Affixes
What are affixes?
An affix is an element that is added to a base word or root to create a new or inflected form. The most common affixes are prefixes, which attach to the beginning of a base or root word, and suffixes, which attach to the end. We’ll briefly cover both of these here, but you can continue on to their individual sections to learn more.
There are also a number of other, less common affixes that are used in English, which we’ll look at further on.
Prefixes
A prefix is a group of letters that is added to the beginning of a root or base word to change its meaning in a sentence. Prefixes are never inflectional—that is, they do not change the grammatical function of a word without changing its basic meaning. Instead, prefixes are only ever derivational, serving to create new words with unique meanings.
Prefixes generally do not affect the spelling of the root word to which they are attached, but we do sometimes have to alter the prefix itself depending on the spelling of the word it precedes. For example, the prefix in- can change to ig- (before n-), il- (before l-), im- (before b-, m-, or p-), or ir- (before r-).
In addition, many prefixes are only able (or only tend) to attach to certain parts of speech. For example, the prefix un- (meaning “not”) generally only attaches to adjectives, as in unhappy or uncomfortable; when un- means “to do the opposite of,” it only attaches to verbs, as in uncork or unlock. Attaching un- to a noun, on the other hand, is usually not done—for instance, unbuilding or unsky are incorrect.
Let’s briefly look at some common prefixes one might encounter:
Prefix | Meaning | Usually attaches to | Example words |
---|---|---|---|
anti- (Occasionally hyphenated; sometimes ant- before a vowel, especially a-) | 1. Equal and opposite to. 2. Opposing; against; prejudicial to. 3. Counteracting; destroying; neutralizing. 4. Enemy of or rival to; false version of. | 1. nouns, Greek roots 2. adjectives, nouns 3. adjectives, nouns 4. nouns | 1. antarctic, anticatalyst, anticlimax, antidote, antihero, antimatter, antipodes, antithesis, antonym 2. antagonist, antiapartheid, anticolonial, anticorruption, antidiscrimination, antiestablishment, antigovernment, antisocial, anti-war 3. anti-aircraft, antibacterial, anticonvulsive, antidepressant, antifungal, antifreeze, antihistamine, antipyretic, antitoxin, antiviral 4. antichrist, antipope |
auto- (occasionally reduced to aut- before vowels) | 1. Self; one’s own; of, regarding, or performed by the same person or thing. 2. Derived from automatic (sometimes hyphenated). 3. Derived from automobile (sometimes hyphenated). | 1. nouns, adjectives, Latin and Greek roots 2. nouns, verbs 3. nouns | 1. autarchy, autism, autobiography, autoclave, autocracy, autograph, autoimmune, automatic, automobile, automotive, autonomy, autopsy 2. autofocus, autocorrect, autopilot, autosave, autosuggest, auto-tune 3. autobus, autocross, automaker, auto-mechanic |
bi- (Very rarely, becomes bin- before vowels) | 1. Two. 2. Having or involving two. 3. Occurring at intervals of two; less formally, occurring twice within that interval. | 1. nouns, Latin roots (and, less often, verbs) 2. adjectives 3. adjectives, adverbs | 1. biceps, bicycle, bifurcate, bipartisan, biped, bisect 2. bifocal, biconcave, biconvex, bilingual, binaural, binocular, bidirectional, bilateral, bipolar 3. biannual, bicentennial, bihourly, bimonthly, biweekly |
co- Occurs before roots beginning with vowels or the consonants h- and gn-; it is also used to form newer compound terms (which are often hyphenated). This prefix is the common reduced form of com-, the original Latin prefix, which occurs before roots beginning with b-, m-, or p-. It also takes three other forms, depending on the letter it precedes:
| 1. From the original prefix: together; together with; joint; jointly; mutually. Also used as an intensifier. 2. In newer terms, co- can indicate: joint(ly), mutual(ly), or together (with); partnership or equality; a subordinate or assistant; to the same degree or extent; or (in mathematics) the complement of an angle. | 1. Latin roots 2. adjectives, nouns, verbs | 1.
2. co-author, codependent, codominant, co-driver, coexist, coeducation, co-manage, cooperate, co-pilot, cosine, cotangent, co-worker |
de- (sometimes hyphenated when followed by a vowel) | 1. To reverse; to do or cause to be the opposite. 2. To extract, remove, or eliminate from; to be without. 3. Out of; away from; off. 4. To reduce; to lower; to move down from. 5. Thoroughly or completely (used as an intensifier). | 1. nouns, verbs, Latin roots 2. nouns, verbs, Latin roots 3. nouns, verbs, Latin roots 4. nouns, Latin roots 5. verbs | 1. decaffeinate, decelerate, decriminalize, decode, decommission, decompose, deconstruct, de-emphasize, desegregate, destabilize 2. debunk, decalcify, deglaze, de-ice, delouse, despair, dethrone 3. decamp, defect, deflect, deplane, detrain 4. declass, degrade, deject, demean, descend, detest 5. debrief, defraud, despoil |
dis- (becomes dif- when combining with Latin roots beginning f-) | 1. Lacking; without; not. 2. To do or cause to be the opposite. 3. Apart; out of; away from; off. 4. To extract, cancel, remove, or release. 5. Indicating intensive force. | 1. adjectives, nouns 2. verbs 3. verbs, Latin roots 4. nouns, verbs 5. verbs, Latin roots | 1. disability, disadvantage, disbelief, disease, dishonest, disservice, dissimilar, distemper, distrust, disuse 2. disagree, disassociate, disavow, disbelieve, disconnect, discredit, disgrace, disprove 3. differ, difficulty, diffraction, diffuse, discard, discord, discharge, disembark, dispense 4. disbar, disbud, disburse, disenfranchise, disenchant, disentangle 5. disannul, disembowel, disturb |
ex- (always hyphenated) | Former. | nouns | ex-banker, ex-boyfriend, ex-girlfriend, ex-husband, ex-marine, ex-partner, ex-priest, ex-teacher, ex-wife |
fore- | 1. Before; earlier; previous in time. 2. In front of; at or near the front; before or previous in position or location. | 1. verbs 2. nouns | 1. forebear, forebode, forecast, foreclose, forego, forejudge, foresee, foreshadow, foretell, forewarn 2. forearm, forebrain, foredeck, forefather, forefinger, foreground, forehead, foreleg, foreman, foresail |
mis- (Mis- is in many ways identical to mal-, though mis- is much more likely to be paired with verbs.) | 1. Bad; wrong; improper; imperfect; defective; abnormal. 2. Badly; wrongly; improperly; imperfectly; defectively; abnormally. | 1. nouns 2. verbs | 1. misadventure, misbalance, misconception, misconduct, misconnection, misdiagnosis, misdirection, misdeed, misgivings, mishap, misinformation, misperception, mismatch, mistrust 2. misadjust, misbehave, miscalculate, miscarry, miscast, miscommunicate, misconstrue, misdial, misdiagnose, mishear, misinform, misinterpret, mislabel, mislead, mistake, mismanage, misrepresent, misspell |
non- (Non- is often hyphenated according to the preference of the writer, but it is more commonly attached without a hyphen in American English.) | Indicating total negation, exclusion, failure, or deficiency. | adjectives, nouns | nonaggression, nonalcoholic, nonavailability, nonbeliever, nonchalant, noncombatant, non-cooperation, noncompliance, nondisclosure, noneducational, nonemergency, nonevent, nonexistent, nonfiction, nonfunctional, nonhazardous, nonhuman, noninfectious, nonlethal, nonpayment, nonprofit, nonsmoking, nonworker |
out- | 1. Surpassing; going beyond; excelling over others. 2. External to; outside; away from the center. 3. Indicating an emergence, protrusion, or issuing-forth. 4. Beyond what is normal, acceptable, or agreeable. | 1. verbs 2. noun, verbs 3. nouns 4. adjectives, verbs | 1. outargue, outclass, outdistance, outdo, outfox, outlast, outgrow, outgun, outmaneuver, outmatch, outnumber, outpace, outperform, outrank, outrun, outsmart, outshine 2. outback, outboard, outbound, outcast, outcross, outdate, outdoors, outfield, outfit, outgoing, outhouse, outlaw, outlier, outline, outpatient, outpost, outreach, outside, outsource 3. outburst, outcome, outcrop, outgrowth, outpouring 4. outlandish, outsized, outspoken, outstay |
pre- (Often hyphenated before other vowels, especially e-, though this is less common in American English. Always hyphenated before proper nouns and non-letters) | 1. Before; in front of. 2. Earlier than or beforehand in time. 3. Before, in advance, or instead of the normal occurrence. | 1 & 2. adjectives, nouns, verbs, Latin roots 3. verbs | 1. preamble, precede, precinct, predate, preeminent, preface, prefer, prefix, prefrontal, prelude, preposition, preside, pretext 2. precept, precipitation, precocious, pre-date, predict, pre-emption, prehistory, preindustrial, prejudice, premature, premonition, prenatal, preparation, preproduction, prescience, preserve, preschool, preshow, presume, preview 3. preadmit, preapprove, preassign, prebook, preclean, precondition, predestine, predetermine, preoccupy, preorder, prepay, pre-position |
pro- | 1. Supporting; promoting; in favor of. 2. Forward; forth; toward the point. 3. In place or on behalf of; acting or substituting for. 4. Beforehand; in advance; prior to. 5. In front; before. | 1. nouns (usually hyphenated, but not always) 2, 3, 4 & 5. Greek and Latin roots (less commonly, adjectives, nouns, and verbs) | 1. pro-American, pro-Britain, pro-Catholic, pro-choice, pro-life, pro-peace, pro-revolution, prowar 2. problem, proceed, proclaim, procreate, procrastination, profess, profound, program, progress, project, prolong, promote, propel, prosecute, protest, proverb 3. proconsul, procure, pronoun, proper, prorate, proportion 4. proactive, prognosis, prohibit, prophet, proscribe 5. proboscis, profane, pronominal, prologue, protect |
re- (This prefix becomes red- before Latin roots beginning with vowels. It is hyphenated when paired with English roots if the resultant spelling would be the same as an existing word; it may also be hyphenated before English roots beginning with vowels, especially e-, but this is often up to the discretion of the writer and is not usually done in American English.) | 1. Once more; again (in the same manner, direction, etc.). 2. Once more; again (with the aim of improving, fixing, or substituting). 3. Anew; restored to the original place, condition, etc. 4. Against; back or in reverse; opposite; in response to. 5. Used as an intensive with Latin root verbs. | verbs, Latin roots | 1. reaffirm, reappear, reboot, recognize, recopy, re-cover, recur, re-dress, redecorate, redeploy, redesign, rediscover, reelect, reenact, reenter, rehearse, rehire, relearn, rehydrate, relive, reload, reregister, re-sign, restart, retry, reunite 2. reapply, reapportion, rebrand, recalculate, rekindle, relabel, relocate, remarry, reschedule, reseal, rethink, retry 3. reacquire, readjust, realign, rebuild, recapture, receive, regain, rehabilitate, renew, replace, restore 4. react, rebel, rebuff, recant, recede, reciprocate, recite, recoil, redact, redeem, redress, refer, regress, reject, relate, remove, resign, respond, return 5. redolent, refine, regard, regret, relieve, remedy, repent |
semi- | 1. Half. 2. Incompletely; partially; partly; somewhat, almost, or resembling. 3. Occurring twice within a certain period of time. | 1 & 2. adjectives, nouns 3. adjectives | 1. semicircle, semicolon, semicylinder, semidiameter, semidome, semifinal, semioval, semiovate 2. semiarticulate, semiautomatic, semiconductor, semiconscious, semidarkness, semidetached, semidry, semiformal, semiliterate, semiofficial, semipermanent, semiprofessional, semiserious, semiretired, semitransparent, semivowel 3. semiannual, semimonthly, semiweekly |
trans- (usually becomes tran- before roots beginning with s-) | 1. Across; beyond; through; on the other side. 2. Completely change or alter. | 1. adjectives, verbs, Latin roots 2. nouns, verbs, Latin roots | 1. transaction, transatlantic, transcend, transfer, transfix, transfuse, transgenerational, transgress, transient, translucent, transmit, transnational, transpacific, transparent, transplant, transport 2. transcribe, transduce, transfigure, transform, transgender, translate, transliterate, transmute, transubstantiate |
un- (1) Hyphenated before proper nouns and adjectives. | 1. Not. 2. Used to form certain negative adjectival phrases. 3. Opposite of or contrary to; lacking or absent. | 1. adjectives (not counting nouns formed from prefixed adjectives) 2. past-participle adjectives + prepositions 3. nouns | 1. unable, unaccompanied, un-American, unbelievable, unbiased, un-British, uncertain, unclear, undue, unemployed, unending, unfamiliar, unforeseen, ungraceful, unguided, unhappy, unhealthy, uninformed, unjust, unkind, unknowing, unlawful, unlikely, unlucky, unmanned, unpersuaded, unprofessional, unrated, unreasonable, unscathed, unsolved, untried, untrustworthy, unwise, unwritten 2. unasked-for, uncalled-for, undreamed-of, un-get-at-able, unheard-of 3. unbelief, unconcern, uninterest, unmilitary, unrest, untruth |
un- (2) | 1. To reverse, erase, or undo an action or effect. 2. To deprive of, extract, or remove. 3. To free, remove, or release from. 4. Used as an intensifier with existing verbs that have the same meaning. | 1. verbs 2. nouns 3. nouns 4. verbs | 1. unbend, unbind, unbolt, unclog, uncoil, uncork, undo, undress, unfasten, unfold, unfurl, unhook, unload, unlock, unplug, unscrew, unscramble, unseal, unsheathe, unravel, unroll, untangle, unwind 2. unbalance, uncloak, unfrock, unhorse, unman, unmask, unseat, unveil 3. unburden, unbox, uncage, uncrate, unearth, unharness, unhitch, unleash, unwrap unyoke 4. unloose, unravel |
Suffixes
A suffix is a group of letters that is added onto the end of a base or root word to change its meaning. Unlike prefixes, which can only be derivational (forming a new word with a unique meaning), suffixes can be either derivational or inflectional (meaning that the grammatical function of the word is changed, but its basic meaning is not).
Inflectional Suffixes
Inflectional suffixes can be applied to nouns (to form plurals), adjectives and adverbs (to form comparatives and superlatives), and verbs (to indicate tense and grammatical person). In some cases, the same suffix may be used with different parts of speech to create different types of inflection. For example:
Suffix | Part of Speech Inflected | Grammatical Function | Example Words |
---|---|---|---|
“-s” | Verbs | Forms the third-person singular for most verbs. | hear→hears run→runs think→thinks write→writes |
“-s” | Nouns | Changes most nouns from singular to plural. | bank→banks car→cars pizza→pizzas toy→toys wire→wires |
“-es” | Verbs | Forms the third-person singular for verbs ending in a sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, /ʧ/, or /ʃ/) created by the endings “-ss,” “-z,” “-x,” “-sh,” “-ch,” or “-tch,” as well as verbs ending in a consonant + O. | approach→approaches catch→catches do→does go→goes hush→hushes pass→passes quiz→quizzes |
“-es” | Nouns | Forms the plural for nouns ending in a sibilant sound (/s/, /z/, /ʧ/, or /ʃ/) as created by the endings “-ss,” “-z,” “-x,” “-sh,” “-ch,” or “-tch.” | coach→coaches watch→watches dish→dishes box→boxes bus→buses kiss→kisses waltz→waltzes |
“-ed” | Verbs | Forms the past simple tense and past participle of most verbs. | ask→asked burn→burned dare→dared hope→hoped open→opened talk→talked walk→walked |
“-en” | Verbs | Forms the past participle of some irregular verbs. | be→been drive→driven eat→eaten give→given got→gotten sink→sunken write→written |
“-en” | Nouns | Changes certain irregular nouns from singular to plural. | ox→oxen child→children brother→brethren |
“-ing” | Verbs | Forms the present participle of verbs (as well as the gerund form.) | build→building care→caring hear→hearing pass→passing read→reading see→seeing wear→wearing |
“-er” | Adjectives and Adverbs | Forms the comparative degree for many adjectives and adverbs. | big→bigger fast→faster* happy→happier high→higher* sad→sadder slow→slower* |
“-est” | Adjectives and Adverbs | Forms the superlative degree for many adjectives and adverbs. | big→biggest fast→fastest* happy→happiest high→highest* sad→saddest slow→slowest* |
(*These words function either as adjectives or adverbs, depending on their use. Those without an asterisk only function as adjectives.)
Derivational Suffixes
While there is only a limited number of inflectional suffixes, there is a huge amount of derivational suffixes. These can create a word with a new meaning that belongs to the same part of speech, but, in many cases, derivational suffixes end up changing the part of speech of the word altogether.
We’ll look at a lot more of these in the section on Suffixes, but let’s look at some common ones here.
Suffixes that form nouns
Suffixes that form nouns most often attach to verbs, but some attach to adjectives or even other nouns. For example:
Suffix | Suffix meaning | Attaches to | Example words |
---|---|---|---|
“-al” | An action or process. | Verbs | approve→approval betray→betrayal bury→burial deny→denial dispose→disposal propose→proposal renew→renewal reverse→reversal |
“-er” | A person or thing performing or capable of a particular action. | Verbs | bake→baker compose→composer defend→defender employ→employer interview→interviewer keep→keeper teach→teacher write→writer |
“-hood” | 1. A state, quality, or condition. 2. A group sharing a state, quality, or condition. | Nouns | adult→adulthood boy→boyhood brother→brotherhood child→childhood father→fatherhood girl→girlhood knight→knighthood man→manhood mother→motherhood parent→parenthood sister→sisterhood woman→womanhood |
“-ication” | A state, condition, action, process, or practice, or the result thereof. | Verbs ending in “-fy” | amplify→amplification clarify→clarification dignify→dignification falsify→falsifiication glorify→glorification identify→identification justify→justification modify→modification quantify→quantification simplify→simplification unify→unification |
“-ism” | 1. An action, process, or practice. 2. A state, condition, or quality. 3. A doctrine, theory, or set of guiding principles. | 1. Verbs 2 & 3. Adjectives | active→activism antagonize→antagonism baptize→baptism criticize→criticism colloquial→colloquialism conservative→conservatism exorcize→exorciism feminine→feminism liberal→liberalism metabolize→metabolism modern→modernism pacific→pacifism |
“-ment” | An action or process, or the result thereof. | Verbs | adjust→adjustment bereave→bereavement contain→containment disappoint→disappointment employ→employment fulfill→fulfillment judge→judgment move→movement place→placement resent→resentment treat→treatment |
“-ness” | A state, condition, trait, or measurement thereof. | Adjectives | alert→alertness cold→coldness dark→darkness exact→exactness fierce→fierceness happy→happiness kind→kindness like→likeness selfish→selfishness useful→usefulness |
“-tion” | A state, condition, action, process, or practice, or the result thereof. | Verbs | act→action affect→affection communicate→communication complete→completion direct→direction educate→education evolve→evolution inscribe→inscription interrupt→interruption misconceive→misconception resolve→resolution subscribe→subscription translate→translation |
Suffixes that form verbs
Derivational suffixes that create verbs attach to nouns and adjectives:
Suffix | Suffix meaning | Attaches to | Example words |
---|---|---|---|
“-en” | 1. To become or cause to become. 2. To come or cause to have. | 1. Adjectives 2. Nouns | black→blacken broad→broaden cheap→cheapen fright→frighten hard→harden heart→hearten length→lengthen red→redden sharp→sharpen sick→sicken strength→strengthen |
“-ify” | To make or cause to become. | Adjectives, nouns | ample→amplify beauty→beautify clear→clarify diverse→diversify dignity→dignify glory→glorify just→justify pure→purify null→nullify simple→simplify type→typify |
“-ize” | To become or cause to become; to do or make that to which the suffix is attached. | Adjectives, nouns | accessory→accessorize apology→apologize capital→capitalize civil→civilize economy→economize empathy→empathize fertile→fertilize industrial→industrialize legal→legalize human→humanize standard→standardize theory→theorize union→unionize |
Suffixes that form adjectives
Derivational suffixes that create adjectives usually attach to nouns; much less often, they attach to verbs. For example:
Suffix | Suffix meaning | Attaches to | Example words |
---|---|---|---|
“-able” | Possible; capable of; suitable for. | Verbs | adore→adorable break→breakable debate→debatable do→doable excite→excitable live→livable manage→manageable read→readable stop→stoppable |
“-al” | Having the characteristics of or relating to. | Nouns | artifice→artificial bride→bridal brute→brutal center→central emotion→emotional form→formal logic→logical music→musical politics→political space→spatial tide→tidal |
“-ful” | 1. Full of; characterized by. 2. Tending or able to. | 1. Nouns 2. Verbs | beauty→beautiful care→careful delight→delightful forget→forgetful grace→graceful joy→joyful law→lawful mourn→mournful play→playful respect→respectful waste→wasteful |
“-ic” | Having the characteristics of or relating to. | Nouns | acid→acidic base→basic comedy→comedic galaxy→galactic hero→heroic irony→ironic magnet→magnetic myth→mythic nostalgia→nostalgic poetry→poetic rhythm→rhythmic system→systemic |
“-ish” | 1. Typical of, similar to, or related to. 2. Of or associated with (a particular nationality, region, or language). 3. Inclined to or preoccupied with. | Nouns | book→bookish boy→boyish Britain→British child→childish clown→clownish Denmark→Danish fiend→fiendish girl→girlish nightmare→nightmarish prude→prudish self→selfish Spain→Spanish Sweden→Swedish |
“-less” | Lacking; deprived of; without. | Nouns | aim→aimless blame→blameless color→colorless doubt→doubtless home→homeless hope→hopeless limit→limitless need→needless point→pointless rest→restless self→selfless time→timeless use→useless |
“-ous” | Possessing; characterized by; full of. | Nouns | advantage→advantageous caution→cautious disaster→disastrous fame→famous glamor→glamorous joy→joyous malice→malicious nutrition→nutritious religion→religious pretense→pretentious poison→poisonous suspicion→suspicious |
“-y” | 1. Characterized by; consisting or having the quality of; filled with. 2. Tending or inclined to. | 1. Nouns 2. Verbs | bulk→bulky class→classy dream→dreamy ease→easy leak→leaky mess→messy rain→rainy rope→ropy shine→shiny smell→smelly wimp→wimpy |
Suffixes that form adverbs
By far the most common and well-known suffix that creates adverbs by attaching to adjectives is “-ly.” However, there are two others derivational suffixes that form adverbs: “-ways/-wise” and “-ward.” For example:
Suffix | Suffix meaning | Attaches to | Example words |
---|---|---|---|
“-ly” | 1. In a certain or specified manner. 2. At that interval of time. | 1. Adjectives 2. Nouns (units of time) | abrupt→abruptly calm→calmly day→daily double→doubly easy→easily extreme→extremely full→fully happy→happily lucky→luckily month→monthly probable→probably quiet→quietly right→rightly smart→smartly true→truly whole→wholly year→yearly |
“-ways/-wise” (“-wise” is much more common, especially in American English, except with the root side, which almost always becomes sideways) | 1. In a specified manner, direction, or position. 2. With reference or in regard to. (sometimes hyphenated) | Nouns, adjectives | clock→clockwise business→businesswise edge→edgewise (occasionally: edgeways) health→health-wise length→lengthwise (occasionally: lengthways) like→likewise other→otherwise side→sideways weather→weather-wise |
“-ward” | In a specified direction or position. | Nouns, adjectives, adverbs | back→backward down→downward east→eastward fore→forward front→frontward home→homeward north→northward on→onward south→southward to→toward west→westward |
Other Affixes
While prefixes and suffixes are by far the most common types of affixes in English, there are a few others that appear less often: interfixes, simulfixes, circumfixes, infixes, and suprafixes. Some of these are like prefixes and suffixes, in that they attach a new letter or letters to an existing base word or root to create a new term; others function by changing a letter within a word, or by changing the pronunciation of a word.
Interfixes
An interfix (also known as a linking element) is a single letter (usually a vowel, and especially O) that doesn’t have specific meaning in itself, but instead acts as a connector between different words, roots, or word-forming elements.
For example:
- arachnophobia (O replaces “-id” from arachnid)
- discography (O attaches to the word disc)
- egotism (T attaches to the word ego)
- embryonic (N attaches to the word embryo)
- filmography (O attaches to the word film)
- hallucinogen (O replaces “-ation” from hallucination)
- herbicide (I attaches to the word herb)
- ionosphere (O attaches to the word ion)
- kleptomania (O replaces “-es” from the Greek root kleptes)
- lobotomy (O replaces “-e” from lobe)
- pesticide (I attaches to the word pest)
- speedometer (O attaches to the word speed)
- tracheotomy (O replaces “-a” from trachea)
There are also a number of informal, colloquial, or humorous terms that writers sometimes coin by using an interfix with a noun and familiar ending to mimic the structure of standard words. For example:
- applause-o-meter (mimics words like speedometer)
- blogosphere (mimics words like atmosphere)
- rodenticide (mimics words like pesticide)
- germophobia/germaphobia (mimics words like arachnophobia)
- smell-o-vision (mimics the word television)
Simulfixes
A simulfix is a letter or group of letters that changes within a word (rather than being added to it) to indicate a shift in grammatical meaning. The most common of these occur in nouns that have irregular plural forms or verbs with irregular conjugations. For example:
Irregular Nouns | Irregular Verbs |
---|---|
man→men woman→women mouse→mice goose→geese louse→lice tooth→teeth foot→feet knife→knives wolf→wolves leaf→leaves thief→thieves | swim→swam→swum sing→sang→sung see→saw run→ran grow→grew ride→rode sit→sat get→got give→gave drive→drove think→thought |
Circumfixes
Circumfixes are word elements that appear at both the end and beginning of a base word, usually forming transitive verbs. There are only a few words that could be said to feature circumfixes in English:
- enlighten
- enliven
- embolden
- evaporate
Infixes
Infixes are words or word elements that appear within a base word, usually separated by hyphens. There are no “true” infixes in English; instead, they are all formed colloquially in speech and writing, typically for the sake of adding emphasis to a word.
Most commonly, infixes are used with words that have more than two syllables, and they usually consist of expletives (curse words) or minced oaths (euphemistic expressions meant to represent expletives without using the actual words).
For example:
- abso-bloody-lutely
- fan-frickin’-tastic
- un-stinkin’-believable
Suprafix
A suprafix (sometimes called a superfix) is unique among affixes in that it refers to a change in a word’s pronunciation to indicate a difference in grammatical function and meaning, rather than a change in spelling. The name comes from the term suprasegmental, which refers to speech sounds like stress and pitch rather than those related to the pronunciation of letters.
Most often, suprafixes occur with words that can function as either a noun or a verb. For example:
Word | Noun | Verb |
---|---|---|
contest | con·test (/ˈkɑn.tɛst/) | con·test (/kənˈtɛst/) |
desert | des·ert (/ˈdɛz.ərt/) | de·sert (/dɪˈzɜrt/) |
increase | in·crease (/ˈɪn.kris/) | in·crease (/ɪnˈkris/) |
object | ob·ject (/ˈɑb.ʤɛkt/) | ob·ject (/əbˈʤɛkt/) |
permit | per·mit (/ˈpɜr.mɪt/) | per·mit (/ˈpɜr.mɪt/) |
present | pres·ent (/ˈprɛz.ənt/ | pre·sent (/prɪˈzɛnt/) |
project | proj·ect (/ˈprɑʤ.ɛkt/) | pro·ject (/prəˈʤɛkt/) |
rebel | reb·el (/ˈrɛb.əl/) | re·bel (/rɪˈbɛl/) |
record | rec·ord (/ˈrɛk.ərd/) | re·cord (/rəˈkɔrd/) |
refuse | ref·use (/ˈrɛf.juz/) | re·fuse (/rɪˈfjuz/) |
subject | sub·ject (/ˈsʌb.ʤɛkt/) | sub·ject (/səbˈʤɛkt/) |
Chapter Sub-sections
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