GRE Words from the 'Loqu/Locu' Root: One Root, Six Words

The Latin root loqui (also seen as locu) means "to speak." Once you know it, an entire family of GRE words decodes itself — and you can often guess an unfamiliar word on test day just by spotting the root and its prefix.

Loquacious (very talkative). loqui alone — a loquacious person is always speaking.

Eloquent (fluent and persuasive in speech). ex- ("out") + loqui — to speak out well. Hook: an eloquent speaker's words flow out smoothly.

Grandiloquent (pompous, lofty in speech). grandis ("grand") + loqui — grand speaking. Hook: grandiose + loqui = showing off with big words.

Circumlocution (talking around a subject; evasive or wordy speech). circum ("around") + loqui — speaking in circles. Hook: you circle the point instead of landing on it.

Colloquial (informal, conversational). com- ("together") + loqui — speaking together, as in everyday conversation. Hook: colloquial is how you talk with friends, not in essays.

Soliloquy (a speech to oneself, as in a play). solus ("alone") + loqui — speaking alone. Hook: a solo speech on stage.

When a Text Completion answer is a word you have never seen, the root often reveals enough. A word built on loqui almost certainly relates to speech, which can be the difference between an educated elimination and a blind guess. Related roots worth pairing: dict ("to say," as in "dictate," "edict") and verb ("word," as in "verbose").

Verbloom organizes vocabulary by root and theme, so you build these families instead of memorizing words one at a time — and the connections make them stick.