pedo-

Pedo– is a combining form used like a prefix that has two distinct senses.

The first of these senses is “child,” and this form of pedo– is occasionally used in a variety of scientific and technical terms. The form pedo– in this sense comes from Greek paîs, meaning “child.”

The second of these senses is “soil,” and this form of pedo– is used very rarely in some scientific terms. The form pedo– in this sense comes from Greek pédon, meaning “ground” or “earth.”

What are variants of pedo– with the sense “child”?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, pedo– becomes ped–, as in pedagogue, from Greek paidagōgós. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on ped-.

In British English, pedo– in this sense is chiefly spelled paedo–, as in paedology. Another variant spelling of pedo– is paido-, as in paidophobia.

What are variants of pedo– with the sense “soil”?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, pedo– becomes ped-, as in pedon. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article on ped-.

Not every word that begins with the exact letters pedo-, such as pedograph or pedometer, is necessarily using the combining form pedo– to denote “child” or “soil.” In these cases, pedo– is used as a variant of pedi–, meaning “foot,” in words from French. Learn more at our entries for the words pedograph and pedometer.

One example of a word that features pedo– to mean “child” is pedology, or paedology, meaning “the study of the character, growth, and development of children.” (Note that pedology can also be used to mean “soil science”; see the section below on the sense “soil.”)

The pedo– part of the word means “child,” as we have seen, but what about the –logy part of the word? It is used to name sciences or bodies of knowledge, from Greek logía. Pedology literally means “the science of children.”

What are some words that use the combining form pedo-?

• pedobaptism
• pedogenesis
• pedomorph
• pedophilia (using the equivalent form of pedo- in Latin)
• pedophile

What are some other forms that pedo– may be commonly confused with?

• pero-
• pheno-
• plano-

Break it down!

The combining form –morph means “form, structure.” With this in mind, what does pedomorph literally mean?

One word that features the combining form pedo– to mean “soil” is pedocal, “a soil rich in carbonates, especially those of lime.”

Here, pedo– means “soil,” but what about the –cal part of the word? This comes from Latin calx, meaning “lime.” Pedocal literally means “lime soil.”

What are some words that use the combining form pedo-?

• pedology
• pedon

What are some other forms that pedo– may be commonly confused with?

• pero-
• pheno-
• plano-

Break it down!

The combining form –logy is used to name sciences or bodies of knowledge. With this in mind, what does pedology mean?