John Wiley And Sons Webster''s New World - Essential vocabulary_Prefixes and Suffixes

Prefixes and SuffixesCertain beginnings and endings can be affixed to some words or stems of words that change their meanings.. A -fix can change the meaning of a word altogether, like u

Prefixes and Suffixes

Certain beginnings and endings can be affixed to some words or stems of words that change their meanings These beginnings and endings fall into two categories: Prefixes are tacked onto the beginning of a word, while suffixes are stuck onto the

end Together, these affixed word pieces are called -fixes A -fix can change the meaning of a word altogether, like un- undoes something, or it can add a little nuance of meaning, as -ac turns a mania (a fad) into a maniac Watch out!

It is not within the scope of this book to comprehensively examine suffixes and prefixes, but in the following table some of the most common ones are listed, along with a brief sketch of what they do to the words to which they’re affixed; many also include examples I leave it to you to determine whether the -fix is a

prefix or suffix from where the hyphen (-) is placed: fix-(word) or (word)-fix I’m sure

you’ll recognize many, if not all, of them

Prefix/Suffix Meaning/Usage

a- same as ab- before m, p, or v

ab- away; from; off; down (abhor, abjure)

abs- same as ab- before c or t

ac- same as ad- before p or q

-ac of, relating to (maniac)

ad- motion toward, nearness to

-ad forms adverbs, meaning toward, like cephelad

af- same as ad- before f

al- means the before words of Arabic origin (algebra)

-al forms adjectives meaning like (personal) or nouns meaning

the act of (rehearsal)

-an belonging to or related to (Mexican)

(continued)

373

Prefix/Suffix Meaning/Usage

-ance the act or process of doing (continuance), something done

(utterance)

ap- same as ad- before a vowel

-ar, -ary forms adjectives meaning relating to (singular, polar, urinary)

as- same as ad- before s

be- forms verbs meaning around, thoroughly, excessively, treated

as (beset, bemoan, befriend)

bi- two, twice (biplane, bilateral)

bio- life (biography, biology)

by- close by; on the side (bystander, bypass)

co- same as com- before h or a vowel

col- same as com- before l

com- next to, with, together (compassion)

con- same as com- before c, d, g, j, n, q, s, t, v, and sometimes f

cor- same as com- before r

-cy quality, state, or condition (lunacy)

de- away from; off (derail); down (decline); reverse action; undo

(decode)

di- twice, doubled (diatomic, dihybrid)

di- same as dis- before b, d, g, l, m, n, r, or v

dia- through; between (diagonal, diameter)

dif- same as dis- before f

dis- 1 away; apart (disperse, dismiss); 2 not or un- (dishonest);

3 lack of; opposite (disunion, disease)

-dom 1 rank; dominion of (kingdom); 2 state of being (officialdom,

martyrdom)

-drome 1 arena (velodrome); 2 large field or arena (airdrome)

dyn-, dyna- power (dynamo, dynameter)

dys- bad, impaired, abnormal (dysfunctional)

374 Essential Vocabulary

-eer a person who makes or does things (engineer, pamphleteer)

ef- same as ex- before f

em- same as en- before b, m, or p (emboss, empower)

en- 1 to cover or wrap (enrobe); 2 to cause to be or to make into

(endanger); in or into (encase)

end- same as endo- before a vowel

endo- within (endosperm, endocrine)

epi- on the outside (epidermis)

equi- equally (equiangular)

-er 1 a person having to do with or from somewhere (hatter,

writer, New Yorker); 2 forming the comparative (bigger)

-ery 1 a place for, or a place to be (eatery, winery); 2 the act of

(robbery)

-est forming the superlative (greatest, smallest)

exo- outside (exoskeleton)

-fy make; cause to become (liquefy, putrefy)

-gamy marriage (polygamy)

geo- of the earth (geology)

-gon having a certain number of angles (octagon)

-gram to write (diagram)

-graph something that writes, or is written (telegraph)

helio- relating to the sun (heliotropism)

hex- same as hexa- before a vowel

holo- entire, whole (holograph)

hom- same as homo- before a vowel

homo- same, equal, alike (homonym)

(continued)

Prefix/Suffix Meaning/Usage

hydro- 1 water (hydrometer); 2 containing hydrogen (hydrochloric)

-iatry treatment (psychiatry)

-ic having to do with (volcanic)

-ide the end of the second name in a compound whose molecule

contains exactly two atoms (sodium chloride)

idio- one’s own, personal (idiosyncrasy)

il- same as in- used before l

im- same as in- used before b, m, or p

in- in, into, within, (inside); toward (inward); also used to

inten-sify some words of Latin origin (inbreed, induct, infer)

-ine having the nature of; like (crystalline)

inter- between or among (interval); 2 together (interact)

intra- within, inward (intramural)

intro- same as intra- (introvert)

ir- same as in- used before r

-ism 1 condition of being (pauperism); 2 devotion to

(nationalism)

iso- equal, similar, alike (isobar)

-ist 1 one who does or participates in an -ism (satirist); 2 an expert

at something (scientist); 3 a believer or adherent to (atheist)

-istic, -istical the former of adjectives relating to an action (artistic, egotistical)

-ite 1 inhabitant or native of (Brooklynite); 2 a salt of (halite); 3.

a certain rock (lignite); 4 a descendant of (Israelite)

-itis an inflammatory disease (tonsilitis)

-lepsy a fit or attack (epilepsy)

-let 1 small, diminutive (starlet); 2 small object worn as a band

on the body (anklet)

lipo- fatty (liposuction)

-lith, -lithic stone (batholith, neolithic)

-logy study of (biology)

376 Essential Vocabulary

-lysis destruction; dissolving; loosening; dissolution (analysis)

macro- large or enlarged (macrobiotic)

-mania a mental disorder or a wild enthusiasm for something

(pyromania, hulamania)

-maniac a person affected by a mania (cleptomaniac)

maxi- maximum; of larger scope than usual (maxi-power), often

hyphenated as an attachment to a word micro- very small; a millionth of a unit (microscope, micrometer)

milli- one one-thousandth of a unit (milliliter)

mini- miniature (miniskirt)

mis- wrong; wrongly; bad; poorly (miscue, misfire)

mult- same as multi- before a vowel

multi- much; many; more than two (multichanneled)

narco- 1 sleep (narcolepsy); 2 narcotic (narcotism)

neur- same as neuro- before a vowel

neuro- of the nerves or nervous system (neurology, neuritis)

non- not; the opposite of (nonagressive)

nona- nine (nonagon, nonet)

ob- 1 to; for; in front of (obtrude); 2 opposed to; against;

oppo-site (obverse); 3 upon; over (obscure)

oc- same as ob- before c

oct(a/o)- eight (octagon, octopus)

of- same as ob- before f

-oid like; resembling (ovoid)

op- same as ob- before p

-or 1 a person or thing that does something specific (addressor,

incisor); 2 a quality or condition (error, savor)

(continued)

Prefix/Suffix Meaning/Usage

-otic 1 of or affected with (neurotic); 2 producing (hypnotic)

oto- of the ear (ototic)

-ous full of (beauteous, capacious)

over- excessive (overact, overindulge)

paleo- ancient (paleontology, paleolithic)

pan- embracing all (pantheistic)

para- by the side of; subordinate to (paralegal, paraprofessional)

penta- five (pentagon)

peri- 1 beyond; around (periscope); 2 near (perinatal)

phleb- same as phlebo- before a vowel

phlebo- vein (phlebotomy)

photo- of or produced by light (photocopy)

phyto- floral; of a plant; vegetation (phytoplankton)

plano- having one side flat (planoconvex)

pneumo- of breathing; the lungs; respiration (pneumococcal)

proto- first in time or importance (protoplasm)

pseudo- false (pseudonym)

psych- same as psycho- before a vowel

psycho- of the mind (psychotic)

quadri- four (quadrilateral, quadriped)

retro- backward (retrofit)

rheo- a flow; current (rheostat)

rhino- nose (rhinoplasty)

378 Essential Vocabulary

self- of oneself; automatic (self-interest, self-loading)

semi- half; twice in a specified period (semicircle, semiannually)

sub- 1 under; beneath; below (subhuman); 2 of lower rank than;

inferior (subordinate); 3 to a lesser degree (subpar); 4 near; almost (substitute)

suf- same as sub- before f

sym- same as syn- before b, m, or p

syn- together; at the same time (synchronize)

sys- same as syn- before s, h, and other aspirate sounds

tele- at a distance (telecommute); of, in, or by (televise)

tran- same as trans- before s

trans- across; on the other side of; above and beyond (transcend,

transcontinental)

tri- three (triangle)

un- not (unused, unsupervised)

vice- one who acts in place of; second in command (viceroy,

vice president)

Foreign Phrases

Many phrases and expressions from foreign languages have found a place in every-day English among the better educated Some of them have been adopted and have found their way into everyone’s vocabulary, while some remain foreign yet are used often enough to be worth listing here A disproportionate number of the words are Latin and French This should not be a surprise, considering the prominent roles that the French played in our history and literature and that the Romans, whose language was Latin, played in the history of Europe and Britain

Letters in brackets stand for the language from which the phrase comes, as follows: Ar., Arabic

Fr., French Ger., German Haw., Hawaiian Heb., Hebrew Ire., Irish It., Italian L., Latin Sp., Spanish

adeste fidelis [L.] always faithful

affaire d’honneur [Fr.] a matter of honor

à la rigeur [Fr.] strictly speaking; if absolutely needed

(continued)

381

Foreign Phrase Definition

aloha oe [Haw.] greetings; love to you; farewell alter ego [L.] other self; constant companion amicus curiae [L.] friend of the court

amor vincit omnia [L.] “Love conquers all.”—Virgil

anno regni [L.] year in the reign of

ars gratia artis [L.] art for art’s sake

au contraire [Fr.] to the contrary

avant garde [Fr.] vanguard; on the cutting edge (esp in

the arts)

à votre santé [Fr.] to your taste

ben trovato [It.] well conceived; ingenious

bien entendu [Fr.] well understood; of course

bon appétit [Fr.] good appetite; enjoy

camino real [Sp.] royal road; high road

caveat emptor [L.] Let the buyer beware!

c’est la guerre [Fr.] That’s war!

c’est la vie [Fr.] That’s life!

cherchez la femme [Fr.] look for the woman

382 Essential Vocabulary

cogito, ergo sum! [L.] “I think, therefore I am.”—Descartes

comme ci, comme ça [Fr.] like this, like that; so, so

concordia discors [L.] harmony in discord

coup d’etat [Fr.] lit blow to the state; overthrow the

state government coup de maître [Fr.] masterstroke

danke schön [Ger.] thank you very much

danse macabre [Fr.] dance of death

de gustibus non est disputandum [L.] one can’t argue taste

Dominus vobiscum [L.] may God be with you

enfant terribile [Fr.] lit terrible child; child whose behavior

causes shock and dismay; mischievous

or outrageous one

Erin go bragh [Ire.] Ireland forever

ex post facto [L.] lit what is done after; retroactive

femme de chambre [Fr.] chambermaid

(continued)

Foreign Phrase Definition

Gesellschaft [Ger.] commercial company

Gotterdämmerung [Ger.] twilight of the gods

habeas corpus [L.] lit to have a body

hasta la vista [Sp.] until next time; so long

homme du monde [Fr.] lit man of the world; sophisticate

in vino veritas [L.] in wine there is truth

laissez-faire [Fr.] let be; leave alone; hands off

l’etat, c’est moi [Fr.] “I am the state!”—attrib to Louis XIV

384 Essential Vocabulary

mea culpa [L.] my fault

merci beaucoup [Fr.] thank you very much

Missa solemnis [L.] High Mass (Roman Catholic)

n’est-ce pas? [Fr.] Isn’t it so?

nicht wahr? [Ger.] Isn’t it so?

nil desperandum [L.] “never desperate”—Horace

noblesse oblige [Fr.] the inferred obligation of high-ranking

people to behave well toward others

non sequitur [L.] a remark having no bearing on what

was just said; an illogical conclusion from the facts

nouveau riche [Fr.] newly rich, and hence unschooled in

the appropriate behavior of the wealthy omnia vincit amor [L.] “Love conquers all!”—Virgil

on dit [Fr.] lit one says; it is said

o tempora! o mores! [L.] “Oh times! Oh morals!”—Cicero,

mean-ing “What a time we live in!”

par avion [Fr.] by airplane; airmail

Pax Britannica [L.] peace imposed by Britain

peu à peu [Fr.] little by little

peu de chose [Fr.] small thing; a trifle

(continued)

Foreign Phrase Definition

pièce de résistance [Fr.] the main item

pro bono publico [L.] for the public good

quand même [Fr.] just the same; regardless of consequences

que sera, sera [Fr.] what will be, will be

quid pro quo [L.] one thing in return for another

quod erat demonstrandum [L.] which is (was) to be demonstrated

raison d’être [Fr.] reason for being

répondez s’il vous plâit [Fr.] (usu R.S.V.P.) answer please

salaam [Ar.] peace (used as general greeting)

salle à manger [Fr.] dining room

se habla español [Sp.] Spanish is spoken here

shalom [Heb.] peace, well-being (used as general

greeting) s’il vous plâit [Fr.] please

386 Essential Vocabulary

terra firma [L.] solid ground

terra incognito [L.] unknown land; unknown ground

tour de force [Fr.] lit feat of strength; an exceptionally

skillful production, performance, cre-ation, etc

tout de suite [Fr.] at once; immediately

tout le monde [Fr.] the whole world; everybody

und so weiter (usw.) [Ger.] and so on; etcetera

veni, vidi, vici [L.] “I came; I saw; I conquered.”—Julius

Caesar

vérité [Fr.] truth; short for cinéma vérité; realism vice versa [L.] the other way around; reversed

vive la différence [Fr.] Long live the difference! [between men

and women]

vive la reine [Fr.] Long live the queen!

vive le roi [Fr.] Long live the king!