| Affixes |
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Acircumfix (abbr:CIRC)[1] (alsoparafix,[2]confix, orambifix) is anaffix which has two parts, one placed at the start of a word, and the other at the end. Circumfixes contrast withprefixes, attached to the beginnings of words;suffixes, attached at the end; andinfixes, inserted in the middle. Circumfixes are common inMalay[3] andGeorgian.[4]
Its related operation is calledcircumfixation (orparafixation,confixation,ambifixation).
⟩Angle brackets⟨ are used to mark off circumfixes.
The circumfix is probably most widely known from theGermanpast participle, which isge-⟩...⟨-t (ge- prefix + -t suffix) for regular verbs. The verbspiel-en, for example, has the participlege-spiel-t.[5] However, a number of so-calledstrong verbs display the suffix-en (ge-sung-en 'sung'), while all verbs carrying non-initial stress come without the prefix partge-, as intelefonier-t 'telephoned'.
Dutch has a similar system (spel-en →ge-speel-d in this case). In Dutch, the circumfixge-⟩...⟨-te (ge- prefix + -te suffix) can be used to form certaincollective nouns (berg (mountain) →ge-berg-te (mountain range)).
InJapanese, some linguists considero-⟩...⟨-ni naru (o-honorific prefix + ni particle + verb naru) ando-⟩...⟨-suru (o- prefix + -suru suffix/verb suru) to behonorific circumfixes;[6] for exampleyom-u (′read′) ...→o-⟩yom-i⟨-ni naru (respectful),o-⟩yom-i⟨-suru (humble).
In addition, Old Japanese had a prohibitive constructionna-⟩...⟨-so2(ne) (where the bracketedne is optional), which at leastone linguist (ja) considers to be a circumfixal word form; an example using the Old Japanese verb ′write′ (kak-u) would bena-⟩kak-i1⟨-so2(ne). The form without the bracketedne survived marginally into Early Middle Japanese, but has no equivalent in any modern Japanese dialect or any other Japonic language. Instead, all modern Japonic languages and dialects express the prohibitive with asuffixal particlena (which is probably related to the prefixal part of the Old Japanese construction) attached to a non-past form of the verb; e.g.,Tōkyō Japanesekaku-na,Kyōto Japanesekaku-na,Kagoshima Japanesekaʔ-na orkan-na,Hachijōkaku-na, YamatohamaAmamikʰakʰu-na, NakijinKunigamihḁkˀu:-na, ShuriOkinawankaku-na, IrabuMiyakoankafï-na, HaterumaYaeyamanhḁku-na, andYonagunikʰagu-n-na (all ′don't write!′). In addition to the circumfixal forms, Old Japanese also had a suffixal form similar to the modern forms (e.g.,kak-u-na), as well as aprefixal formna-kak-i1, which is also not reflected in any modern Japonic variety.
Malay has eight circumfixes:
For example, the circumfixke-⟩...⟨-an can be added to the rootadil "fair/just" to formke-adil-an "fairness/justice".[7]
In most North African and some Levantinevarieties of Arabic, verbs are negated by placing the circumfixma⟩...⟨š around the verb together with all its prefixes and suffixed direct- and indirect-object pronouns. For example,Egyptianbitgibuhum-laha "you bring them to her" is negated asma⟩bitgibuhum-lahā⟨š "you don't bring them to her".
InBerber languages the feminine is marked with the circumfixt⟩...⟨t. The wordafus "hand" becomest⟩afus⟨t. InKabyle,θ⟩issli⟨θ "bride" derives fromissli "groom". Frombni, to build, witht⟩...⟨t we obtaintbnit "thou buildest".
Negation inGuaraní is also done with circumfixes,nd⟩...⟨i andnd⟩...⟨mo'ãi forfuture negation.
In someSlavic languages, and inHungarian, thesuperlative of adjectives is formed with a circumfix. For example, inCzech, the circumfixnej⟩...⟨ší is used –mladý "young" becomesnejmladší "youngest". The corresponding circumfix in Hungarian isleg⟩...⟨bb, as inlegnagyobb "biggest", fromnagy "big". (In both cases, thecomparative form is produced using the suffix without the prefix:mladší "younger";nagyobb "bigger".)
InGurmanchema andWolof, noun classes are indicated by circumfix.