Word Formation: Prefixes & Suffixes

ENGLISH FOR COMPUTER SCIENCE EXTRA NOTES #3 EHSAN AKHGARI OCTOBER 2007

Introduction
2

Word formation in #n"!ish:

$refix

stem

suffix

#xam$!es: $ro"rammer: $ro"ram % er &someone 'ho $ro"rams( underestimate: under % estimate &estimate some)ody/somethin" too !itt!e( unreco"ni*a)!e: un % reco"ni*e % a)!e &cannot )e reco"ni*ed(

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Inter$retin" the +eanin" of Prefixes and Suffixes

,

Prefixes usua!!y chan"e the meanin" of a 'ord #xam$!es:

un$!easant interactive

Suffixes usua!!y chan"e the $art of s$eech of the 'ord #xam$!es:

$!easant!y active

-e carefu! 'hen inter$retin" the meanin"s )ased on

$refixes and suffixes. it is easy to mis/ud"e #xam$!es:

Se$tem)er0 1cto)er0 2ovem)er0 3ecem)er

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Prefixes
4

Prefixes can )e cate"ori*ed as )e!o' 2e"ative and $ositive Si*e 5ocation ime and order 2um)er

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Negative a ! P"#itive P$e%i&e#

his $refix ty$e is used to chan"e the meanin" of the stem ne"ative!y or $ositive!y6

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:
P$e%i& Mea i g E&a()*e#

P$e%i&e# "% Si'e

his $refix ty$e is used to a""re"ate the meanin" of a stem 'ith a si*e conce$t6

semi8 e9ui8 mini8 micro8

ha!f0 $art!y e9ua! sma!! very sma!!

semiconductor e9uidistant minicom$uter microcom$uter macroeconomics me"a)yte

macro8 !ar"e0 "reat me"a8

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P$e%i& Mea i g E&a()*e#

P$e%i&e# "% L"+ati"

his $refix ty$e is used to a""re"ate the meanin" of a stem 'ith a !ocation conce$t6

inter8 intra8 su$er8 trans8 ex8 in8 extra8 su)8 infra8 $eri8

)et'een0 amon" 'ithin0 inside of over across out inside )eyond under )e!o' around

interface0 interactive intranet su$ersonic transmit0 transfer exc!ude0 extrinsic inc!ude0 intrinsic extraordinary su)schema infra8red0 infrastructure $eri$hera!

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<

P$e%i&e# "% Ti(e a ! O$!e$

his $refix ty$e is used to a""re"ate the meanin" of a stem 'ith a time or an order conce$t6

P$e%i&

Mea i g

E&a()*e#

ante8 $re8 $rime8 $ost8 retro8

)efore first after )ac;'ard

antecedent $refix $rimary0 $rimitive $ostdated retroactive

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=
P$e%i& Mea i g E&a()*e#

P$e%i&e# "% N,(-e$#

his $refix ty$e is used to a""re"ate the meanin" of a stem 'ith a num)er or count conce$t6

semi8 mono8 )i8 tri8 9uad8 $enta8 hex

se$t&em(8

ha!f one t'o three four five six seven ei"ht ten many

semicirc!e monochromatic )inary trian"!e 9uadru$!e $enta"on hexadecima! Se$tem)er octa! decima! mu!ti$!exor0 mu!tidimensiona!

oct8 dec8 mu!ti8

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P$e%i& Mea i g E&a()*e#

$ro8

Ot.e$ P$e%i&e#
his $refix ty$e inc!udes the $refixes 'hich cannot )e cate"ori*ed into any of the aforementioned cate"ories6 auto8 co8 con8

)efore0 in advance for'ard se!f to"ether0 'ith

$ro"ram $ro"ress automatic auto)io"ra$hy auto"ra$h coordinate connect

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Suffixes
11

Suffixes can )e cate"ori*ed as )e!o' 2oun8formin" >er)8formin" ?dver)8formin" ?d/ective8formin"

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12
P$e%i& Mea i g E&a()*e#

N", /%"$(i g S,%%i&e#

his suffix ty$e creates nouns from the stems &usua!!y ver)s(6

8ance 8ence 8er0 8or

8ist0 8yst 8ian

state 9ua!ity of a $erson 'ho a thin" 'hich a $erson 'ho $ertainin" to the act of condition of action/state activity state0 action state0 9ua!ity condition/state domain/condition condition/state

$erformance inde$endence $ro"rammer0 o$erator com$i!er0 accumu!ator ana!yst0 ty$ist e!ectrician com$i!ation readiness conversion mu!ti$!exin" measurement e!ectricity ma"netism ;in"dom0 freedom re!ationshi$0 $artnershi$ 10/17/2007

8tion0 8ation 8ness 8ion 8in" 8ment 8ity 8ism 8dom

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8shi$

1,
P$e%i& Mea i g E&a()*e#

0e$-/%"$(i g S,%%i&e#
his suffix ty$e creates ver)s from the stems6

8i*e/8ise

8ate 8ify 8en

to ma;e

com$uteri*e automate0 activate0 ca!cu!ate sim$!ify harden0 'iden

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14

A!ve$-/ %"$(i g S,%%i&e#

his suffix ty$e creates adver)s from the stems6

P$e%i&

Mea i g

E&a()*e#

8!y

in the manner of

e!ectronica!!y0 !o"ica!!y0 com$ara)!y0 he!$fu!!y

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17

A!1e+tive/ %"$(i g S,%%i&e#

his suffix ty$e creates ad/ectives from the stems6

P$e%i&

Mea i g

E&a()*e#

8a! 8ar 8ic 8ica! 8a)!e 8i)!e 8ous 8fu! 8!ess 8ish 8ed 8ive

com$utationa!0 !o"ica! circu!ar havin" the 9ua!ity of ma"netic0 automatic e!ectrica! ca$a)!e of )ein" !i;e0 fu!! of characteri*ed )y 'ithout !i;e
havin" the 9ua!ity of

com$ara)!e divisi)!e dan"erous he!$fu! care!ess ye!!o'ish com$uted interactive

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@eferences
1:

A6 -oec;ner0 P6 Bhar!es -ro'n6 1xford #n"!ish for

Bom$utin"0 1xford University Press0 1==: +erriam8We)sterCs Bo!!e"iate 3ictionary0 11th edition

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