| This article does not have anysources. You can help Wikipedia by findinggood sources, and adding them.(June 2020) |
Aprefix is a part of a word or a word, within a word. It is put at the start of another word to make a different meaning. It can also mean a number that is put in at the start to show which number something is in a group. It is a type ofaffix.compound nouns (in other cases also compound adjectives).
The following examples illustrate real prefixes.
Often people want to use a prefix to meannot. There are many prefixes that meannot.
- Unnatural means not natural.
- Apolitical means not political.
- Nonviolent means not violent.
- Indirect means not direct
We also learnt the prefixesanti which meansagainst andauto is used to meanselforown
Some examples of these prefixes:
antisocial which means non social
anti glare which means it will prevent sun and light glare on a screen
autograph which means a person's signature
autopilot which means working by itself
Other examples of prefixes:
- bicentennial (and other number related prefixes: mono, ter/tri, tetra, quadro, penta, hepta, octo, nano etc.)
- contradiction
- encompass
- paratrooper
- percent
- periscope
- prototype
- polytechnical
- react
- semicolon
Scientists anddoctors use prefixes in many words.
- Hepato- is a prefix that meansliver. Sohepatocellular means 'about livercells'.
- Hydro- is a prefix that meanswater. SoHydroelectricdams are dams that makeelectricity from the flow of water.
- Pre- orAnte- are prefixes that mean before. Prenatal diagnostics is thediagnostics done before the birth of ababy.
- Post- is a prefix that means after. Post-traumatic experience would be an experience that was made after trauma.
Sometimes people make up words by adding a prefix. These words are not in adictionary. But if people use these words enough, sometimes they go into dictionaries.For example, we can make the wordunsimple, which splits up intonot simple. This is not a word in a dictionary.
Compare tosuffix. Suffixes are letters put at the end of a word to change its meaning.
