Prefixation and Suffixation

• One of morphological processes that we have mentioned so far is

AFFIXATION, which is divided into PREFIXATION and SUFFIXATION,
which are the most productive morphological processes in English
language.
• The process of Affixation includes adding an affix or several affixes
to the root morpheme or stem.
• We have mentioned four types of affixes (prefixes, suffixes, infixes
and circumfixes), but here we are interested in prefixes and suffixes,
since there are no true infixes and circumfixes in English language
(we mentioned adding letter -s in creating unusual plurals, such as s
in ‘’passer-s- by’’ as an infix, and an example of present progressive
in dialectal English, such as’’I am a-go-ing’’ as a circumfix.’’).
 Prefixation and Suffixation
• Coining new words by adding affixes is the most productive way of creating
new words throughout the history of English.
• Morphological productivity can be defined as the possibility of every
language user to form an uncountable number of new words.
• Prefixation is a morphological process whereby a bound morpheme is
attached to the front of the root or stem.
• Since prefixes can not be used as words, they are called BOUND. Some
prefixes, such as ‘’under’’ in ‘’underline’’, may be used as independent words
and are called FREE FORMS.
• Many prefixes have one more or less constant meanings. The prefix ‘’un-’’ in
‘’unhappy, unable, uneven, uncertain’’ means ‘’not’’. On the other hand,
certain prefix may vary in meaning (e.g. ‘’pro-’’ means ‘’favouring’’ in
‘’proslavery’’; then ‘’in place of’’ in ‘’pronoun’’ and ‘’forward’’ in ‘’proceed’’.
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Prefix Meaning Examples
a- -in a particular way or -awake, asleep
condition
- without - asexual, atypical, amoral
ante- -before -antenatal, antechamber
anti-/ant- -against or opposed to -anticlimax, anti-nuclear,
antagonistic
ambi-/amphi- - both, on both sides, - ambiguous, amphibious
around
auto- - self -autobiography, automatic
com-/con-/co-/col-/cor- - together or with - command, conviction,
cooperation, collaborate,
correspond
contra- - against, contrary - contradict
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Prefix Meaning Example
de- - To reverse, to alter - decommission, destabilise
dis- - To reverse, to remove - disqualify, disregard
down- - To lower, to reduce - downgrade, downsize
dys- - Not regular or normal - dysfunctional
extra- - beyond - extraordinary, extravagant
half- - One of two equal parts - halfway, half-moon
hyper- - extreme - hyperventilation,
hypersensitive
hypo- - Less than usual, too little - hypotension, hypothetical
il-/im-/in-/ir- - not - illogical, impossible,
ineffective, irresponsible
inter- - between - interactive,
intercontinental
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Prefix Meaning Example
intra-/intro- - within/directed within - intramural, introspection
mid- - middle - midday, mid-December
mis- - incorrectly, badly - misunderstand, misinform
non- - not - non-smoker, non-believer
over- - Too much - overeat, overindulgent
out- - Go beyond/exceed - outdo, outbid, outshine
para- -Beyond -Paranormal
-- similar or connected to -- paramedic
post- -- after -- post-war, posthumous
pre- -- before -- pre-2000, predetermined
pro- -- in favour of -- pro-Europe, pro-
nationalism
re- -- again -- reapply
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Prefix Meaning Example
semi- - half - semiconscious
sub- - under, below, secondary - subway, subtitle,
subnormal
super- - above, beyond, excessive - superstructure, superhero
tele- - At a distance - telecommunication,
telepathy
trans- - across - tranatlantic
ultra- - extremely - ultralight
un- - Remove -Undo
-- reverse -- unlucky
up- -Make higher, increase -- upgrade, uplift
under- -- beneath, less than -- underworld, under-age
vice- -- deputy -- vice-president, viceroy
 Prefixation and Suffixation
• Prefixes usually do not change the word class of the word. The
following prefixes do not change the word class: a-, anti-, co-, dis-,
hyper-, in-, mis-, non-, out-, over-, pre-, post-, semi-, super-, sub-, un-,
under-, etc. (e.g. The root of ‘’organize’’ is a verb and if we add
prefixes ‘’dis-’’ or ‘’re-’’ : ‘’dis-organize’’, ‘’re-organize’’, there is no
change of the word class).
• However, there are few prefixes that change the lexical category of
the stem and they are called ‘’class-changing prefixes’’ (e.g. Prefix
‘’a-’’ changes the word class of the stem: ‘’blaze’’ =N/V >’’ablaze’’ =
ADJ.; or prefixes ‘’em-’’ and ‘’en-’’ can also change a noun or adjective
into verb: ‘’code’’=N > ‘’encode’’ =V, ‘’bitter’’=ADJ > ‘’embitter’’ = V).
• The prefix which can create a VERB from a NOUN is prefix ‘’be-’’ (e.g.
‘’bewitch’’).
 Prefixation and Suffixation
• Suffixation is a morphological process whereby a bound
morpheme is attached to the end of a stem.
• Many suffixes are BOUND, such as: -’’ness’’ in ‘’coldness’’,
‘’-ize’’ as in ‘’dramatize’’, ‘’-hood’’ in ‘’neighbourhood’’, ‘’-
er’’ in ‘’miler’’.
• Some suffixes (usually BOUND) may appear as FREE
FORMS, such as: ‘’-teen’’ in ‘’entering his teens’’.
• There are two types of suffixes in English language:
a) an inflectional suffix
b) a derivational suffix
Prefixation and Suffixation
Inflectional suffixes Example
Noun plurals (e.g. –s, -es, -en) Chairs, bushes, oxen
Third person sg present She likes
tense :-s
Past tense: -ed She liked
-ing form as progressive She is walking
aspect
-ed form as –ed participle They have worked
Comparative forms: -er, -est He is bigger; I am the biggest
Negative verb inflection : -n’t I can’t, They won’t
 Prefixation and Suffixation
– Prefixes have a semantic role, whereas suffixes have a
semantic role as well, but they additionally change the class of
a word.

• Therefore, there are:

a) Suffixes which form nouns
b) Suffixes which form verbs
c) Suffixes which form adjectives
d) Suffixes which form adverbs
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Suffixes which form NOUNS Examples
- age - baggage, breakage
- al - approval, arrival
- ant/-ent - attendant, student
-ance/-ence - appearance, insistence
- arium/-orium - aquarium, sanatorium
- dom - freedom, wisdom
- ee - absentee, trainee
- ar/-er/-or - beggar, driver, sailor
-ie/-y - kiddie, daddy
- hood - childhood, knighthood
- ism - Marxism, pacifism
-ist - scientist, typist
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Suffixes which form NOUNS Examples
-ity/-ty - equality, cruelty
- let/-ette - booklet, kitchette
- ment - agreement, arrangement
- ness - happiness, kindness
- ary/-ery/-ory - library, fishery, laboratory
- (r)y - entry, bribery
-ship - friendship, membership
- -sion/-tion/-xion - division, organization, complexion
- (a)ion - formation, resignation
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Suffixes which form VERBS Examples
-ate - calculate, educate
- en - blacken, lenghten
- ify - magnify, simplify
- ise/-ize - modernize, Americanize
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Suffixes which form ADJECTIVES Examples
-able - readable, workable
- al - informal, criminal
- ed - bearded, long-sighted
- en - golden, wollen
- ese - Japanese, Vietnamese
- ful - helpful, mindful
-i - Pakistani, Iraqui
- ic(al) - heroic, historical
- ish - foolish, Polish
- ive - offensive, productive
- ian - Brazilian, Christian
- less - childless, priceless
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Suffixes which form ADJECTIVES Examples
- ly - monthly, yearly
- ous - enormous, famous
- type - A-type, Hollywood-type
-y - shaky, windy
 Prefixation and Suffixation
Suffixes which form ADVERBS Examples
- ly - aggressively, strangely
-ward(s) -backward(s), homeward(s)
- wise - crabwise, edgewise
 Prefixation and Suffixation
• Exercise 1. Give the morphemic structure of
the following words, indicating whether the
affixes are DERIVATIONAL or INFLECTIONAL.
• Reinterpreting successfully
• Unbreakable
• Inflammable
• Deafened
• Writings