Why are the prefixes, roots and suffix to some English words Latin OR Greek?
The English language is an amalgam of many different linguistic origins, but with regard to vocabulary, Latin and Greek are indeed ubiquitous (Latin word right there!). Greek roots like those you mention have arrived in modern English through a variety of ways. “Phil”, used either as a prefix (philosophy) or a suffix (bibliophile), from the Greek word meaning love, also passed through into Latin. For example Latin “philosophia” (love of wisdom) and “theophilus” (one beloved by God). “-logy” also came through Latin, sometimes directly, sometimes through Old French. It is from the Greek “logos” that can mean word, discourse, theory, or study, as we use it today. For example Latin “philologus” (one who loves learning, a scholar) and “theologus”(one who studies God, a theologian). “-phone” is a bit of a different story. Many words that we use today that end in “-phone” come directly from the Greek word “phone” meaning voice or sound. This is because they have been directly named by someone
