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Prefixes
What are PREFIXES?
Consider this sentence.
• He is understood by all of us.
In this sentence, it has been stated that he is properly understood by us.
Consider the following sentence.
• He is misunderstood by all of us.
In this sentence, it has been stated that he is not properly understood by us.
That means that he is misunderstood.
The addition ‘mis’ has been added to the word ‘understood’ and thus a new word ‘misunderstood’ has been created
The addition ‘mis’ is called a prefix.
Such an addition when added to the beginning of a word is called PREFIX.
Such an addition, when added to the end of a word, is called SUFFIX.
The origins of Prefixes which are used in English are Latin, Greek and English languages.
ENGLISH PREFIXES
Let us see the prefixes of English origin.
Here for your reference, the prefixes are listed below with examples for every prefix.
A- on, in
abed, aboard, ashore, ajar, asleep
A-out, from
Arise, awake, alight
Be- by (sometimes intensive)
Beside, betimes, besmear, bedaub
For- thoroughly
Forbear, forgive
Gain- against
Gainsay
In-in
Income, inland, inlay
Mis- wrong, wrongly
Misdeed, misunderstanding, mislead, misjudge
Over- above, beyond
Overflow, overcharge
To- this
To-day, to-night, to-morrow
Un-not
Untrue, unkind, unholy
Un-to reverse an action
Untie, undo, unfold
Under-beneath, below
Undersell, undercharge, undergo, underground
With-back, against
Withdraw, withhold, withstand
LATIN PREFIXES
Ab (a, abs)-From, away
Abuse, assign, attach, abstract
Ad (ac, af, al, an, ap, ag, as, ar, at, a)-to
Adjoin, accord, affect, aggressive, allege, announce, appoint, arrest, assign, attach, avail etc…
Ambi (amb, am) - on both sides, around
Ambiguous, amputate, ambition, amphitheatre etc…
Ante (anti, an)-before
Antedate, anticipate, ancestor
Bene-well
Benediction, benefit
Bis (bi, bin)-twice, two
Binoculars, biscuit, bisect
Circum (circu) - around
Circumnavigate, circumference, circuit
Con (col, com, cor) – with, together
Contend, collect, combine, correct
Contra (counter) – against
Contradict, counteract, counterfeit
De-down
Descend, dethrone, depose etc…
Dis (dif, di) –
Disjoin, differ, divide etc…
Demi-half
Demigod
Ex (ef, e) - out of
Extract, effect
Extra-beyond, outside of
Extraordinary, extravagant
In (il, im, ir, en, em) –in, into
Invade, illustrate, immerse, irrigate, enact, embrace etc…
In (il, im, ir) –not
Insecure, illegal, imprudent, irregular etc…
Inter (Intro, enter) – among, within
Intervene, introduce, entertain etc…
Male (mal) –ill
Malevolent, malcontent
Non-not
Nonsense
Ob (oc) –in the way of
Object, occupy etc
Of – against
Offend
Pen – almost
Penultimate, peninsula etc…
Per (pel) – through
Pervade, pellucid
Post – after
Postscript, postdate, postpone
Pre – before
Prefix, prevent, predict
Preter –beyond
Preternatural
Pro (por, pur) –for
Pronoun, portray, pursue
Re – back, again
Reclaim, refund, renew, return
Retro –backwards
Retrospect, retrograde
Se (sed) – apart
Secede, separate, seduce, sedition
Semi – half
Semicircle, semicolon
Sine – without
Sinecure
Sub (suc, suf, sug, sum, sup, sur, sus ) – under
Subdue, succeed, suffer, suggest, summon, support, surmount, sustain
Subter – beneath
Subterfuge
Super –above
Superfine, superfluous
Trans (tra, tres) –across
Transmit, traverse, trespass etc…
Vice – in the place of
Viceroy, vice-president
GREEK PREFIXES
A (an) – without
Atheist, apathy, anarchy
Amphi – around, on both sides
Amphitheatre, amphibious
Ana – up, back
Analysis, anachronism
Anti (ant) – against
Antipathy, apology
Apo(ap) – from
Apostate, apology
Arch (archu) – chief
Arch-bishop, arch angel, architect
Auto – self
Autobiography, autograph
Cata – down
Cataract, catastrophe, catalogue
Di – twice
Dilemma
Dia – through
Diameter, diagonal
Dys –badly
Dysentery, dyspepsia
En (em) – in
Encyclopedia, emblem
Epi – upon
Epilogue, epitaph
Eu – well
Eulogy, euphony, eugenics
Ex (ec) – out of
Exodus, eccentric
Hemi – half,
Hemisphere
Homo (hom) – like
Homogeneous, homonym
Hyper – over, beyond
Hyperbole, hypercritical
Hypo – under
Hypocrite, hypothesis
Meta (met) – implying change
Metaphor, metonymy
Mono – alone, single
Monopoly, monophony, monoplane
Pan – all
Panacea, panorama, pantheism
Para – beside, by the side of,
Parallel, paradox, parasite
Peri – round
Period, perimeter, periscope
Philo (phil)– love
Philosophy, philanthropy
Pro – before
Prophesy, programme
Syn (sym, syl, sy ) – with, together
Synonym, sympathy, syllable, system
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