ENGLISH AFFIXES

Prepared by:Punnithann SubramaniamNor Affandi KhiruddinAhmad Zuhairi Asli Advisor:Puan Hajah Asyidah

INTRODUCTION• Many English words are formed by taking basic words and adding combinations of prefixes and suffixes to them. • A basic word to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes) are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word. • The root word is also a word in its own right. • For example, the word lovely consists of the word loveand the suffix -ly.

• In contrast, a root is the basis of a new word, but it does not typically form a stand-alone word on its own. • For example, the word reject is made up of the prefix re- and the Latin root ject, which is not a stand-alone word.

WHAT IS AFFIXES ?• A word element--a prefix, suffix, or infix--that can be attached to a base or root to form a new word.• Affixes are bound morphemes.• Adjectives: affixable and affixal.

(Source: grammar.about.com)

TYPES OF AFFIXES• Affixes can be divided into two categories: • prefixes (appear at the beginning of words)• suffixes (appear at the end of words)

Common Prefixes Common SuffixesBi- two -al adjectival suffixAnti- against -fy verb suffixInter- between -ic adjectival suffixPre- before -ion noun suffixSuper- above -ism noun suffixTrans- across -ize verb suffixDis- not -ous adjectival suffix

TYPES OF AFFIXES

PREFIX

SUFFIX

PREFIXS• Prefixs are added to the beginning of a word to make a new word, eg mis+take. • Some common prefixes are 'mis', 'dis', 're', 'for', 'anti', 'ante', 'sub', 'un' and 'in'. New words are made by placing a prefix in front of a word. • It is helpful to know the meanings of prefixes.• Prefix 're' means again, therefore reappear means to appear again.

Common prefix meanings• pre - before•mis - bad(ly)• sub - under• inter - between• semi – half

The following prefixes of 'im', 'ir', 'il', 'in' and 'un' can be added to the beginning of words to make them into a negative.

EXAMPLES• im + possible = impossible• ir + responsible = irresponsible• il + legal = illegal• in + active = inactive•un + happy = unhappy

PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLESde- from, down, away

reverse, oppositedecode, decrease

dis- not, opposite, reverse, away

disagree, disappear

ex- out of, away from, lacking, former

exhale, explosion

il- not illegal, illogicalim- not, without impossible, improperin- not, without inaction, invisible

mis- bad, wrong mislead, misplacenon- not nonfiction, nonsensepre- before prefix, prehistorypro- for, forward, before proactive, profess,

programre- again, back react, reappearun- against, not, opposite undo, unequal, unusual

SUFFIXES• In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. • Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs.• Common suffixes are: 'ed', 'ful', 'ly', 'ing', 'able', 'ance', 'ence', 'ness'

• harm + less = harmless

When 'full' is added to a word you drop the final 'l'. If you add 'ly' to any word ending with 'ful' you keep the existing 'l'.

SUFFIX MEANING EXAMPLES-able able to, having the

quality ofcomfortable, portable

-al relating to annual, comical-er comparative bigger, stronger-est superlative strongest, tiniest-ful full of beautiful, grateful-ible forming an adjective reversible, terrible-ily forming an adverb eerily, happily, lazily-ing denoting an action, a

material, or a gerundacting, showing

-less without, not affected by

friendless, tireless

-ly forming an adjective clearly, hourly-ness denoting a state or

conditionkindness, wilderness

-y full of, denoting a condition, or a

diminutive

glory, messy, victory,