Unit-3

Use of Prefixes:
Prefixes are used to coin new words of various types:

(a) Negative prefixes

Prefix Base word New word

im- possible/mortal impossible/immortal

in- evitable inevitable
sensitive insensitive
un- stable unstable
like unlike
a- theist atheist
moral amoral
non- entity non-entity
violence non-violence
dis- passionate dispassionate
service disservice
il- logical illogical
limitable illimitable
ir- rational irrational
relevant irrelevant
de- frost defrost
forestation deforestation
mis- interpret misinterpret
represent misrepresent
Pseudo- secular pseudo secular
religious pseudo religious

(b) Prefixes of number

Prefix Base word New word

mono- syllabic monosyllabic

logue monologue
uni- lateral unilateral
cellular unicellular
bi- lingual Bilingual
lateral bilateral
di- pole dipole
ode(electrode) diode
urnal diurnal
tri- weekly Triweekly
angle triangle
tetra- cyclic tetracyclic
Multi/poly- syllabic Polysyllabic
 racial multiracial
pronged multipronged
lingual multilingual

(c) Prefixes of time and order

Prefix Base word New word

re- evaluate re-evaluate

examine re-examine
ante- chamber antechamber
fore- knowledge fore-knowledge
tell foretell
pre- natal prenatal
mature premature
post- war post-war
dated post-dated
ex- MLA ex-MLA
principal ex-principal
Super- structure superstructure
fine superfine

(d) Prefixes of location

Prefix Base word New word

sub- way subway

terranean subterranean
marine submarine
Inter-/intra- national international
class interclass
group intergroup
departmental intra-departmental
trans- plant transplant
migration transmigration

(e) Prefixes of degree and size

Prefix Base word New word

super- man superman

natural supernatural
out- run outrun
live outlive
under- state understate
cooked undercooked
hyper- active hyperactive
 critical hypercritical
ultra- modern ultramodern
simple ultra simple
mini- bus minibus
(midi-/maxi-) skirt miniskirt
over- active overactive
smart oversmart
sub- human subhuman
zero sub-zero
standard substandard
arch- bishop archbishop
angel archangel

(f) Prefixes of attitude

Prefix Base word New word

pro- congress pro-congress

democracy pro-democracy
anti- hindu anti-hindu
social anti-social
co- operate cooperate
sponsor cosponsor
counter- act counteract
proposal counterproposal

(g) Other Prefixes

Prefix Base word New word

auto- biography autobiography

smart autosmart
neo- rich neorich
classical neoclassical
semi- circle semicircle
nude semi-nude
pan- Indian pan-Indian

(h) Class - changing Prefixes

Here are examples of some prefixes that change the class to which a word belongs:

Prefix Word Class New word Class

be- head noun behead verb

friend noun befriend verb
en- able adjective enable verb
 trust noun entrust verb
a- float verb afloat adverb
head noun ahead adverb
de- form noun deform verb
frost noun defrost verb

Use of Suffixes:
The suffixes may be broadly divided into two categories: class – maintaining and class – changing. Here
are few examples:

(a) Class - maintaining suffixes

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-ship Friend noun friendship noun

-hood Boy noun boyhood noun
-ite Hindu adjective hinduite adjective
-er London noun Londoner noun
-ess- Tiger noun tigress noun
-dom King noun kingdom noun
-ery Machine noun machinery noun

(a) Class - changing suffixes

(I) Noun to adjective

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-ian India noun Indian adjective

-ese China noun Chinese adjective
-ful Beauty noun beautiful adjective
-less Harm noun harmless adjective
-ly friend noun friendly adjective
-like Child noun childlike adjective
-ish Child noun childish adjective
-al accident noun accidental adjective
-ous virtue noun virtuous adjective

(II) Adjectives to noun

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-ity Able Adjective ability noun

-ness happy Adjective happiness noun
 -ry brave Adjective bravery noun

(III) Nouns to verbs

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-ify Fort Noun fortify verb

-en length Noun lengthen verb
-le Top noun topple verb

(IV) Verbs to nouns

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-er Drive verb driver noun

-ment govern verb government noun
-age Drain verb drainage noun
-ant pollute verb pollutant noun
-ee Pay verb payee noun
-ation condemn verb condemnation noun
-al withdraw verb withdrawal noun
-or Act verb actor noun

(V) Verbs to adverb

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-ily Sleep verb sleepily adverb

-fully Play verb playfully adverb

(VI) Adjective to adverb

Suffix Word Class New word Class

-ly Nice adjective nicely adverb

-wards Back adjective backwards adverb