Prefixes and Suffixes
What are Prefixes and Suffixes?
Prefixes and suffixes are grammatical and lingual "affixes." Prefixes are affixed before and suffixes after a base word or word stem to add information. For example, with the word "prehistoric," the prefix is "pre-" meaning "before," the base word is "history" meaning "recorded events and knowledge", and the suffix is "-ic" meaning "relating to the science of."
In other words, "prefix" simply refers to an attachment before or in front of, in this case, a shorter word or stem. In lingual terms, a "stem" is the main part of a word to which prefixes and suffixes can be added and may not necessarily be a word itself, such as "dod" in "doddle."
Similarly, "suffix" refers to an attachment after the end of an existing word or stem, serving to form a new word or functioning as an inflectional ending, for example, “s” or “es” to make for plurality.
Is an Affix a Single Syllable?
No, a prefix or suffix can be one or more syllables, depending on the root word from Latin or Greek or from any one of a host of other English lingual influences.
Inflectional Suffixes
Are Endings such as "-ed," "-ing," and "-s" Suffixes?
Yes, endings that are create different forms of the same word are called "inflectional suffixes." There are very few inflectional suffixes but they occur rather frequently. They are:
-s, -es, -ies | plural | |
-s | 3rd person singular present | |
-ed | past tense | |
-en | past participle | |
-en | plural (irregular) | |
-ing | progressive/continuous | |
-er | comparative | |
-est | superlative | |
-n't | negative (contraction) |
Derivational Suffixes
Are Endings such as "-ism," "-ful," and "-fy" Suffixes?
Endings that change the meaning of the word are called "derivational suffixes." Some are:
-ism | forms a noun | |
-ist | noun | |
-ful | noun | |
-able | adjective | |
-ation | noun | |
-ness | noun | |
-ment | noun | |
-ify | verb | |
-fy | adjective | |
-ity | noun | |
-ly | adverb | |
-ise, -ize | verb |
Derivational suffixes can combine, providing flexibility in creating other words, but such activity can lead to spelling complications. For example, "-ity" can combine with "-able," but the result is "-ability" (desirability, predictability), and when "-ly" is added to a word ending in "-ic" to make an adverb, the result is usually "-ically" (historically, mechanically).
Prefixes
Prefixes are placed before the words to modify their meanings; like suffixes, they are groups of letters that rarely serve a purpose unless attached to a word. Here is a list of commonly used prefixes to give you an idea of how to identify them.
Prefix
|
Meaning
|
Examples
|
-a
|
On/in/out/from
|
Away, aboard, arise, alight
|
-al
|
all
|
Alone, already
|
-be
|
by
|
Below, before
|
-by
|
Be/on the side
|
Bypass, byword
|
-for
|
through
|
forget, forgive
|
-fore
|
before
|
Forecast, foresee
|
-gain
|
against
|
Gainsay
|
-in
|
in
|
Inside, income
|
-mis
|
wrong
|
Mislead, mistake
|
-over
|
Above/beyond
|
overflow, overcharge
|
-out
|
out
|
Outside, outcome
|
-to
|
this
|
Today, tonight
|
-un
|
Not/to reverse an action
|
Unkind, untie
|
-under
|
below
|
Underground, undersell
|
-with
|
Against/back
|
Withdraw, withhold
|
-wel
|
In good condition
|
Welcome, welfare
|
Suffixes
Suffixes are placed after words to modify their meanings; like prefixes, they are groups of letters that rarely serve a purpose unless attached to a word. Here is a list of some of them to give you an idea of how to identify suffixes.
Suffix
|
Meaning
|
Examples
|
-able/-ible
|
capable of
|
portable, legible
|
-ac/-ic
|
like/related to
|
cardiac, Nordic
|
-acy
|
state/quality of being
|
privacy, legitimacy
|
-acious/-icious
|
full of
|
gracious, malicious
|
-al
|
related to
|
logical, philosophical
|
-ance/-ence
|
state/quality of being
|
maintenance, permanence
|
-dom
|
state/quality of being
|
freedom, kingdom
|
-eer/-er/-or
|
person who
|
mountaineer, writer, counsellor
|
-escent
|
becoming, to be
|
adolescent, fluorescent
|
-esque
|
like/reminiscent of
|
picturesque, Kafkaesque
|
-fy
|
to make
|
magnify, electrify
|
-iferous
|
containing, yielding
|
vociferous, carboniferous
|
-ise
|
make, become
|
civilise, terrorise
|
-ish
|
having qualities of
|
hellish, fiendish
|
-ism
|
doctrine, belief, practice
|
favouritism, communism
|
-ist
|
person who
|
chemist, florist
|
-ity
|
state/quality of being
|
ingenuity, oddity
|
-less
|
without
|
brainless, endless
|
-ment
|
state/quality of being, result of action, process
|
enjoyment, embankment, abridgement
|
-ness
|
state of being
|
thinness, loneliness
|
-oid
|
like
|
celluloid, ovoid
|
-ose
|
full of
|
adipose, verbose
|
-osis
|
condition
|
hypnosis, psychosis
|
-ous
|
full of
|
illustrious, nauseous
|
-ship
|
position held
|
friendship, membership
|
-sion/-tion
|
state/quality of being
|
torsion, transition
|
-tude
|
state/quality of being
|
fortitude, certitude
|
-y
|
characterised by
|
funny, greedy
|
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