CHAPTER 4

Important Affixes (Prefixes and Suffixes

of Latin, Greek and
English)
There 'primary words' which are not derived or developedor
are

ompounded from other words.

They belong to the the affixes
Other words are formed from these primary words byoriginal
stock of
words.
or addition
of some letters at the
beginning or at the end to the primary words. Thus,
affixes are two types prefixes and suffixes.
Aprefix is a letter or group of letters which is added to the
of a primary word in order to make a new word.
beginning
Examples : bed-abed
agree -disagree
A suffix is a letter or group of letters which is added to the end of a
primary word in order to form a new word, often of a different word class.
Examples:sad--sadness
move-movement
Sometimes there may be spelling change to a word when you add a
suffix to it. For example, happy' becomes happily' and happiness' by changing
y as 1. Generally, in words of one syllable ending in single vowel and
single consonant, the consonant will become double before a suffix beginning
with a vowel, as beg + ar = beggar. The last consonant will become double
when the last syllable is not stressed in multi-syllable word: as travel + er =
traveller.

Formation of words by using Prefixes

According to Wren and Martin, there are three types of prefixes namely
English prefixes, Latin prefixes and Greek prefixes. They are as follows:
Some English Prefixes
English Prefix Adding Meaning Words
of the Prefix
on, in abed, aboard, ashore, ajar, asleep
a out, fromn arise, awake, alight
be by beside, betimes, betool, before,
befriend, below, because, bedaub,
besmear, belittle, bemoan, bewail
for thoroughly forbear, forgive

(35)
 ENGLISH-
forecast, foretell,
forehead, foreground
foresight
fores
36 inlay
before inland, intake,
income,
fore misconduct, misdirect, mistr
in mischief, mischance, misbeha
in wrong misdeed, misled, misallian
mis
misjudge
outcry, outspoken, outnumh
outhouse, outcast, outside
mber
out overflow, overcharge, overwol
out
overthrow, overpower, overhea
ead
above, beyond
today, tonight, tomorrow
over
unkind, unholy, unak
this untrue,
to unpack, unfold, untie
not uncover,
un underground, undergrowth
undergo, undersell
below
under
uphill, upgrade,
upland, uprigh
up upset
well-born, well-manned, well
well informed
well
with draw, withstand, within
against, back
with
withhold
Some Latin Prefixes
Words
Latin Prefix
Adding Meaning
of the Prefix
away, avert
a
from, away
avail
a to
from, away absent, abduct, absolve, abstai-
ab abuse, abnormal
abs from, away abstract
ac to accord
ad to adjoin
aero of air aeronaut, aerodynamics
ambi on both sides, around ambiguou
ambition,
ambidextrous
an
before ancestor
ante before
antedate, antechamber, antenat
anti antecedent, anteroom
opposite of;, against antidote, anti-national, anticipa
antipathy, anti mask, antipo
ana
related antiseptic
analysis, anachronism, anatom
 37
VOCABULARY
benefit, benediction
well
bene bilingual, bimonthly, biannual,
two, twice
bi bicentury, bisect, bicycle
two, twice binocular
bin
two, twice biscuit
bis
of hundred centimetre, centigrade
centi
chronology, chronometer
chrono measure, fixing
circumvent, circumnavigate,
around
circum circumference, circumscribe
circuit
circu cohabit, cooperate, coordinate,
CO
with, together
cohere, coauthor
collect, collaborate, collocate
col with together
conduct, content, connect
Con
with, together
combat, compile, combine
COm
with, together
cordate, correlate
cor with, together
contraband, contraposition,
contra against
contradict, contraception
counteract, counter-charge,
counter against
counterfeit, counter-attack,
counter-threat, counter-balance
dethrone, demerit, defame,
de down
defuse, debase, deface, depart,
decamp, depopulate, descend
demigod, demimonde, demi-official
demi half
divide
di apart
dif apart differ
disagree, disorder,
dis apart disjoin,
disbelief, displease, disappear,
dishonest, dislike, disown
out of educe
ef out of effect
en in, into endanger, enrich, enlarge, enact
in, into embody, empower, embark,
em
embrace, embolden, embitter,
emphasis
out of extract, exclaim, extend
ex
beyond, outside extravagant, extraordinary, extra-
extra
curricular, extramural
il in, into illustrate
il not illegal, illicit
im not impossible, impure, immoral
im in, into immerse, imprudent
38 ENGLISH-I
in not insecure
in in, into intake, indifferent, infirm, invad
de
ir not irregular, irrelevant
ir into irrigate
enter among, within entertaina
inter among, within international, interval, interven.
intro among, within introduce, introspective
intra among, within intravenous, intramural
mal ill, badly malcontent, malnutrition
maladjusted, malpractice
maltreat
male ill, badly malevolent,
malefactor
malediction
multi many multistage, multiply, multi-
coloured
non not nonsense, non-sto0p, nonage, non
conductor, non-violence
ob against, in the way of object
OC against, in the way occupy
of against, in the way of offend
pen almost peninsula, penultimate
pel through pellucid
per through pervade

post after postpone, postseript, posthumou

postdate, post-graduate, pos
mortem

pre before prevent, predict, prematur

prefer, prearrange, prefix, pr
recorded, precaution
preter beyond preternatural
por for portray
pro for pronoun, project
pro for programme, prologue
pur for pursue
re back, again renew, reclaim, return, rel-
recall, retract, reinstate, Tee
refund
retro retrospective, retrograde, reu
backwards
rocket
Se
apart secede, separate
sed apart seduce, sedition
j-tin
semi half semicircle, semi-colon, sem
 VOCABULARY 39
sine without
sub under sinecure
subdue, subordinate, subway,
subject, 8ubsoil, sub-committee
subter beneath sub-Inspector, sub-normal
Suc under subterfuge
succeed
suf under
suffer
sug under
suggest
sum under
summon
sup under
support
sur under
surmount
Sus under sustain
super above
supernatural, superhuman,
superimpose, superfine,
superfluous
tra across traverse
trans across
transmit, transform, transport,
transplant
tres across
trespass
uni similar uniform, unisex
vice in the place of Viceroy, Vice-President, Vice
Principal
Some Greek Prefixes

Greek Prefix Adding meaning Words

of Prefix

a without, not atheist, apathy, amoral

amphi around amphitheater, amphibious
an without, not anarchy
ana up, back analysis, anachronism, anatomy
ant against antagonist
anti against antipathy
from apology, apostate, apocope
apo
archbishop, archangel, archimage
arch chief
chief
architect
archi
autobiography, automobile,
auto self autograph, autocrat, automatic
cataract, catastrophe, catalogue
cata down
dilemma, dioxide, disyllable
di twice
diameter, diagonal, dialogue
dia through
dyspepsia, dysentery
dys badly eccentric
ec
out of
 40 ENGLISH-I1
en in
encyclopaedia, endemic
em in emblem
epi upon epilogue, epitaph
equi same
equivalent, equidistance
eu well
eulogy, euphony, eugenics
ex out of exodus
geo of earth
geography, geology
haemo of blood
hemi
haemoglobin, haemorrhage
half
hemisphere
hetero different
homo like
heterogeneous, heterodoxy
homogeneous,
homonym homologu
hydr of water
hydrant, hydro-electric
hyper over, beyond
hypercritical,
hyperborean
hypersensitivs
hypo under
hypothesis, hypocrite
macro whole
macrobiology, macro-economics
mega big megaton, megacity
meta implying change metaphor, metonymy
micro small
microphone,
microwave, microfilmmicroscope
milli thousandth part milligram, millimetre
mono alone
monopoly, monoplane
monograph, monotone
monosyllable
ortho right, straight orthodox, orthopaedic
pan all
pantheism, panchromatir
panorama, panacea
para by the side of parallel, paradox, parasite
peri round
period, perimeter, periscope
philo love
philosophy, philanthropy
pro before programme, prophesy
sym with together
syn
sympathy, symbol
with
syl synchronise, synonym, syntax
with
syllable
sys with
tele system
of broad casting
theo of God
television, telepathy
thermo of heat
theology, theocracy
tri thermometer, thermostat
three
triangle, tricolour, triple
 VOCABULARY
Formation of
Words by Using
41

According to Wren and Suffixes

types namely, English Martin like prefixes, suffixes
suffixes, Latin suffixes and too have u
English Greek suffixes.
adverbs as Suffixes.-English suffixes form nouns, adjectives, verbs and
shown below.
Of Nouns
Denoting doer or agent by adding the
-ar-beggar suffixes
-er-painter, baker
-or-sailor
-ster-spinster, songster, punster
-ter-daughter
-ther-father
-yer-lawyer
(ii) Denoting state, action, condition of
suffixes
noun by adding the

-dom-freedom, wisdom
-hood-manhood, childhood
lock-wedlock
-ness -darkness, sweetness, boldness
-red-hatred, kindred
ship-hardship, lordship, friendship
-th-health, growth
(ii) Formation of diminutives by adding the following suffixes
-ekernel, handle
-en-chicken, maiden, kitten
-kin-lambkin, napkin
-let-leaflet
-ling-weakling, darling
-ock-hillock, bullock
Of Adjectives
Suffix Meaning Words

-ed having gifted, talented, wretched, learned

-en made of wooden, golden, woollen, earthen
-ful full of hopeful, fruitful, joyful
-ish somewhat like reddish, girlish, boorish
less without fearless, shameless, hopeless,
senseless, boundless, graceless,
guiltless, godless, spiritless
like godly, manly, cowardly, yearly,
homely, scholarly, happily
42 ENGLISH-I1

with the quality of

-Some
handsome, troublesome
burdensome,
quarrelsome, tiresome, meddlesom wholesome
gladsome meddlesome,
-ward specifies direction backward, eastward,
upward, forward, wayward
homeWardTa,
with the quality of dusty, dirty, misty, gloomy,
mogd
watery, airy, cloudy, silly, slimy,
wealthy, healthy, greedy, needy my,
thirsty
of Verbs
Suffix Meaning Words
en causative weaken, sweeten, gladden, blacken.
sadden, golden, wooden, hidden
broken, strengthen
se to make cleanse, rinse
-er intensive chatter, glitter, glimmer,
flutter, sleeper, runner
fritter,
Of Adverbs
Suffix Meaning Words
like boldly, wisely
-long length headlong, sidelong
-ward turning to homeward, backward, upward,
forward
-wards turning to backwards, upwards
-way path straightway, anyway
-ways time always
-wise manner, mode likewise, otherwise, crosswise,
crabwise

Latin Suffixes
Latin suffixes also form
nouns, adjectives and verbs
of Nouns
(i) Denoting chiefly the Doer
Suffixes or Agent of a Thing by Adding
-ain-chieftain
-an -artisan
-en-citizen
-an-surgeon
-ar-scholar