Prefixes-Suffixes

PrefixesAprefixisplacedatthebeginningofawordtomodifyorchangeitsmeaning.ThisisalistofthemostcommonprefixesinEnglish,togetherwiththeirbasicmeaningandsomeexamples.Youcanfindmoredetailorprecisionforeachprefixinanygooddictionary.Theoriginsofwordsareextremelycomplicated.Youshouldusethislistasaguideonly,tohelpyouunderstandpossiblemeanings.Butbeverycareful,becauseoftenwhatappearstobeaprefixisnotaprefixatall.Notealsothatthislistdoesnotincludeelementslikeauto-orbio-,becausethesearecombiningforms,notprefixes.PrefixMeaningExamplesa-alsoan-not,withoutatheist,anaemica-to,towardsaside,abackintheprocessof,inaparticularstatea-hunting,aglowa-ofanewcompletelyabashedab-alsoabs-away,fromabdicate,abstractad-alsoa-,ac-,af-,ag-al-,an-,ap-,at-as-,at-movementto,changeinto,additionoradvance,adulterate,adjunct,ascend,affiliate,affirm,aggravate,alleviate,annotate,apprehend,arrive,assemble,attendincreaseante-before,precedingantecedent,ante-roomanti-alsoant-opposing,against,theoppositeanti-aircraft,antibiotic,anticlimax,Antarcticbe-allover,allaroundbespatter,besetcompletelybewitch,bemusehaving,coveredwithbejewelledaffectwith(addedtonouns)befogcausetobe(addedtoadjectives)becalmcom-alsoco-,col-,con-,cor-with,jointly,completelycombat,codriver,collude,confide,corrodecontra-against,oppositecontraceptivecounter-opposition,oppositedirectioncounter-attack,counteractde-down,awaydescend,despair,depend,deductcompletelydenude,denigrateremoval,reversalde-ice,decampdia-alsodi-through,acrossdiagonaldis-alsodi-negation,removal,expulsiondisadvantage,dismount,disbud,disbaren-alsoem-putintooronengulf,enmeshbringintotheconditionofenlighten,embitterintensificationentangle,enrageex-alsoe-,ef-outexit,exclude,expandupwardexalt,extolcompletelyexcruciate,exasperatepreviousex-wifeextra-outside,beyondextracurricularhemi-halfhemispherehyper-beyond,morethan,morethannormalhypersonic,hyperactivehypo-underhypodermic,hypothermiain-alsoil-,im-not,withoutinfertile,inappropriate,impossiblealsoil-,im-,ir-in,into,towards,influence,influx,imbibeinsideinfra-belowinfrared,infrastructureinter-between,amonginteract,interchangeintra-inside,withinintramural,intravenousnon-absence,negationnon-smoker,non-alcoholicob-alsooc-,of-,op-blocking,against,concealingobstruct,occult,offend,opposeout-surpassing,exceedingoutperformexternal,awayfromoutbuilding,outboardover-excessively,completelyoverconfident,overburdened,overjoyedupper,outer,over,aboveovercoat,overcastperi-round,aboutperimeterpost-afterintimeororderpostponepre-beforeintime,place,orderorimportancepre-adolescent,prelude,preconditionpro-favouring,inpro-Africansupportofactingforproconsulmotionforwardsorawaypropulsionbeforeintime,placeororderprologuere-againrepaint,reappraise,reawakesemi-half,partlysemicircle,semi-conscioussub-alsosuc-,suf-,sug-,sup-,sur-,sus-atalowerpositionsubmarine,subsoillowerinranksub-lieutenantnearly,approximatelysub-tropicalsyn-alsosym-inunion,actingtogethersynchronize,symmetrytrans-across,beyondtransnational,transatlanticintoadifferentstatetranslateultra-beyondultraviolet,ultrasonicextremeultramicroscopicun-notunacceptable,unreal,unhappy,unmannedreversalorunplug,unmaskcancellationofactionorstateunder-beneath,belowunderarm,undercarriagelowerinrankundersecretarynotenoughunderdevelopedAsuffixgoesattheendofaword.Agoesatthebeginning.SuffixesAsuffixisagroupoflettersplacedattheendofawordtomakeanewword.Asuffixcanmakeanewwordinoneoftwoways:inflectional(grammatical):forexample,changingsingulartoplural(dogdogs),orchangingpresenttensetopasttense(walkwalked).Inthiscase,thebasicmeaningoftheworddoesnotchange.
derivational(thenewwordhasanewmeaning,derivedfromtheoriginalword):forexample,teachteacherorcarecarefulInflectionalsuffixesInflectionalsuffixesdonotchangethemeaningoftheoriginalword.SoinEverydayIwalktoschoolandYesterdayIwalkedtoschool,thewordswalkandwalkedhavethesamebasicmeaning.InIhaveonecarandIhavetwocars,thebasicmeaningofthewordscarandcarsisexactlythesame.Inthesecases,thesuffixisaddedsimplyforgrammaticalcorrectness.Lookattheseexamples:suffixgrammaticalchangeexampleoriginalwordexamplesuffixedword-spluraldogdogs-enplural(irregular)oxoxen-s3rdpersonsingularpresentlikehelikes-edpasttensepastparticipleworkheworkedhehasworked-enpastparticiple(irregular)eathehaseaten-ingcontinuous/progressivesleepheissleeping-ercomparativebigbigger-estsuperlativebigthebiggestDerivationalsuffixesWithderivationalsuffixes,thenewwordhasanewmeaning,andisusuallyadifferentpartofspeech.Butthenewmeaningisrelatedtotheoldmeaning-itisderivedfromtheoldmeaning.Wecanaddmorethanonesuffix,asinthisexample:derive(verb)+tion=derivation(noun)+al=derivational(adjective)Thereareseveralhundredderivationalsuffixes.Herearesomeofthemorecommonones:suffixmakingexampleoriginalwordexamplesuffixedword-ationnounsexplorehesitateexplorationhesitation-sionpersuadedividepersuasiondivision-erteachteacher-cianmusicmusician-essgodgoddess-nesssadsadness-alarrivearrival-arydictiondictionary-menttreattreatment-yjealousvictorjealousyvictory-aladjectivesaccidentaccidental-aryimagine