The building blocks of English

Affixes

amph(i)-

Also ampho‑.

Variously two, both, on both sides, or around.

Greek amphi‑ or amphō, both.

This appears in a number of words borrowed from Greek, such as amphitheatre (US amphitheater), an arena surrounded by spectator seating, and amphibian (Greek amphibios, living both in water and on land). Modern examples include amphipathic (Greek pathos, experience), of a molecule which has elements with different properties (such as a detergent, which has molecules with one end soluble in water and one not); a molecule that is amphoteric has both acidic and basic properties.