SSAT Middle Level Verbal : Suffixes from Greek

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SSAT Middle Level Verbal

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Suffixes From Greek

Complete this analogy.

Anglophobia is to English as Francophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

Italian 

Spanish 

French 

Finnish 

Scottish 

Correct answer:

French 

Explanation:

The prefix ­"anglo-" means of or related to the English; the prefix "franco-" means of or related to the French. The suffix "–phobia" means fear. So "Anglophobia" is the fear of English people and "Francophobia" is the fear of French people.

Example Question #2 : Suffixes From Greek

Complete this analogy.

Sinophobe is to China as Francophobe is to ­__________.

Possible Answers:

fear

Chinese 

love 

France 

French 

Correct answer:

France 

Explanation:

The suffix, -phobe, (or -phobia), means fear, and the prefix, Sino-, means related to China or the Chinese. So a "Sinophobe" is someone who is afraid of China; in order to solve this analogy you have to determine which country a "Francophobe" is afraid of. The correct answer is “France.” The prefix, Franco-, means related to France or the French.

Example Question #3 : Suffixes From Greek

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Triskaidekaphobia is to thirteen as heliophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

darkness 

loneliness

spiders 

animals 

sunlight 

Correct answer:

sunlight 

Explanation:

Triskaidekaphobia is the fear of the number thirteen. The suffix "-phobia" describes a fear. So, to solve this analogy, you have to determine what "heliophobia" is the fear of. The correct answer is “sunlight,” as you may have determined from the prefix "helio-," which means related to the sun or sunlight and is found in other words like "heliocentric" (having the sun at the center, used to describe the modern view of the solar system). 

Example Question #4 : Suffixes From Greek

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Arachnophobia is to spiders as agoraphobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

public spaces 

heights 

bees

farm animals

darkness

Correct answer:

public spaces 

Explanation:

The suffix "-phobia" means a fear of and the word "arachnid" is the Latin term for the biological family containing spiders, so “arachnophobia” is a fear of spiders. To solve this analogy, you have to determine what “agoraphobia” is the fear of. The correct answer is “public spaces,” as the prefix ­"agor-" means related to outside or open spaces. To help you remember this prefix, just think of an "agora," an open-air public space found in an ancient Greek city.

Example Question #4 : Suffixes From Greek

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Agrizoophobia is to wild animals as dementophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

modernity

normality 

reality 

insanity 

adolescence

Correct answer:

insanity 

Explanation:

The suffix "phobia" means fear of, and the word fragment "zoo" means related to animals, so “agrizoophobia” means fear of wild animals. The prefix "dement-" means related to insanity or the loss of mental capabilities, as seen in words like “dementia” or “demented.” Someone who suffers from “dementophobia” can thus be said to be suffering from fear of insanity.

Example Question #41 : Suffixes

Analogies: Fill in the blank(s) to complete this analogy. 

Chronophobia is to time as panphobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

space 

sleep 

nothing 

everything 

breakfast 

Correct answer:

everything 

Explanation:

The suffix -phobia means related to a fear, and the prefix chrono- means time so “chronophobia” means fear of time, or fear of the passage of time. To solve this analogy you therefore need to determine what “panphobia” is the fear of. The prefix pan- means everything, everywhere, so the word “panphobia” means fear of everything.

Example Question #42 : Suffixes

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Ergophobia is to work as arachnophobia is to __________.

Possible Answers:

spiders

flying

fire

loneliness

insects

Correct answer:

spiders

Explanation:

The suffix -phobia means related to fear, and the prefix ergo- means related to work, so “ergophobia” is a fear of work. To solve this analogy you need to determine what “arachnophobia” is the fear of. The prefix arach- means related to spiders, so the correct answer is fear of “spiders.”

Example Question #5 : Suffixes From Greek

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Ecclesiophobia is to church as pharmaphobia is to __________

Possible Answers:

Politics 

Drugs

People

Teenagers

Knowledge

Correct answer:

Drugs

Explanation:

The suffix "-phobia" means fear of. The root "ecclesi" means related to Christianity and its church, as seen in “ecclesiastical,” so “ecclesiophobia” is fear of the Christian church. To solve this analogy, you have to determine what "pharmaphobia" is a fear of. You may notice that "pharma" is also contained in the word "pharmacy," which is a place where you purchase drugs. The root "pharma" means related to drugs or medicine, and "pharmaphobia" is the fear of drugs.

Example Question #6 : Suffixes From Greek

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Ergophobia is to work as pyrophobia is to __________

Possible Answers:

Fire 

Sunlight 

Lightning 

Darkness 

Wolves 

Correct answer:

Fire 

Explanation:

The suffix "-phobia" means fear of and the root "ergo" means having to do with work, so the word "ergophobia" means the fear of work. To solve the analogy, you need to pick out the answer choice that is the thing that someone with "pyrophobia" is afraid of. The root "pyro" means having to do with fire, as seen in “pyromaniac” or “pyrotechnic.” Someone who suffers from “pyrophobia” therefore is someone who is afraid of fire, making "fire" the correct answer.

Example Question #44 : Suffixes

Analogies: Complete this analogy.

Anglophone is to English as francophone is to __________

Possible Answers:

Chinese 

telephone 

Spanish 

Finnish 

French 

Correct answer:

French 

Explanation:

The suffix "-phone" means related to language or speaking and the prefix ­"anglo-" means related to England or the English. An “Anglophone” is an English speaker and a “Francophone” is a French speaker. The prefix "franco-" means related to France or the French. So, "French" is the correct answer.

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