- Affixes are morphemes, either prefixes added to the beginning or suffixes added to the end of a base word, that alter or extend its meaning, create new words, or indicate grammatical relationships.
Prefix example: Adding the a "pre" before "existing," means before existing.
Suffix example: Adding an "-ed" changes the tense of a word into the simple past tense.
What is an affix?
Types: There are four main types of affixes:
- Prefixes: These are attached to the beginning of a word, like "un-" in "unhappy" or "pre-" in "predict."
- Suffixes: These are attached to the end of a word, like "-ful" in "wonderful" or "-ed" in "played."
- Infixes: These are less common, but they appear within a word, for example in Tagalog where "-in-" changes "sulat" (writing) to "sinulat" (that which was written). English doesn't have infixes.
- Circumfixes are linguistic elements, both a prefix and a suffix, surrounding a base word to modify its meaning. Unlike typical affixes, circumfixes require both components. For instance, in English, "en-" and "-en" in "enlighten" create the verb meaning to provide knowledge
When to use affixes...
Affixes are used in language to modify or create words. Here are common situations when to use affixes:
- Changing Meaning: Use affixes to alter the meaning of a base word, such as adding "un-" to "happy" to create "unhappy."
- Creating New Words: Affixes help form new words by attaching prefixes or suffixes to existing words, like adding "-ism" to "capital" to create "capitalism."
- Forming Verb Tenses: Affixes like "-ed" (past tense) or "-ing" (present participle) are used to indicate verb tenses, as in "walked" or "walking."
- Expressing Degrees: Affixes like "-er" and "-est" indicate degrees of comparison in adjectives, as seen in "taller" and "tallest."
- Negation: Prefixes like "un-" or "dis-" are used to negate the meaning of a word, such as turning "like" into "dislike."
- Deriving Nouns: Affixes can transform verbs or adjectives into nouns, for example, turning "act" into "actor" with the addition of "-or."
- Creating Adverbs: Affixes like "-ly" are used to form adverbs, modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, as in "quickly."
- Indicating Possession: Suffixes like "-'s" are used to show possession, as in "John's book."
- Conveying Relationships: Prefixes and suffixes can indicate grammatical relationships, such as "pre-" meaning before or "post-" meaning after.
- Word Variations: Affixes contribute to word variations, helping to express nuances, plurals, or different grammatical forms within a language.
Understanding when and how to use affixes enhances language proficiency and allows for effective communication by expanding vocabulary and expressing nuanced meanings.
Examples of Affixes
Prefixes:
- Un-: Unhappy, undo, unclear
- Re-: Reread, redo, revisit
- Dis-: Dislike, disagree, disconnect
- Pre-: Preheat, preview, prepay
- Mis-: Misunderstand, mislead, misplace
Suffixes:
- -er: Teacher, dancer, writer
- -ing: Running, singing, reading
- -ful: Beautiful, cheerful, helpful
- -less: Fearless, careless, sleepless
- -tion: Information, creation, expression
Combining Prefixes and Suffixes:
- Unhappiness: Un- (prefix) + happy + -ness (suffix)
- Rereading: Re- (prefix) + reading + -ing (suffix)
- Disconnection: Dis- (prefix) + connect + -ion (suffix)
- Prepaid: Pre- (prefix) + paid (base word)
- Misunderstood: Mis- (prefix) + understand + -ed (suffix)
Word Roots with Suffixes:
- Biology: Bio- (root) + -logy (suffix)
- Geography: Geo- (root) + -graphy (suffix)
- Photographer: Photo- (root) + -grapher (suffix)
- Happiness: Happy (root) + -ness (suffix)
- Beautifully: Beauty (root) + -ful (suffix) + -ly (suffix)
FAQ
Is an affix a root word?
No, an affix is not a root word. An affix is a linguistic element, such as a prefix or suffix, added to a root word to alter its meaning or form. The root word is the core lexical unit that carries the primary meaning.
Summary
By mastering the use of affixation, you gain the power to transform and enrich your language, making your communication more precise and expressive. We've explored the fundamentals of prefixes and suffixes, examined the beauty of affix combinations, and provided practical tips and usage examples to guide you on your language journey. Now armed with this knowledge, embrace the world of linguistic creativity and make affixes an integral part of your expressive toolkit.
1. The king was _____happy with the results of the battle. (unfair, content, satisfied)
2. The scientist conducted a _____search to verify his findings. (experiment, analysis, test)
3. The children eagerly awaited the ______livery of their new toys. (removal, arrival, construction)
4. The ______understanding between the two countries led to conflict. (agreement, communication, trust)
5. The old building received a complete _____novation and looked brand new. (destruction, construction, discovery)
Word List:
• un- (removes, reverses)
• re- (again, repeats)
• de- (removes, reverses)
• ful- (full of, filled with)
• ive- (having, tending to)
• mis- (wrong, incorrectly)
• able- (able to, having the ability)
• re- (again, anew)
• dis- (not, removes)
• en- (puts in, makes)
Answer Key:
1. The king was ___(un)___happy with the results of the battle. (unfair, content, satisfied)
2. The scientist conducted a ___(re)___search to verify his findings. (experiment, analysis, test)
3. The children eagerly awaited the ___(de)___livery of their new toys. (removal, arrival, construction)
4. The ___(mis)___understanding between the two countries led to conflict. (agreement, communication, trust)
5. The old building received a complete ___(re)___novation and looked brand new. (destruction, construction, discovery)
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