyl' means, what an 'ectoloph' is and where you can find 'Cantium'. There are over 12,800 entries, plus directions for using the word-roots, pronunciation rules, guidance for constructing scientific names and general principles of transliteration. Additionally there are appendices listing the adjectival forms of geographical names; some common terms for animals, plants and structures, activities and habitats; shapes, sizes, colors, textures, patterns, numbers, quantity, direction and location, parts of the year and chemical elements. This dictionary will be especially useful to students from many fields and particularly those from medical and biological backgrounds, as well as being a valuable addition to any reference collection. www.trw-books.com