English prefix


English prefixes are affixes that are added before either simple roots or complex bases consisting of a root and other affixes, multiple roots, or multiple roots and other affixes. Examples of these follow:
English words may consist of multiple prefixes: anti-pseudo-classicism.
In English, all prefixes are derivational. This contrasts with English suffixes, which may be either derivational or inflectional.

Selectional restrictions

As is often the case with derivational morphology, many English prefixes can only be added to bases of particular lexical categories. For example, the prefix re- meaning "again, back" is only added to verb bases as in rebuild, reclaim, reuse, resell, re-evaluate, resettle. It cannot be added to bases of other lexical categories. Thus, examples of re- plus a noun base or re- plus an adjective base are virtually unattested.
These selectional restrictions on what base a prefix can be attached to can be used to distinguish between otherwise identical-sounding prefixes. For instance, there are two different un- prefixes in English: one meaning "not, opposite of", the other meaning "reverse action, deprive of, release from". The first prefix un- "not" is attached to adjective and participle bases while the second prefix un- "reverse action" is attached to either verb or noun bases. Thus, English can have two words that are pronounced and spelled the same and have the same lexical category but have different meanings, different prefixes, a different internal morphological structure, and different internal bases that the prefixes are attached to:
In the first unlockable "not able to be locked", the prefix un- "not" is attached to an adjective base lockable. This word has the following internal structure:
In the second unlockable "able to be unlocked", the prefix un- "reverse action" is attached to a verb base lock, resulting in the derived verb unlock. Subsequently, the -able suffix is added after the newly created unlock adjective base deriving the adjective unlockable. This word has the following internal structure:
Only certain verbs or nouns can be used to form a new verb having the opposite meaning. In particular, using verbs describing an irreversible action produces words often considered nonsense, e.g. unkill, unspend, unlose, unring. These words may nevertheless be in occasional use for humorous or other effect.

Changes in lexical category

Unlike derivational suffixes, English derivational prefixes typically do not change the lexical category of the base. Thus, the word do, consisting of a single morpheme, is a verb as is the word redo, which consists of the prefix re- and the base root do.
However, there are a few prefixes in English that are class-changing in that the word resulting after prefixation belongs to a lexical category that is different from the lexical category of the base. Examples of this type include a-, be-, and en-. a- typically creates adjectives from noun and verb bases: blaze > ablaze. The relatively unproductive be- creates transitive verbs from noun bases: witch > bewitch. en- creates transitive verbs from noun bases: slave > enslave.

Native vs. non-native (neo-classical) prefixing

Several English words are analyzed as a combination of a dependent affix and an independent base, such as those found in words like boy-hood or un-just. Following Marchand, these types of words are formed by native word-formation processes.
Other words in English are formed via foreign word-formation processes, particularly processes seen in Greek and Latin word-formation. These word types are often known as neo-classical words and are often found in academic learned vocabulary domains, as well as in inkhorn terms coined in the 17th and 18th centuries. Words of this nature are borrowed from either Greek or Latin or have been newly coined based upon Greek and Latin word-formation processes. It is possible to detect varying degrees of foreignness.
In some analytic frameworks, such neo-classical prefixes are excluded from analyses of English derivation on the grounds that they are not analyzable according to a mostly synchronic English basis. Conceptualized thus, anglicized neo-classical English words such as deceive are not analyzed by Marchand as being composed of a prefix de- and a bound base -ceive but are rather analyzed as being composed of a single morpheme. Similarly, pairs such as defend/defense and double /duplicity are not considered morphologically related in Marchand's treatment of English word formation and are thus excluded too, though they are regarded as derivatives of the shared roots in Jespersen's and Koizul's, while in others, they may be seen as allomorphs or variants. However, not all foreign words are unanalyzable according to such an English basis: some foreign elements have been nativized and have become a part of productive English word-formation processes. An example of such a now native English prefix is co- as in co-worker, which is ultimately derived from the Latin prefix com- ; and ex- as in ex-soldier, which derives from the Latin ex-.

Initial combining forms vs prefixes

Neo-classical

PrefixMeaningExamples
a-notacyclic, asexual, atonal, atheist
Afro-relating to AfricaAfro-American, Afro-Caribbean
ambi-bothambidextrous, ambitendency
amphi-around, two, both, on both sidesamphiaster, amphitheatre, amphibian
an-/a-not, withoutanemic, asymmetric, anarchy
ana-, an-up, againstanacardiaceous, anode, analog
Anglo-relating to EnglandAnglo-Norman, Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-American
ante-beforeantenatal, antechamber, antedate
anti-opposite, againstantagonist, antivenom
apo-, ap-away from, detachedaphelion, apogee, apomorphine
arch-ruling, dominating, most extreme archangel, archaen, archconservative
astro-starastrobiology, astrology, astronomy
auto-selfautobiography, automatic, autonomy
bi-twobicycle, biped, bisexual, binomial, bigamy
bio-life, biologicalbiology, biotic
circum-around, surroundingcircumlocution, circumnavigate, circumference
cis-on this side ofcislunar, cisgender
con-, co-, com-, col-, cor-together or withcohabit, colleague, commingle, confederation, correlation
contra-, contro-oppositecontradict, contraindication
counter-against, in opposition tocounteract, counterpart
cryo-icecryogenics
crypto-hidden, secretcryptography
de-downdepress, descend
demi-halfdemigod
demo-peopledemocracy, demography
deuter-seconddeuteragonist, deuterogamy
di-twodicotyledon, dioxide
dia-throughdialysis, diameter
dis-/di-/dif-apartdiffer, dissect, divide
du-/duo-twodual, duet
eco-ecologicalecosystem
electro-electric, electricityelectro-analysis, electromagnetic
en-, el-, em-inellipsis, emphasis, energetic
epi-, ep-upon, at, close upon, in additionephemeron, epicentre, epidermis
Euro-EuropeanEurocentric
ex-out ofexit, expel, explode, exploit, explore, export
extra-outsideextracurricular
Franco-French, FranceFrancophile, Franco-British, Franco-German
geo-relating to the earth or its surfacegeography, geology, geometry
gyro-spinning on an axisgyrocopter, gyroscope, gyrosphere
hetero-differentheterochromia, heterogeneous, heterotroph, heterozygous
hemi-halfhemimorphic, hemisphere
homo-samehomogeneous, homogenize, homologous, homophone, homozygous
hydro-relating to water, or using waterhydroelectricity, hydrant
hyper-excess, above, overhyperthermia
hypo-deficient, under or below something, lowhypothermia
ideo-image, ideaideograph, ideology
idio-individual, personal, uniqueidiolect, idiopathic
in-in, intoinclude, insert
Indo-relating to the Indian subcontinentIndo-European
in-, il-, im-, ir-not, opposite ofillegal, illicit, impatient, impossible, inappropriate, inexact, irregular, irresponsible
infra-below, beneathinfrared
inter-among, betweenintercede, internet, international
intra-inside, withinintravenous
iso-equalisochromatic, isotherm
macr-longmacrobiotic
mal-badlymalnourish, maladjusted
maxi-very long, very largemaxi-skirt, maximum
mega-, megalo-great, largemegastar, megalopolis
meta-after, along with, beyond, among, behindmetabolism, metaphysics
micro-smallmicrobacillus, microscope
mono-, mon-sole, onlymonogamy, monotone, monosyllabic, monomial, monobrow
multi-, mult-manymulticultural, multi-storey, multitude
neo-newneolithic, neoether
non-notnonexistent, non-fiction
ob-to, againstobject, obligate
omni-allomnipotent, omnipresent, omnivore
ortho-correcting or straighteningorthodontics, orthotropic
paleo-oldpaleolithic
pan-all, worldwidepan-African, pandemic, panorama, pansexual
para-beside, beyondparallel, paraplegic, parasail
ped-footpedal, pedestrian
per-through, completely, wrongly, exceedinglypermeate, permute
peri-around, near or adjacentperihelion, periphrase
photo-lightphotoelectric, photography, photosynthesis
pleo-morepleonasm, pleroma
pod-footpodiatrist
poly-manypolygon, polyhedron, polygamy
post-afterpostfix, postpone, postscript
pre-beforepredict, prepare, preview, preschool, prewrite, prefix
preter-beyond, past, more thanpreternatural
pro-for, substitute, deputyproconsul
pro-beforeprocambium
pros-towardprosthesis, prostrate, prose
proto-first, originalprotoplasm, prototype
pseudo-false, imitationpseudonym
pyro-firepyrokinetic, pyrotechnic
quadri-fourquadrilateral, quadrinomial
quasi-partly, almost, appearing to be but not reallyquasi-religious
retro-backwardsretrograde
semi-halfsemicircle
socio-society, social, sociologicalsociopath
sub-, sup-below, undersubmarine, subterranean, suburban, support
super-above, oversupervisor, superintendent
supra-above, oversuprarenal
sur-above, oversurreal, surrender, surplus
syn-, sy-, syl-, sym-together, withsyllable, symbol, synthesis, system
tele-at a distancetelegraph, telephone, telescope, television
trans-across, overtransatlantic, transverse, transform, transgender
tri-threetricycle, tripartite, triangle, tricolor, trinomial
ultra-beyondultramagnetic, ultrasonic, ultraviolet
uni-one, consisting of only oneunicycle, universal
vice-deputyvice-president, vice-principal, vice-admiral

Archaic

PrefixMeaningExample
gain-againstgainsay
umbe-aroundumbestound
y-inflectional prefixyclad, yclept