Delvinancey 词汇学（4）Word Formation Ⅰ: Prefixation
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Affixation is generally defined as the formation of words by adding word-forming or derivation affixes to bases. This process is also known as derivation, by which new wods are derived from old or base forms. The words created in this way are called derivations. According to the positions affixes occupy in words, affixation falls into two subcategories: prefixation and suffixation.
Prefixation
Prefixes do not generally change word-class of the base but only modify its meaning. For convenience of study, we shall present prefixes on a semantic basis.
Negative Prefixes
a-
Meaning "not, without, opposite to"
E.g. apolitical, asexsual, atypical, amoral, asocial
dis-
Meaning "not, the converse to"
E.g. disobey, disorder, disuse, discredit, disloyal
in-(ir-,il-,im-)
Same in meaning as for dis-
E.g. inaudible, illegitimate, irresistible, immature
non-
Meaning "not", a productive affix expressing the idea that a person or thing does not have the qualities or characteristics reffered to
E.g non-classical, non-smoker, non-virtue, non-violence
un-
Same in meaning as for dis-, a very productive affix
E.g. undemorcratic, unbuilt, unsmiling
Reversative or Privative Prefixes
de-
Meaning "reversing the action, depriving of", a productive affix
E.g. decentralize, deforestation, demystify
Fixed to nouns to form verbs, a characteristic absent from most prefixes
E.g. deice, defeather, debug, descale
dis-
Meaning "reversing the action", eith verbs
E.g. disallow, dispossess, disunite
Meaning "lacking", woth adjectives
E.g. disinterested, discoloured
un-
Same in meaning as for de- with verbs
E.g. unbug, unlock, unwrap
Meaning "depriving of, releasing from" in limited use with nouns to make verbs
E.g. unseat, unhorse, unmask
Prejorative Prefixes
mal-
Meaning "badly, bad", added to verbs, participles, adjectives and abstract nouns
E.g. maltreat, malformed, malordous, maladministration
mis-
Meaning "wrongly, astray", added to verbs, participles and abstract nouns
E.g. misinterpret, mistrust, misconduct
pseudo-
Meaning "false, imitation", a productive affix with nouns and adjectives.
E.g. pseudo-scientific, pseudi-classicism
Often used to show disapproval
E.g. pseudo-friend, pseudo-parent
Preifixes of Degree or Size
arch-
Meaning "supreme, most", with human nouns
E.g. arch-bishop, archduke
Productive usually with pejorative
E.g. arch-enemy, arch-hypocrite, arch-rival
co-
Meaning "jointly, on equal footing", productive with nouns and verbs
E.g. cohabit, co-auther, co-direct
extra-
Meaning "very", productive with adjectives
E.g. extra-large, extra-strong, extra-bright
hyper-
Meaning "extreme", productive with adjectives, somtimes pejorative
E.g. hyperactive, hypercreative, hypercritical, hypercautious
macro-(micro-)
Meaning very "big(small)", forming technical terms
E.g. macrostructure, microparticle, macrocosm, microwave
out-
Meaning "surpassing", with verbs, nouns and adjectives to form new new transitive verbs
E.g outswim, outwit, outsmart, outclass
over-
Meaning "excessive", added to adjectives, verbs and nouns
E.g. over-anxious, overestimate, overweight
sub-
Meaning "secondary, less important", produtive in this sense with nouns to form newnouns
E.g. sub-system, substandard, subliteracy
Meaning "beneath, lesser"
E.g. subnormal, subsoil, subliteracy, substandard
sur-
Meaning "over and above", added to nouns
E.g. surchange, surpass, surtax
ultra-
Meaning "extreme", productive with adjectives
E.g. ultra-conservative, ultra-feminine, ultra-civilized
under-
Meaning "insufficient, beneath", productive with verbs, nouns and adjectives
E.g. underpay, undersurface, undernourished, underdeveloped
Prefixes of Orientation and Attitude
anti-
Meaning "against, opposed to", productive with nouns and adjectives
E.g. antinuclear, anti-abortion, anti-goverment
Meaning "preventing, destroying"
E.g. anti-bacterial, anti-infaltion, antifreeze
"Against traditonal characteristics" and "of or belonging to the hypothetical world consisting of antimatter"
E.g. anti-hero, anti-music, anti-quark
contra-
Meaning "opposite, contrasting"
E.g. contradistintion, contrafactual
counter-
Meaning "against, in opposition to", productive eith nouns and verbs
E.g. counter-offer, counterstrike, counter-espionage
pro-
Meaning "for, on the side of", productive with nouns and adjectives to form adjectives
E.g. pro-demorcracy, pro-authority, pro-femenist
Locative Prefixes
circum-
Meaning "around"
E.g. circumnavigate, circumscribe
endo-
Meaning "internal to"
E.g. endocentric, endocrinology
extra-
Meaning "outside"
E.g. extra-curricular, extra- territorial
fore-
Meaning "front part of", productive with nouns, verbs and adjectives
E.g. forearm, forehead
inter-
Meaning "between, among", productive nouns, verbs and adjectives
E.g. intercity, interpersonal, interatate, intermarriage
intra-
Meaning "within", productive with nouns and adjectives to form adjectives
E.g. intra-class, intra-party, intra-generation
para-
Meaning "along with"
E.g. paramedic, paranormal
super-
Meaning "above"
E.g. superstructure, superscript
tele-
Meaning "distant"
E.g. telecommunication, teleprinter, telescope
trans-
Meaning "across, from one place to another", productive with adjectives, nouns and verbs.
E.g. transatlantic, transcontinental, transplant
The prefix trans- often combineswoth bound roots to form words
E.g. translate, transmit, transform, transcribe
Prefixes of Time and Order
ex-
Meaning "former", productive with nouns
E.g. ex-professor, ex-lover, ex-convict
fore-
Meaning "before", productive with nouns and verbs
E.g. foreword, forethought, forefathers
post-
Meaning "after", productive with nouns and adjectives
E.g. post-elation, post-independence, post=structuralism
pre-
Meaning "before, in advance", productive with nouns, verbs and adjectives
E.g. predetermine, prejudge, pre-adolescent
re-
Meaning "again, back", productive with nouns, verbs
E.g. remarriage, reread, reconsider
Number Prefixes
bi-(di-)
Meaning "two"
E.g. bycicle, bilingual, bimonthly, diameter, dichotomy
multi-(poly-)
Meaning "many"
E.g. multi-purpose, multi-candidate, polytechnic, polysyllabic
semi-(demi-, hemi-)
Meaning "half"
E.g. semi-automatic, demigod, hemisphere
tri-
Meaning "three"
E.g. triangle, tricolour, tripartite
uni-(mono-)
Meaning "one"
E.g. unisex, monoculture, monorail, unidirectional
Conversion Prefixes
a-
Added to verbs to produce predicative adjectives
E.g. asleep, awash, aglow, alive
be-
With nouns to form transitive verbs
E.g. befriend, bewail, begrudge
With nouns plus -ed to generaete adjectives
E.g. bewildered, bejeweled, beloved
en-(em-)
Chiefly woth nouns or adjectives to create trasitive verbs, em- occuring to words beginning with p.b.m
E.g. endanger, enrich, empower, embitter
Miscellaneous Prefixes
auto-
Meaning "self", productive with nouns and verbs
E.g. autobiography, autosuggestion
neo-
Meaning "new, revived", productive with nouns and adjectives.
E.g. neo-Liberal, neo-expressionism
pan-
Meaning "all, the whole of", productive with adjectives
E.g. pan-continental, pan-Indian
proto-
Meaning "first, original", productive with nouns
E.g. proto-fascist, proto-coalition
vice-
Meaning "deputy"
E.g. vice-provost, vice-chairman
New Prefixes
e-
Meaning "electronic"
E.g. e-mail, e-class, e-pass
eco-
Meaning "ecology"
E.g. ecofreak, ecosphere, ecotourism
info-
Meaning "information"
E.g. infonet, info-highway
docu-
Meaning "document"
E.g. docu-express, docudrama, docufiction
petro-
Meaning "petroleum"
E.g. petrodollar, petro-powers
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