Prefixes
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This document discusses English word formation through prefixes. It notes that most prefixes come from Latin, Greek, or French. Prefixes add meaning to words but do not change the word class. Some common prefixes discussed are those indicating negativity, reversals, degree or size, location, orientation or attitude, time, and number. The document provides examples to illustrate the meaning and use of many prefixes in English word formation.
![WORD-FORMATION
Prefixes
José A. Alcalde López
from “A comprehensive Grammar of the English
Language” by Quirk [et al]
Like many languages, English also includes affixes as a way to increase its vocabulary. In this case we
will pay special attention to prefixes, which come before the base. Here are some features to bear in mind:
• From the Renaissance to the 20th
century English followed word-formation models according to Latin
and Greek (this was especially so in the lexicon of Natural Sciences).
• For this reason, most prefixes are from Latin, Greek or French origin.
• There are many possibilities when using prefixes and many times it is a matter of wide acceptance
rather than correctness.
• Some prefixes are very productive and others not so.
• Prefixes add some meaning (negativity, recurrence, opposition, etc.) but they don't change the word
class. Ex.: patient (adj.) > impatient (also adj.)
• Sometimes a hyphen (-) is used to prevent a double occurrence of a vowel (Ex.: re-emphasize).
• Generally speaking prefixes are unstressed.
Let us now distinguish prefixes according to their most common meaning:
NEGATIVITY
a- / an- as in amoral, atheist, anusual
dis- as in disobey, disconnect
in- / im- / il- / ir as in indirect, impossible, illegal, irregular
(but always less productive than un-)
non- usually hyphenated as in non-alcoholic, non-smoker
un- (this is by far the most productive negative prefix) as in
unfair, unhappy, uncommon
REVERSATIVE
de- as in decentralize, defrost, decompose
un- as in undo, unzip, unpack
PEJORATIVE
mal- as in maltreat, malfunction, malnutrition
mis- as in miscarriage, misunderstanding
pseudo- as is pseudo-scientific, pseudo-classical
DEGREE / SIZE
arch- (supreme) as in archbishop, archduke
co- (equal) as in co-education, co-operative
hyper- (extreme) as is hyperactive, hypermarket
mini- (little) as in mini-skirt, mini-cab
out- (surpassing) as in outnumber, outlive
over- (excessive) as in overbooking, overdo
sub- (below) as in subconscious, subnormal
super- (more than...) as in superman, superstar
sur- (over and above) as in surcharge, surtax
ultra- (extreme) as in ultralight, ultrasound
under- (too little) as in underage, underestimate
LOCATION
fore- (front part) as in forearm, forehead, forename
inter- (between) as in interact, intermarry
sub- (under) as in subdivide, subcontract, subway
super- (above) as in superstructure, superscript
trans- (across) as in transatlantic, transplant
ORIENTATION / ATTITUDE
anti- (against) as in anti-social, anti-clerical
contra- (opposite) as in contrafactual, contraindicate
counter- (against) as in counter-revolution
pro- (on the side of...) as in pro-American, pro-student
TIME
ex- (former) as in ex-president, ex-husband
fore- (before) as in foretell, forewarn
post- (after) as in post-war, postpone
pre- (before) as in pre-school, pre-heat
re- (again) as in re-evaluate, re-use
NUMBER
semi- / demi- (half) as in semidetached, semi-
skimmed, demigod, semiconscious
uni- / mono- (one) as in unicycle, unisex, monorail
bi- / di- (two) as in bisexual, biplane, digraph,
dichotomy
tri- (three) as in tripod, tricycle
multi- / poly- (many) as in multi-screen, multiracial,
polyglot, polygon
OTHERS
There are other prefixes which may also occur occasionaly like auto- (self), extra- (exceptionally), neo- (new), paleo-
(old), pan- (all, worldwide), proto- (original), tele- (distant), vice- (deputy), etc.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/prefixes-150504115754-conversion-gate01/85/Prefixes-1-320.jpg)
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Prefixes
- 1. WORD-FORMATION Prefixes José A. Alcalde López from “A comprehensive Grammar of the English Language” by Quirk [et al] Like many languages, English also includes affixes as a way to increase its vocabulary. In this case we will pay special attention to prefixes, which come before the base. Here are some features to bear in mind: • From the Renaissance to the 20th century English followed word-formation models according to Latin and Greek (this was especially so in the lexicon of Natural Sciences). • For this reason, most prefixes are from Latin, Greek or French origin. • There are many possibilities when using prefixes and many times it is a matter of wide acceptance rather than correctness. • Some prefixes are very productive and others not so. • Prefixes add some meaning (negativity, recurrence, opposition, etc.) but they don't change the word class. Ex.: patient (adj.) > impatient (also adj.) • Sometimes a hyphen (-) is used to prevent a double occurrence of a vowel (Ex.: re-emphasize). • Generally speaking prefixes are unstressed. Let us now distinguish prefixes according to their most common meaning: NEGATIVITY a- / an- as in amoral, atheist, anusual dis- as in disobey, disconnect in- / im- / il- / ir as in indirect, impossible, illegal, irregular (but always less productive than un-) non- usually hyphenated as in non-alcoholic, non-smoker un- (this is by far the most productive negative prefix) as in unfair, unhappy, uncommon REVERSATIVE de- as in decentralize, defrost, decompose un- as in undo, unzip, unpack PEJORATIVE mal- as in maltreat, malfunction, malnutrition mis- as in miscarriage, misunderstanding pseudo- as is pseudo-scientific, pseudo-classical DEGREE / SIZE arch- (supreme) as in archbishop, archduke co- (equal) as in co-education, co-operative hyper- (extreme) as is hyperactive, hypermarket mini- (little) as in mini-skirt, mini-cab out- (surpassing) as in outnumber, outlive over- (excessive) as in overbooking, overdo sub- (below) as in subconscious, subnormal super- (more than...) as in superman, superstar sur- (over and above) as in surcharge, surtax ultra- (extreme) as in ultralight, ultrasound under- (too little) as in underage, underestimate LOCATION fore- (front part) as in forearm, forehead, forename inter- (between) as in interact, intermarry sub- (under) as in subdivide, subcontract, subway super- (above) as in superstructure, superscript trans- (across) as in transatlantic, transplant ORIENTATION / ATTITUDE anti- (against) as in anti-social, anti-clerical contra- (opposite) as in contrafactual, contraindicate counter- (against) as in counter-revolution pro- (on the side of...) as in pro-American, pro-student TIME ex- (former) as in ex-president, ex-husband fore- (before) as in foretell, forewarn post- (after) as in post-war, postpone pre- (before) as in pre-school, pre-heat re- (again) as in re-evaluate, re-use NUMBER semi- / demi- (half) as in semidetached, semi- skimmed, demigod, semiconscious uni- / mono- (one) as in unicycle, unisex, monorail bi- / di- (two) as in bisexual, biplane, digraph, dichotomy tri- (three) as in tripod, tricycle multi- / poly- (many) as in multi-screen, multiracial, polyglot, polygon OTHERS There are other prefixes which may also occur occasionaly like auto- (self), extra- (exceptionally), neo- (new), paleo- (old), pan- (all, worldwide), proto- (original), tele- (distant), vice- (deputy), etc.