View source for Prefixes from Latin

A [[prefix]] is a small sub-unit of language: it is a letter or group of letters placed at the beginning of a word to form a new word with a different meaning from the original word. 

Many [[prefix]]es in English derive from the [[Classical Languages]], i.e., from [[Greek]] and [[Latin]]. Many, though not all, of them were [[preposition]]s in [[Greek]] or [[Latin]], and many, though not all, also functioned as [[prefix]]es in those languages. Here is a list of the more common [[prefix]]es which have a [[Latin]] origin. (For a list of the more common [[prefix]]es which have a [[Greek]] origin see [[Prefixes from Greek]].) The first column lists the basic form of the preposition; the last column lists some of the different ways in which some prepositions appear. For example, 'accusation' is formed from the preposition '''ad-''' with the noun ''causa'' ('cause'); before the letter '-c-' '''ad-''' takes the form '''ac-''' by [[assimilation (phonetic)|assimilation]] of sounds. In 'ascend', the '''ad-''' is <u>reduced</u> to a simple '''a-''', presumably because <strike>adscend</strike> produces a clumsy consonant string.

 

{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
|-
! Prefix !! meaning !! examples !! other forms listed in ''[[OED]]''
|-
| ab || away, from || abdicate, abduct || ''reduced to ''a- ''before ''p-, m-, and v-; au- ''before ''f-; abs- ''before ''c-, t-.
|-
| ad- || to, towards, near || adjacent, admission, admixture || ''before'' c, f, g, l, n, p, q, r, s, t, [[assimilation (phonetic)|assimilated]] ''to ''ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an, ap-, ac-, ar-, as-, at-; ''reduced ''to ''a- ''before'' sc, sp, st 
|-
| ante- || before || antechamber, antenatal
|-
| circum- || about, around, surrounding || circumference, circumlocution, circumnavigate
|-
| co- || together with, joint, mutual || coauthor, coeval, cohabit
|-
| com-, con- || with, together, altogether || compress, concentrate, consolidate || ''assimilated before'' l, r; ''before'' h, gn and vowels; con- ''before all other consonants''
|-
| contra- || against, opposite || contradict, contraflow || ''in words from modern French, modified to ''contre; ''from Old French'', counter-
|-
| de- || away, down || degrade, depress
|-
| dis- || not, reversal, separation || dissimilar, disembark, disband || ''assimilated before ''f; ''often reduced to ''di-
|-
| ex- || out of, from, former || exhale, export, ex-serviceman || ''often reduced to ''e-; ''assimilated to ''f.
|-
| extra- || outside, beyond the scope of || extra-curricular, extraordinary
|-
| in-<sup>1</sup> || not || incoherent, incombustible || ''sometimes assimilated to'' il-, im-, ir-; ''sometimes reduced to ''i- ''before ''gn (''e.g.'' [[ignorant]]) 
|-
| in-<sup>2</sup> || in, into, towards || incursion, infiltrate || ''sometimes assimilated to'' il-, im-, ir-; ''sometimes ''em-, en- ''in words from French
|-
| infra- || below, beneath || infrared, infrastructure
|-
| inter- || between, among, together || interact, interject, international || ''only in ''entertain, enterprise ''does the French form entre- survive
|-
| intra- || within, on the inside || intramural, intravenous
|-
| intro- || in, into, inwards || introspection, introvert
|-
| non- || not || non-combatant, nonconformist, nonentity
|-
| ob- || to, towards, against || object, oblige, obnoxious || ''assimilated to ''oc- ''before ''c-, of- ''before ''f-, op- ''before ''p-;'' reduced to '' o ''before ''m-
|-
| post- || after || postgraduate, posthumous, postscript
|-
| pre- || before || predecessor, predict, pre-empt II ''you may occasionally see the purer Latin form ''prae- ''in older English
|-
| pro- || in favour of, acting as a substitute for || pro-choice, pro-vicechancellor
|-
| re- || once more, return to a previous state || re-entry, recharge || ''occasionally ''red- ''before vowels
|-
| retro- || back, backwards, behind || retroactive, retrograde, retrospective
|-
| semi- || half, partly || semicircle, semi-skilled
|-
| sub- || below, lower, subordinate || submarine, subhuman, subdivision, subjugate
|-
| super- || over, above, outstanding || superego, supernatural
|-
| trans- || across, beyond, into another state || transfer, transgress, transfusion
|-
|}

[[Category:Prefixes]][[Category:Greek]][[Category:Latin]]
[[category:Word formation]]
[[category:affixes]]