Week 1 WBLS 2022

WORD FORMATION

WORD PARTS
English words are made from morphemes, which are the smallest units of speech with any
meaning or grammatical function. There are two kinds of morphemes: roots and affixes. Affixes
which occur at the beginning of words are called prefixes, and affixes which occur at the end of
words are called suffixes. The root of a word is the part which is left when you remove the
affixes.

PREFIX ROOT SUFFIX

dis grace ful
im polite ness
dis agree ment
un account able

PREFIXES
Prefixes have come into modern English from Old English (OE), French (F), Greek (G), or Latin
(L). Here are the most common English prefixes.
PREFIX ORIGIN MEANING EXAMPLES
a G not amoral, atheist, apathetic
a, ad L to affix, advance
ante L before antecedent, antenatal
anti G against antidote, antiseptic
auto G self autobiography, automatic
bi L twice bicycle, bilateral, binary
bio G life biology, bionic, biosphere
dis L not disable, disadvantage, dislike
fore OE before forearm, foretell, forefather
hyper G above, excessive hyperactive, hyperbole, hypertension
il, im, in, ir L not illegal, impossible, insecure,

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 irresponsible
infra L below infra-red, infrasonic, infrastructure
inter L between intercede, interpersonal, intercom
macro G large macrocosm, macroeconomics
micro G small microbe, microscope, micronutrients
mis OE wrong miscalculate, misplace,
misunderstand
over E too much overactive, overcrowded, overpaid
post L after postgraduate, post-war
pre L before premature, pre-war
quasi L half, almost quasi-liberal, quasi-official
re L back, again realign, reconfirm, reintroduce
semi L half, partially semicolon, semi-conscious, semi-
invalid
sub L under submarine, subway
tele G at a distance telephone, telescope, television
trans L across transatlantic, trans-continental
ultra L beyond ultramarine, ultra-modern, ultrasonic
un OE not unable, unattractive, unborn
uni L one uniform, unilateral, universe

SUFFIXES
A root may be followed by more than one suffix, each contributing to and extending the
meaning:
accept + table + ness sleep + less + ness
SUFFIX FUNCTION AND EXAMPLES
MEANING
able, ible makes adjectives meaning accountable, eligible
able to, likely to, etc
ucy makes nouns of quality or aristocracy, diplomacy,

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 condition from adjectives privacy
age makes nouns meaning acreage, coinage, storage
collection or service
al makes nouns & adj. accidental, dental, refusal
meaning of, pertaining to,
connected with
an, ian makes adj. & nouns African, Indonesian,
meaning of or from a Utopian
country, group, doctrine
ance, ence makes nouns from adj. & abundance, brilliance,
adv. dependence
meaning state or condition
ant, ent makes nouns & adj. absorbent, applicant,
meaning process or one who stimulant
ary makes nouns meaning dignitary, granary, monetary
related to
ate makes adj. from nouns affectionate, foliate,
meaning possessing or magistrate
denote
ation makes nouns meaning accusation, authorization,
action, process of or the damnation
result of
cide makes nouns meaning an genocide, homicide, suicide
act of killing
dom makes nouns meaning state earldom, boredom, kingdom
of or rank
en makes verbs from adj. & ashen, blacken, deafen
nouns meaning to make
ery, ory, ry makes nouns a place, brewery, masonry, tapestry
business, behavior, art,

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 trade
ful makes adj. meaning full of awful, careful, cupful,
or having the character of tearful
hood makes noun meaning the childhood, manhood
state of being
ic, ical makes adj. meaning alcoholic, heroic, romantic
connected with biological, comical,
historical
ician makes nouns meaning one beautician, musician,
who is skilled in or engaged tactician
in
ify, fy makes verbs meaning to amplify, deify, intensify
cause, to be or become
ing makes nouns and participles cooking, fishing, living
denoting activity or state
ise, ize makes verbs meaning to criticise, dramatise, fertilise
make
ish makes adj. meaning like or boyish, childish, reddish
tending towards
ism makes nouns denoting criticism, fanaticism,
beliefs, act, process or fascism
characteristic
ity makes nouns meaning state ability, charity, sanity
or quality
ive makes adj. meaning quality attractive, creative,
of demonstrative
less makes adj. meaning free colorless, lawless, senseless
from without
let makes nouns meaning little, booklet, bracelet, islet, piglet
or an ornament
like makes adj. meaning lifelike, warlike

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 resembling
ly makes adj. & adv. meaning cautiously, early, lovely
state or quality
ment makes nouns meaning the achievement, assessment,
product of or the state of retirement
most makes adjective superlative innermost, outermost,
uppermost
ness makes nouns meaning state carelessness, coolness,
or quality sadness
ous makes adj. denoting quality adventurous, nervous,
suspicious
ship makes nouns meaning the friendship, kinship,
quality of membership
some makes adj. meaning tending quarrelsome, troublesome,
to be, and makes nouns threesome
meaning a group consisting
of
ster makes nouns meaning one gangster, jokester, teamster
who makes or belongs to
ward, wards makes adverb meaning homeward, onward,
toward seaward, upward
wise makes adverbs meaning in clockwise, moneywise,
in relation to otherwise