Affixation: Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefixes
add meaning or change meaning of a word :
|
Prefix |
Meaning |
Example |
|
Kilo- |
thousand |
kilogram, kilowatt |
|
Maxi- |
most,
very large |
maximum |
|
Mega- |
million,
very large |
megabyte, megastar |
|
Micro- |
one
millionth, very small |
microgram, microorganism |
|
mid- |
in
the middle of |
mid-afternoon, mid-air |
|
milli- |
thousandth |
milligram, milliliter |
|
mini- |
small |
miniskirt, minibus, miniseries |
|
mis- |
bad
or wrong, not |
to misunderstand, to misbehave, to miscalculate |
|
mono- |
one,
single |
monolingual, monorail |
|
multi- |
many |
multilingual |
|
non- |
not |
nonsense, non-resident, non-smoker |
|
out- |
more,
to a greater degree |
to outdo, to outrun |
|
over |
more
than normal too much |
to overeat, to oversleep, to
overestimate |
|
post- |
after |
postwar |
|
pre- |
before |
prepaid, preview |
|
pro- |
for,
in favour of |
pre-European, pro-democracy |
|
quad- |
four |
quadruple, quadruplet |
|
re- |
again |
to rewrite, to rebuild |
|
sub |
below,
less than, under |
subzero, subsonic subway, subtitles |
|
Super |
extremely,
more than |
superhuman, super sonic |
|
tele- |
far,
over a long distance |
telecommunications, television, telephone lens |
|
trans- |
across,
through |
transatlantic, transcontinental |
|
tri |
three |
triangle, tricolor |
|
ultra- |
extremely, beyond a certain limit |
ultra-modern, ultraviolet |
|
Prefix |
Meaning |
Example |
|
un- |
not, opposite, taking something away |
uncertain, uncomfortable unsure, to undo, to undress |
|
uni |
one,
single |
uniform |
|
a- |
not |
atypical |
|
Anglo- |
English |
Anglo-German relations |
|
ante- |
before |
antenatal (before birth) |
|
anti- |
against |
anti-European, antisocial |
|
auto- |
self |
autobiography |
|
bi- |
two |
bicycle, bilingual, bimonthly |
|
cent-, centi- |
hundred |
centenary, centimeter |
|
circum- |
around |
to circumnavigate (to sail around) |
|
co- |
together |
copilot, to coexist, cooperation |
|
con- |
with,
together |
context |
|
contra- |
against,
opposite |
to contradict, to contra flow |
|
counter |
against,
opposite |
counterrevolution, counterproductive |
|
de- |
taking
something away, the opposite |
to defrost, to decentralize |
|
deci- |
one
tenth |
deciliter |
|
dis- |
reverse,
opposite |
to displease, to disembark |
|
Euro- |
European |
Euro MP (member of the European
Parliament) |
|
ex- |
former |
ex-wife, ex-president |
|
extra |
very,
more than usual outside, beyond |
extra-thin, extra-special extraordinary, extraterrestrial |
|
fore |
before,
in advance front |
to foretell, forward foreground, forehead |
|
in-, il, im-ir |
not |
incorrect, invalid, illegible
immoral, impatient |
|
ir- |
not |
impossible, irregular, irrelevant |
|
Prefix |
Meaning |
Example |
|
inter- |
between,
form one to |
international interracial |
Suffixes
Suffixes are added at the end of
the word to change one part of speech into another:
|
Suffix |
used to make |
meaning |
example |
|
-able - ible, -ble |
adjectives |
possible to |
acceptable, noticeable,
convertible, divisible irresistible |
|
-al |
adjectives |
connected with |
experimental,
accidental, environmental |
|
-ance -
ancy, |
nouns |
an action, process or state |
appearance,
performance, pregnancy, constancy |
|
-ant, -ent |
nouns |
a person who does it |
assistant, immigrant,
student |
|
-ation |
nouns |
a state or action |
examination, imagination
organization |
|
-ee |
nouns |
a person to whom something
is done |
employee, trainee |
|
-en |
verbs |
to give something a
particular quality, to make something more |
to strengthen |
|
-ence,
- ency |
nouns |
an action, process or state |
coincidence, patience,
potency, presidency |
|
-er |
nouns |
a person who does something |
rider,
painter, baker, builder teacher |
|
-ese |
adjectives |
from a place |
Japanese,
Chinese, Viennese |
|
-ess |
nouns |
a
women who does something as a job |
waitress, actress |
|
Suffix |
used to make |
meaning |
example |
|
-ful |
adjectives |
having a particular quality |
beautiful, helpful, useful,
thankful |
|
-hood |
nouns |
a state, often during a
particular period of time |
childhood, motherhood |
|
-ian |
nouns |
a person who does something as a job or hobby. |
historian, comedian, politician |
|
-ical |
adjectives
from nouns ending -y- or-ics |
connected with |
economical, mathematical,
physical |
|
-ify |
verbs |
to produce a state or quality |
beautify, simplify, purify, |
|
ish |
|
describing
nationality or language. 2. Like something 3. rather, quite |
English,
Swedish, Polish childish,
foolish, longish, youngish, brownish. |
|
-ist |
nouns |
a person who has studied something or does something as a
job. a person who believes in something or belongs to a
particular group |
scientist,
typist capitalist, pacifist, feminist |
|
-ion |
nouns |
a state or process |
action, connection, exhibition |
|
-ve |
adjectives |
to be able to having a particular quality |
active, effective |
|
-ize |
verbs |
actions producing a particular state |
to magnetize, to generalize, to another |
