Hinweis

about.com
Common Prefixes in English

...
A prefix is a letter or a group of letters attached to the beginning of a word that partly indicates its meaning. For example, the word prefix itself begins with a prefix "-pre-", which generally means "before".

Understanding the meanings of the common prefixes can help us deduce the meanings of new words that we encounter. But be careful: some prefixes (such as "-in-") have more than one meaning (in this example, "not" and "into").

The table below defines and illustrates 35 common prefixes.
...

-ad- (W3)

Das Präfix "ad" bei Präfigierung von Nomen

Das Präfix "ad" kommt bei Nomen äußerst selten vor. Es wird nur in Fachsprachen verwendet. "ad" + Nomen = Adnomen: "Hortativ" - "Adhortativ"

"ad" steht auch: bei Verben

alehrer
Prefixes in English Word Formation

chir.ag
Tip of My Tongue
Find words with ...

Find that word that you've been thinking about all day but just can't seem to remember.

• Partial Word: Starts with | Contains | Ends with
• Letters: Unscramble | Must have | Can't have
• Word Meaning: Word 1 | Word 2 | Word 3
• Refine search: Min. length | Max. length | Sounds like

chudler
Prefixes to Commonly Used Terms in Neuroscience

PREFIX - MEANING
ab- - away from | acou- - hear | act- - do, act | ad-, aff- - to | aden- - gland | aer- - air, gas | alg- - pain | alve- - tough | ambi- - both sides | andr- - man | angi- - blood vessel, duct | ante- - before | anti- - against, counter | arachn- - spider | arch- - beginning, origin | arthr- - joint | articul- - joint | audi- - hearing | aur- - ear | ax-, axon- - axis | bar- - weight | bi- - two, double | blast- - bud | brachi- - arm | brady- - slow | capit- - head | cata- - down | caud- - tail | cell- - cell, room | centr- - center | cephal- - head | cerv- - neck | chord- - string, cord | chro- - color | chron- - time | contra- - against, counter | corpus- - body | crani- - skull | cry- - cold | cut- - skin | dendr- - tree | dent- - tooth | derm- - skin | dors- - back | dys- - bad, improper | ect- - outside | electr- - amber | encephal- - brain | end- - inside | epi- - upon, after | esthe- - feel, perceive | eu- - good, normal | exo- - outside | extra- - outside of, beyond | fibr- - fibrous, fibers | glom- - little ball | gloss- - tongue | graph- - write, scratch | hemi- - half | hyper- - above, beyond, extreme | hypno- - sleep | hypo- - below, under | inflamm- - setting on fire | infra- - beneath | inter- - among, between | intra- - inside | lingu- - tongue | medi- - middle | mega- - large | meningo- - membrane | mes- - middle | meta- - beyond | micro- - small | multi- - many | ophthalm- - eye | para- - beside, beyond | peri- - around | phag- - eat | phon- - sound | phot- - light | poly- - many | retro- - backwards | somat- - body | sub- - under, below | supra- - above | tel- - end

english-for-students
Word Roots

Etymology is the scientific study of the origin of words. This etymological study improves your vocabulary.
The strong vocabulary gives you

• • a more challenging and rewarding job.
• • greater self-confidence in speaking and in writing.
• • improved comprehension in all your reading.
• • success in your studies.

Etymology is not only a science, but also an art in that the beauty of the building of the words is understood.Convinced that memorizing lists of words is both difficult and unrewarding, we have developed this exclusive page on Etymology, the direct and successful method of vocabulary-building, based on the ROOT-WORDS and the proper Etymology of the ENGLISH words.

In this page on Etymology

• • each ROOT-WORD is clearly defined and discussed.
• • examples are provided showing the role of the ROOT-WORD in a variety of words.

Etymology is the best method to strengthen our command over English Language.By using your knowledge of familiar words, you will soon master the secret of vocabulary building, starting with the thousands of words in this page.

One ROOT-WORD a day will open the door to mastery of the ENGLISH language. I guarantee that if you learn only the ROOT-WORDS, you will become familiar with thousands of words which we use regularly.Do not try to memorize them. Merely read and understand. Then use the words in your daily conversations and writing.Soon, your vocabulary will expand greatly.Etymology is the best method to strengthen our command over English Language. The Canons of Etymology will make the points clear.

| -ab- | -able- | -abs- | -ac- | -acer- | -acid- | -acri- | -ad(to)- | -ada- | -ade- | -af- | -ag- | -age- | -agi- | -ago- | -al- | -ali- | -allo- | -alter- | -amb- | -ambi- | -amphi- | -an- (native) | -an- (not) | -ana- | -ance- | -ancy- | -anni- | -annu- | -ant- | -ante- | -anthrop- | | -apo- | -ar- | -arch- | -ary- | -as- | -asis- | -aster- | -astro- | -ata- | -ate- | -aud- | -aus- | -aut- | | -be- | -bene- | -bi- | -bin- | -bio- | -bis- | -bon- | -boun- |

| -calor- | -cap- | -capit- | -capt- | -cata- | -cause- | -cede- | -ceed- | -cep- | -cept- | -cess- | -chrom- | -chron- | -cian- | -cide- | -circ- | -circum- | -civ- | -civil- | -cise- | -claim- | -clam- | -clud- | -clus- | -cognosc- | -con- | -coni- | -cor- | -cord- | -corp- | -corpor- | -cour- | -court- | -crea- | -cred- | -cub- | -cule- | -cumb- | -cus- | -cuse- | -cycl- | -cyclo- | -di- | -de- | -dem- | -demi- | -demo- | -dent- | -dia- | -dic- | -dict- | -dis- | -dom- | -dont- | -dorm- | -drome- | -dromos- | -duc- | -duce- | -duct- | -dyn- | -dyna- | -dynam- | -dynamo- |

| -e- | -ec- | -ee- | -ef- | -en- (into) | -en- (made of) | -ence- | -ency- | -end- | -endo- | -enni- | -em- | -epi- | -er- | -ery- | -esis- | | -ex- | -fac- | -fact- | -fect- | -feal- | -feder- | -fer- | -fic- | -fid- | -fide- | -fila- | -fili- | -fin- | -finis- | -fix- | -flect- | -flex- | -flu- | -fluc- | -fluv- | -flux- | -forc- | -fort- | -fortuna- | -ful- | -fum- | -fy- | -gen- | -ge- | -geo- | -germ- | -gest- | -gnosi- | -grad- | -grav- | -gravi- | -gravito- | -graph- | -grat- | -gred- | -greg- | -gress- |

| -hab- | -habit- | -helio- | -hema- | -hemi- | -hemo- | -hydr- | -hydra- | -hydro- | -hyper- | -hum- | -human- | -hypn- | -hypno- | -hypo- | -ian- | -ible- | -ic- | -icle- | -ile- | -in- (not) | -in- | -im- (not) | -im- (into) | -ine- | -intellect- | -intellig- | -inter- | -intra- | -intro- | -ion- | -ir- | -ish- | -ism- | -ist- | -ite- | -ity- | -ive- | -jac- | -jec- | -ject- | -join- | -jud- | -judi- | -judic- | -junct- | -jur- | -jus- | -koni- |

| -laut- | -lav- | -- | -leg- | -less- | -liber- | -lic- | -licit- | -ling- | -lit- | -liter- | -litera- | -letter- | -liver- | -loc- | -loc- | -loco- | -log- | -logo- | -loqu- | -loqui- | -lot- | -luc- | -lum- | -lun- | -lus- | -lut- | -ly- | -macro- | -magn- | -magna- | -magni- | -mal- | -man- | -manu- | -mar- | -mari- | -matri- | -matric- | -matro- | -medi- | -mega- | -megalo- | -ment- | -mem- | -mer- | -meter- | -micro- | -migra- | -mis- | -miss- | -mit- | -mitt- | -miso- | -mob- | -mon- | -mono- | -mons- | -monstr- | -monstri- | -mori- | -mors- | -mort- | -mot- | -mov- | -multi- | -multus- | -must- |

| -nasc- | -nat- | -neo- | -ness- | -neur- | -non- | -nounc- | -nov- | -number- | -numer- | -nunc- | -nunci- | -ob- | -oc- | -of- | -oid- | -ology- | -omni- | -op- | -osis- | -oss- | -osteo- | -pan- | -para- | -pater- | -patr- | -pel- | -per- | -peri- | -photo- | -pict- | -picto- | -plac- | -plais- | -plu- | -plur- | -plus- | -pneum- | -pneuma- | -pneumon- | -poly- | -pon- | -pop- | -portion- | -pos- | -poss- | -posse- | -post- | -poten- | -potes- | -poun- | -pre- | -prim- | -prime- | -pro- | -puls- | -opus- | -oper- | -or- | -ory- | -ous- | -ped- | -pen- | -pend- | | -pod- | -port- | -pseudo- | -punct- | -put- | -re- | -rect- | -recti- | -ri- | -ridi- | -risi- | -rog- | -roga- |

| -sangui- | -sat- | -satis- | -- | -scope- | -scrib- | -scrip- | -se- | -semi- | -sesqui- | -ship- | -sign- | -signi- | -silic- | -simil- | -simul- | -sion- | -sist- | -soph- | -spec- | -spect- | -spectro- | -sphere- | -spond- | -spons- | -sta- | -stereo- | -stet- | -stit- | -stru- | -struct- | -sub- | -sum- | -sume- | -sump- | -super- | -supr- | -supra- | -sur- | -syl- | -sym- | -syn- | -sys- | -tact- | -tag- | -tain- | -tang- | -techn- | -techni- | -technic- | -techny- | -tempo- | -tempor- | -ten- | -tend- | -tens- | -tent- | -tent- | -test- | -the- | -theo- | -tig- | -ting- | -tinu- | -tion- | -tra- | -tract- | -trah- | -trans- | -trib- | -tui- | -tuit- | -tut- | -tude- | -ty- |

| -ult- | -ultim- | -ultima- | | -ure- | -vac- | -val- | -vali- | -vale- | -valu- | -ven- | -veni- | -vent- | -ver- | -veri- | -vers- | -vert- | -vest- | -vic- | -vicis- | -vict- | -vinc- | -vid- | -vis- | -viv- | -vivi- | -vita- | -ultra- | -voc- | -volcan- | -vok- | -vulcan- | -y- |

-il- (W3)

im- (W3)

ir- (W3)

kn- (W3)

• engl. "knack"
• engl. "knapsack"
• engl. "knave"
• engl. "knead"
• engl. "knee"
• engl. "kneel"
• engl. "knell"
• engl. "knick-knack"
• engl. "knickerbocker"
• engl. "knickers"
• engl. "knife"
• engl. "knight"
• engl. "knit"
• engl. "knob"
• engl. "knock"
• engl. "knoll"
• engl. "knot"
• engl. "know"
• engl. "knowledge"
• engl. "knuckle"
• engl. "knurl"

Kn- Words in English

By Maeve Maddox

A teaching site offers this rule for dealing with "silent k": "k" is often silent before "n".

An easier way to retain this information is to forget about "silent k" altogether. In a word like "knot", "k" is not "a silent letter" at all, but part of the distinct phonogram "kn".

The symbol "kn" is just another way to spell the sound /n/.

The spelling "kn" in a word like "knave" evolved from the Old English spelling "cn", in which the "c" represented a guttural sound similar to the sound /k/. For example, the OE words from which our words "knight", "knot", and "knave" have evolved were spelled "cniht", "cnotta", and "cnafa" and pronounced with a hard first sound. The guttural sound eventually dropped out, leaving only the /n/ sound, but the old spelling has survived in "kn".

Here are some familiar "kn words".

"knapsack" | "knave" | "knead" | "knee" | "kneel" | "knell" | "know" | "knickknack" | "knife" | "knight" | "knit" | "knob" | "knock" | "knoll" | "knotgrass" | "knothole" | "knowledge" | "knuckle"

Here are some more "kn words" that may not be as familiar:

"knacker" (noun): One whose trade it is to buy worn out, diseased, or useless horses, and slaughter them for their hides and hoofs, and for making dog’s-meat. Ex. “Jones will sell you to the knacker, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds.” (Animal Farm, George Orwell)

"knackered" (adjective): exhausted. “After shopping with Mum, we were knackered.”

"knickerbockers" (noun): loose-fitting breeches, gathered in at the knee, and worn by boys, sportsmen, and others who require a freer use of their limbs. Ex. “The child…was dressed in knickerbockers, with red stockings.” (Daisy Miller, Henry James)

"knickers" (noun): underpants worn by women and children. The word is a back-formation of "knickerbockers". It’s commonly heard in the idiom, “to get one’s knickers in a twist” (i.e., “become upset”).

"knackwurst" (noun): a type of German sausage. Also spelled "knockwurst".

"knout" (noun): a kind of whip or scourge, very severe and often fatal in its effects. Ex. “The knout along with the gulag are Russia’s enduring shrines of torment.”

"knurl" (noun): a small protuberance, excrescence, or "knob".

"knurled" (adjective): having knurls wrought on the edge or surface.

"Knurling" is a process of impressing a diamond-shaped or straight-line pattern into the surface of a work piece by using specially shaped hardened metal wheels. Ex. “Walnut Knurled Guitar Knob.” “Solid walnut knurled legs on table and chairs.”

Two foreign borrowings, "Knesset" and "knish", do not belong to the category of words spelled with the phonogram "kn". They are spelled with the phonogram "k"; the sound /k/ is pronounced at the beginning of these words.

"Knesset" (noun): The parliament of the State of Israel. The word derives from a Hebrew word meaning “a gathering.” Ex. “On July 11, 1995 this problem was raised for discussion in the Knesset finance committee.”

"knish" (noun): A dumpling of flaky dough filled with chopped liver, potato, or cheese, and baked or fried. The word comes from a Yiddish word derived from a Russian word meaning “a kind of cake.” Ex. “Gabila’s Knishes: Home of the Coney Island Square Knish.”
...

"kn-", Middle English spelling of a common Germanic consonant-cluster (in Old English it was graphed as "cn-"; see "K"). The sound it represented persists in most of the sister languages, but in English it was reduced to "n-" in standard pronunciation by 1750, after about a century of weakening and fading. It was fully voiced in Old and Middle English.

"K", eleventh Roman letter, from Greek "kappa", from Phoenician "kaph" or a similar Semitic source, said to mean literally "hollow of the hand" and to be so called for its shape.

Little used in classical Latin, which at an early age conformed most of its words (the exceptions had ritual importance) to a spelling using "-c-" (a character derived from Greek "gamma"). In Late Latin, pronunciation of "-c-" shifted (in the direction of "s"). Greek names brought into Latin also were regularized with a "-c-" spelling, and then underwent the Late Latin sound-shift; hence the modern pronunciation of "Cyrus", "Circe". To keep their pronunciation clear, the many Greek words (often Church words) that entered Latin after this shift tended to take Latin "-k-" for Greek "kappa".

"K-" thus became a supplementary letter to "-c-" in Medieval Latin, used with Greek and foreign words. But most of the languages descended from Latin had little need of it, having evolved other solutions to the sound shifts.

"K-" also was scarce in Old English. After the Norman conquest, new scribal habits restricted "-c-" and expanded the use of "-k-", which began to be common in English spelling from 13c. This probably was done because the sound value of "-c-" was evolving in French and the other letter was available to clearly mark the "k" sound for scribes working in English. For more, see "C".

In words transliterated from Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Japanese, Hawaiian, etc., it represents several different sounds lumped. In modern use some of them are now with "kh-"; in older borrowings they often followed traditional English spelling and were written with a "C-" ("Corea", "Caaba", etc.).

As a symbol for "potassium" [dt. "Kalium"], it represents Latin "kalium" "potash". In "CMYK" as a color system for commercial printing it means "black" but seems to stand for "key" in a specialized printing sense. Slang meaning "one thousand dollars" is 1970s, from "kilo-". "K" as a measure of capacity (especially in computer memory) meaning "one thousand" also is an abbreviation of "kilo-".

As an indication of "strikeout" in baseball score-keeping it dates from 1874 and is said to represent the last letter of "struck". The invention of the scorecard symbols is attributed to English-born U.S. newspaperman Henry Chadwick (1824-1908) principally of the old New York "Clipper", who had been writing baseball since 1858, and who explained it thus:

Smith was the first striker, and went out on three strikes, which is recorded by the figure "1" for the first out, and the letter "K" to indicate how put out, "K" being the last letter of the word "struck". The letter "K" is used in this instance as being easier to remember in connection with the word struck than "S", the first letter, would be. [Henry Chadwick, "Chadwick's Base Ball Manual," London, 1874]

"C", third letter of the alphabet. Alphabetic writing came to Rome via the southern Etruscan "Caeretan" script, in which "gamma" was written as a crescent. Early Romans made little use of Greek "kappa" and used "gamma" for both the "g" and "k" sounds, the latter more frequently, so that the "k" sound came to be seen as the proper one for "gamma". To restore a dedicated symbol for the "g" sound, a modified "gamma" was introduced c. 250 B.C.E. as "G". In classical Latin "-c-" has only the value "k", and thus it passed to Celtic and, via Irish monks, to Anglo-Saxon, where "-k-" was known but little used.

In Old French, many "k" sounds drifted to "ts" and by 13c., "s", but still were written with a "-c-". Thus the 1066 invasion brought to the English language a more vigorous use of "-k-" and a flood of French and Latin words in which "-c-" represented "s" (as in "cease", "ceiling", "circle"). By 15c. native English words with "-s-" were being respelled with "-c-" for "s" (as in "ice", "mice", "lice"). In some words from Italian, meanwhile, the "-c-" has a "ch" sound (a sound evolution in Italian that parallels the Old French one). In German, "-c-" in loanwords was regularized to "-k-" or "-z-" (depending on pronunciation) in the international spelling reform of 1901, which was based on the Duden guide of 1880.

Friday, August 3rd

knead

Hands-On Word of the Day:

English words that begin with "kn-" share the qualities of being ancient - most go back to Old English - and of having cognates in Germanic languages. "Knead" is one such word, which appeared in Old English with the same meaning it has today: work something with the hands, such as dough. "Knead" wasn't always a homophone of "need"; In days of yore the initial consonant was pronounced, as it still is in German in words that begin "kn".

listafterlist
The Most Common Prefixes in English

This list is from Overcoming Dyslexia, by Sally Shaywitz, MD. A noted researcher in neuroscience and a pediatrician, Dr Shaywitz is professor of pediatrics and codirector of the Yale Center for the Study of Learning and Attention. She is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. She hopes her book will be a “trusted source you can turn to for information, for advice, for guidance and for explanation.”. If your child knows these twenty prefixes, he will be able to add many words to his vocabulary. They account for 97 percent of all words with prefixes!
...

-nicotin- (W3)

prefixsuffix.com
English Language Roots
Word Prefixes, Suffixes & Syllables

We improved our chart-based site, adding features such as a "root word search engine" which gives you access to over 2,000 root words, making our site one of the most comprehensive online references of English language word roots.

A Really Quick Primer

Because you came here, you know already that a word whose meaning you don't know can be broken down into smaller parts and analyzed, a mental process students go through for vocabulary tests. The core part of such an analysis is to identify root words that hint at the word's overall meaning.

As an example, take the word "introspect". It is broken down into the root "spect", meaning "to look", and the prefix "intro", which adds the meaning "within". So, "look within". See how easy that was?

If you are interested in more word study, you can read this site's brief write-ups on:

• root words - what are they really?
• prefixes and suffixes - fancy words, but what do they do?
• syllables - how do they bridge written and spoken words?
• etymology - people actually study where our words come from?
• making new words - where do they get those wacky product names?

spellingbee
A Dictionary of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms
from Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged
2002

teslcafe
Most Common Prefixes in English

un- (W3)

• 1) Verkehrung ins Gegenteil: "ungesäuert", "Unmensch", "unmenschlich", "unmöglich", "unrein", "unvernünftig", ...
• 2) Abweichung von einer Idealvorstellung oder von etwas das als Normal erachtet wird: "unangebracht", "unerhört", "unnormal", "unschicklich", "unverständlich", ...
• 3) Steigerung eines negativen Begriffs: "Ungewitter", "Unkosten", "Unkraut", "Unmenge", "Unsumme", "Untier", ...

un-

Negation; reversal of a state.

Old English prefixes "un-" and "on-", of Germanic origin.

This prefix occurs extremely widely; the majority of adjectives, adverbs, and verbs (and many nouns) can in principle be given it to create a new word indicating an opposite or a reversal.

A very few of the many examples in the sense of "not" are "unconnected", "unenclosed", "unfashionable", "unhappy", "unloved", "unmade", "unsuitable", and "unwilling". In this sense, "un-" often has a stronger and less neutral force than just negation (so it is not equivalent to "non-"): "unkind" can mean active cruelty rather than a simple lack of kindness; to say someone is "un-American" can imply an active antagonism to American ways.

With verbs, it usually has the sense of reversing some state: "unblock", "unburden", "unhook", "unlace", "unsettle", "unstick", "untie", "unwind", "unzip".

"Un-" is closely related in sense to "in-" (see "in-" (1)), but although the latter prefix is common it is no longer active. There is no good rule to decide which is the right form in any given situation and terms have to be learnt. To confuse matters somewhat, some noun-adjective pairs use different prefixes: "instability" corresponds to "unstable"; "inequality" to "unequal"; "injustice" to "unjust". In a few cases, pairs of adjectives exist in both prefixes with similar senses: "inadvisable" and "unadvisable"; "incommunicative" and "uncommunicative". In a few other pairs, members have significantly different senses, as with "unhuman", not resembling or having the qualities of a human being, versus "inhuman", lacking human qualities of compassion and mercy.

"UN"

This ROOT-WORD is the Prefix "UN" which means "NOT". It is one of the negative-root-words that you will meet. It is a very satisfactory negative. It is a very satisfactory negative. It says "NO": and it means just that and nothing else.

• 1. "unable" - UN able adj. - Not having the skill to do something.
• 2. "unabridged" - UN abridged adj. - Not shortened.
• 3. "unclothed" - UN clothed adj. - Not dressed; maked.
• 4. "unadvanced" - UN advanced adj. - Not having gone forward.
• 5. "unalloyed" - UN alloyed adj. - Not mixed; pure.
• 6. "unadorned" - UN adorned adj. - Not fancy; simple.
• 7. "unambitious" - UN ambitious adj. - Not eager to get ahead.
• 8. "unaffected" - UN affected adj. - Not touched; unconcerned.
• 9. "unaltered" - UN altered adj. - Not changed.
• 10. "uneducated" - UN educated adj. - Not learned.
• 11. "unfinished" - UN finished adj. - Not ended, as an unfinished story.
• 12. "unhurried" - UN hurried adj. - Not in a rush; slow.
• 13. "unknown" - UN known adj. - Not recognized; strange.
• 14. "unloved" - UN loved adj. - Not cherished.
• 15. "unread" - UN read adj. - Not read.
• 16. "unspoken" - UN spoken adj. - Not stated orally; not said.
• 17. "untouched" - UN touched adj. - Not touched.
• 18. "untouchable" - UN touchable adj. - Cannot be touched.
• 19. "unwelcome" - UN welcome adj. - Not received graciously; unwanted.

"*ne-"

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "not".

It forms all or part of:

• "a-" (3) = "not", "without"; "abnegate"; "ahimsa";
• "an-" (1) privative prefix; "annihilate"; "annul"; "aught" (n.2) = "zero", "nothing"; "deny"; "hobnob";
• "in-" (1) = "not", "opposite of", "without"; "ixnay"; "naught"; "naughty"; "nay"; "nefarious"; "negate"; "neglect"; "negligee"; "negotiate"; "neither"; "nepenthe"; "nescience"; "nescient"; "neuter"; "never"; "nice"; "nihilism"; "nihility"; "nil"; "nill"; "nimiety"; "nix"; "no"; "non-"; "none"; "nonplus"; "nor"; "not"; "nothing"; "null"; "nullify"; "nulliparous"; "renegade"; "renege";
• "un-" (1) prefix of negation; "willy-nilly".

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit "a-", "an-" = "not"; Avestan "na" = "not"; Greek "a-", "an-", "ne-" = "not"; Latin "in-" = "not", "ne" = "that not"; Old Church Slavonic and Lithuanian "ne" = "not"; Old Irish "an-", "ni", Cornish "ny" = "not"; Gothic and Old English "un-" = "not".

Words related to *ne-

a- | an- | in- | non- | un- | abnegatea | bnegation | ahimsa | amritsar | annihilate | annul | aught | deny | hobnob | inopportune | insatiable | ixnay | naught | naughty | nay | necessary | nefarious | negate | negation | negatory | neglect | negligee | negotiate | negotiation | neither | nemo | nepenthe | nescience | nescient | neuter | never | nice | nihilism | nihility | nil | nill | nimiety | nix | no | none | nonplus | nor | not | nothing | null | nullify | nulliparous | renegade | renege | willy-nilly

"un-" (1)

prefix of negation, Old English "un-", from Proto-Germanic "*un-" (source also of Old Saxon, Old Frisian, Old High German, German "un-", Gothic "un-", Dutch "on-"), from PIE "*n-" (source of Sanskrit "a-", "an-" = "not", Greek "a-", "an-", Old Irish "an-", Latin "in-"), combining form of PIE root "*ne-" = "not". Often euphemistic (such as "untruth" for "lie").

The most prolific of English prefixes, freely and widely used in Old English, where it forms more than 1,000 compounds. It underwent a mass extinction in early Middle English, but emerged with renewed vigor 16c. to form compounds with native and imported words. It disputes with Latin-derived cognate "in-" (1) the right to form the negation of certain words ("indigestable" / "undigestable", etc.), and though both might be deployed in cooperation to indicate shades of meaning ("unfamous" / "infamous"), typically they are not.

It also makes words from phrases (such as "uncalled-for", c. 1600; "undreamed-of", 1630s; "uncome-at-able", 1690s; "unputdownable", 1947, of a book; "un-in-one-breath-utterable", Ben Jonson; etc., but the habit is not restricted to "un-"; such as "put-up-able-with", 1812). As a prefix in telegramese to replace "not" and save the cost of a word, it is attested by 1936.

"un-" (2)

prefix of reversal, deprivation, or removal (as in "unhand", "undo", "unbutton"), Old English "on-", "un-", from Proto-Germanic "*andi-" (source also of Old Saxon "ant-", Old Norse "and-", Dutch "ont-", Old High German "ant-", German "ent-", Gothic "and-" = "against"), from PIE "*anti" = "facing opposite", "near", "in front of", "before", "against" (from PIE root "*ant-" = "front", "forehead", with derivatives meaning "in front of", "before").

More or less confused with "un-" (1) through similarity in the notions of "negation" and "reversal"; an adjective such as "unlocked" might represent "not locked" ("un-" (1)) or the past tense of "unlock" ("un-" (2)).

Words related to un-

• *ant- | *ne- | a- | in- | nebbish | nefandous | not | privative |
• unabashed | unabated | unable | unabridged | unaccented | unacceptable | unaccompanied | unaccomplished | unaccountable | unaccredited | unaccustomed | unacknowledged | unacquainted | unadorned | unadulterated | unadvertised | unaffected | unafraid | unaided | unalienable | unalloyed | unalterable | unaltered | unambiguous | un-american | unannounced | unanswerable | unanswered | unanticipated | unapologetic | unappeasable | unappreciated | unappreciative | unapprehended | unapproachable | unapproved | unarmed | unashamed | unasked | unaspiring | unassailable | unassimilated | unassisted | unassuming | unattached | unattainable | unattended | unattested | unattractive | unauthorized | unavailability | unavailable | unavailing | unavoidable | unawares |
• unbalance | unbalanced | unbar | unbearable | unbeatable | unbeaten | unbecoming | unbefitting | unbefriended | unbegotten | unbegun | unbeknown | unbelief | unbelievable | unbeliever | unbend | unbeseeming | unbesought | unbias | unbiased | unbidden | unbind | unbleached | unblemished | unblown | unborn | unbosom | unbounded | unbowed | unbreakable | unbridled | un-british | unbroken | unbuckle | unburden | unburied | unbutton |
• uncalled | uncanny | uncap | uncaring | unceasing | uncensored | unceremonious | uncertain | unchain | unchallenged | unchangeable | unchanged | unchanging | uncharacteristic | uncharitable | uncharted | unchartered | unchaste | unchecked | unchivalrous | unchristian | unchurched | uncirculated | uncircumcised | uncivil | uncivilized | unclasp | unclassified | unclean | uncleanly | unclear | uncleared | unclog | unclothe | unclouded | uncoil | uncollected | uncollectible | uncolored | uncomely | uncomfortable | uncommitted | uncommon | uncommunicative | uncomparable | uncompassionate | uncompensated | uncomplaining | uncomplicated | uncompounded | uncomprehending | uncomprehensible | uncompromised | uncompromising | unconcerned | unconditional | unconditioned | unconfined | unconfirmed | unconformable | unconformity | uncongenial | unconnected | unconquerable | unconscionable | unconscious | unconstitutional | unconstrained | uncontested | uncontrollable | uncontrolled | uncontroverted | unconventional | unconverted | unconvinced | uncool | uncooperative | uncoordinated | uncorrupted | uncorruptible | uncountable | uncounted | uncouple | uncouth | uncover | uncredited | uncritical | uncultivated | uncurbed | uncurious | uncurl | uncut |
• undated | undaunted | undaunting | undead | undeceive | undeceived | undecided | undecipherable | undecisive | undefeated | undefended | undefiled | undefinable | undefined | undelivered | undemanding | undemonstrative | undeniable | undeserved | undeserving | undesirable | undetectable | undetected | undetermined | undeterred | undeveloped | undeviating | undifferentiated | undigested | undignified | undiluted | undiminished | undisciplined | undisclosed | undiscovered | undisguised | undismayed | undisputable | undisputed | undistinguishable | undistinguished | undisturbed | undivided | undivulged | undo | undocumented | undomesticated | undone | undoubtable | undoubted | undreamed | undress | undue | undying |
• unearned | unearth | unearthly | uneasy | uneducated | unelectable | unemancipated | unemotional | unemployed | unemployment | unencumbered | unending | unendurable | un-english | unenlightened | unenthusiastic | unenviable | unequal | unequivocal | unerring | unethical | uneven | uneventful | unevitable | unexamined | unexceptionable | unexceptional | unexcusable | unexpected | unexperienced | unexplainable | unexplained | unexplored | unexpurgated |
• unfading | unfailing | unfair | unfaithful | unfaltering | unfamiliar | unfamous | unfashionable | unfasten | unfathomable | unfathomed | unfavorable | unfazed | unfeasible | unfeeling | unfeigned | unfelt | unfetter | unfinished | unfit | unflagging | unflappable | unflattering | unfledged | unflinching | unfold | unforced | unforeseeable | unforeseen | unforgettable | unforgivable | unforgiven | unforgiving | unforgotten | unformed | unfortunate | unfortune | unfounded | unfree | unfrequented | unfriend | unfriendly | unfruitful | unfulfilled | unfunded | unfunny | unfurl | unfurnished |
• ungainly | ungentlemanly | ungird | unglue | ungodly | ungovernable | ungoverned | ungraceful | ungracious | ungrammatical | ungrateful | unguarded | unguided |
• unhallowed | unhampered | unhand | unhappily | unhappy | unharmed | unharness | unhealthy | unheard | unheeded | unhelpful | unheralded | unhindered | unhinge | unhistorical | unhitch | unholy | unhonored | unhorse | unhuman | unhygienic |
• unidentifiable | unidentified | unimaginable | unimaginative | unimpaired | unimpeachable | unimpeded | unimportant | unimposing | unimpressed | unimproved | unincorporated | uninflected | uninfluenced | uninformed | uninhabitable | uninhabited | uninhibited | uninitiated | uninjured | uninquisitive | uninspired | unintelligent | unintelligible | unintended | unintentional | uninterested | uninteresting | uninterrupted | uninvite | uninvited | uninviting |
• unjoin | unjust | unjustifiable | unjustified |
• unkempt | unkept | unkillable | unkind | unkindly | unkindness | unknit | unknowable | unknowing | unknown |
• unlace | unlade | unladylike | unlamented | unlatch | unlawful | unleaded | unlearn | unlearned | unleash | unleavened | unlettered | unlicensed | unlike | unlikely | unlimber | unlimited | unlink | unlisted | unlivable | unload | unlock | unlooked | unloose | unloved | unlovely | unlucky |
• unmade | unmake | unman | unmanageable | unmanaged | unmanly | unmanned | unmannerly | unmarked | unmarketable | unmarred | unmarried | unmask | unmastered | unmatched | unmeaning | unmeasurable | unmediated | unmeet | unmentionable | unmerciful | unmerited | unmet | unmindful | unmistakable | unmitigated | unmodified | unmolested | unmoor | unmotivated | unmounted | unmovable | unmoved | unmuzzled |
• unnamed | unnatural | unnecessary | unneeded | unnerve | unnoticed | unnumbered |
• unobjectionable | unobservant | unobserved | unobstructed | unobtainable | unobtrusive | unoccupied | unoffending | unofficial | unopposed | unorganized | unoriginal | unorthodox | unostentatious | unowned |
• unpack | unpaid | unpalatable | unparalleled | unpardonable | unpatriotic | unpaved | unpenetrable | unperceived | unpersuasive | unperturbed | unplace | unplanned | unpleasant | unplug | unpolished | unpolluted | unpopular | unpopularity | unpracticed | unprecedented | unpredictable | unprejudiced | unpremeditated | unprepared | unprepossessing | unpresentable | unpretentious | unpreventable | unprincipled | unproductive | unprofessional | unprofitable | unpromising | unprompted | unpronounceable | unpropitious | unprotected | unprovable | unproved | unprovoked | unpublished | unpunctual | unpunished |
• unqualified | unquantifiable | unquenchable | unquestionable | unquestioned | unquiet | unquote |
• unravel | unreachable | unread | unreadable | unready | unreal | unrealistic | unreality | unreason | unreasonable | unrecognizable | unreconciled | unreconstructed | unrecorded | unredeemed | unrefined | unreformed | unregenerate | unrelated | unrelenting | unreliable | unrelieved | unremarkable | unremitted | unremitting | unrepairable | unrepentant | unrequited | unreserved | unresisting | unresolved | unresponsive | unrest | unrestrained | unrestricted | unrewarded | unrighteous | unripe | unrivalled | unroll | unromantic | unruffled | unruly |
• unsafe | unsaid | unsalted | unsanitary | unsatiable | unsatisfactory | unsatisfied | unsaturated | unsavory | unscathed | unschooled | unscramble | unscriptural | unscrupulous | unseal | unsearchable | unseasonable | unseasoned | unseat | unsecure | unsecured | unseeded | unseemly | unseen | unselfish | unsentimental | unseparable | unsettle | unsettled | unsex | unshakable | unshaken | unsheathe | unshod | unshorn | unsightly | unsinkable | unskilled | unskillful | unsmiling | unsociable | unsold | unsolicited | unsolved | unsophisticated | unsorted | unsought | unsound | unsparing | unspeakable | unspoiled | unspoken | unsporting | unsportsmanlike | unstable | unstack | unsteady | unstick | unstinted | unstinting | unstop | unstoppable | unstressed | unstring | unstrung | unstuck | unstudied | unsubscribe | unsubsidized | unsubstantial | unsubstantiated | unsuccessful | unsuitable | unsuited | unsullied | unsung | unsupervised | unsupported | unsure | unsurmountable | unsurpassable | unsurpassed | unsuspected | unsuspecting | unsustainable | unswayed | unsweetened | unswerving | unsympathetic | unsystematic |
• untainted | untamed | untangible | untangle | untapped | untaught | untempered | untenable | untenanted | untether | unthaw | unthinkable | unthinking | unthrifty | untidy | untie | untilled | untimely | untitled | untold | untouchable | untouched | untoward | untrained | untrammeled | untreatable | untried | untrodden | untroubled | untrue | untrustworthy | untruth | unturned | untwist |
• unusable | unused | unusual | unutterable |
• unvanquished | unvarnished | unvarying | unveil |
• unwanted | unwarranted | unwary | unwashed | unwavering | unwearied | unwed | unwelcome | unwell | unwholesome | unwieldy | unwilling | unwind | unwise | unwitting | unwonted | unworkable | unworldly | unworthy | unwound | unwrap | unwritten |
• unyielding |
• unzip |
• wanton |

virtualsalt.com
How Words Work

...
Many words are made up of a root (or base word) and a prefix. Some words also have a suffix. For example, the root word "port" means to "carry" or to "bear". Attach the prefix "ex", meaning "out" or "out of", and you have the word "export", to "carry out". Attach the prefix "im", meaning "in" or "into" and you have "import", to "carry in". Attach the prefix "trans", meaning "across", and you have "transport", meaning to "carry across". Now let's attach the suffix "able", meaning "able to be", and you have "importable", "exportable", and "transportable".

The very words "prefix" and "suffix" are good examples, too. "Pre" means "before" and "fix" means to "fasten" or "attach", so quite literally, a "prefix" is "something attached to the beginning of something else". "Suf" is a variant of "sub", "below" or "under", so a "suffix" is "something fastened underneath something else" (in this case, behind the root).

By learning the common roots and prefixes (and a few suffixes) you will be able to discern the meaning of many new words almost immediately. (But do look them up for confirmation.) Take the word "abject", for example. If you know that "ab" means "away" or "down" and "ject" means to "throw", you can easily figure out that "abject" doesn't mean something happy. Rather "abject"'s root meaning of "thrown down" is quite close to the dictionary defintion of "cast down in spirit" or "sunk into depression".

Note that some modern words are formed by using abbreviated forms of other words. Thus, we see the use of the letter "i" for "Internet" in "iPhone", "iPod", and "iTunes", indicating that these items or services work with the Internet. Similarly, the use of "e" for "electronic" appears in words such as "elearning" (and various forms: "eLearning", "E-Learning", and so on), "e-commerce", and "e-business". The "e-terms" seem to have been coined before the "i-terms" became popular. And note that most of the "i-terms" are trademarks, while the others are general descriptors: "I'm going to download some iTunes from Apple's "e-commerce" site because I love e-music." At any rate, these abbreviated forms are not traditional prefixes, but because they are indeed attached to the front of what amounts to root words, they could be considered functional prefixes.
...

Haldeman, Samuel Stehman (Autor)
Affixes in Their Origin & Application
Exhibiting the Etymologic Structure of English Words

Quinion, Michael
Ologies and Isms
A Dictionary of Word Beginnings and Endings

Over 10,000 examples of word affixes to help you to decode word meanings.

This book covers topics such as Aquaculture, Haemophilia, Isochronous, Neuralgia, Polyunsaturated, and Rodenticide. How often do we see a technical word without quite knowing what it means? If we can decipher it - undo its language code - we can start to understand others of a similar kind. For example, if we know that words beginning with "aqua" are to do with "water", then we are half way to understanding the word "aquaculture". "Ologies and Isms" is about the building blocks of the English language - the beginnings and endings and sometimes the middles - that help form or adapt many of the words we use.

Whether you're a student or a practitioner, a teacher of English, an inveterate word-user, or just a seeker-out of linguistic trifles, the book should help you understand better the language of your workplace and the world around you. The text contains over 10,000 examples within 1250 entries and a selective thematic index breaks prefixes and suffixes down by theme, including biochemistry and drugs, living world, places and people.

We all have a childlike love of playing with words, adding bits, Lego-style, to create new ones. And we often wonder where words come from and how they are formed.

This book fills a gap we hardly knew existed. Ologies and Isms is about the building blocks of the English language—the beginnings and endings, sometimes the middles—that help create many of the words we use. How often do we see a common technical or medical word without quite knowing what it means? Does your blood run cold when you hear haemophilia; do you pale at paleobotany? If we can decipher such words, we can start to understand others of a similar kind.

Ologies And Isms A Dictionary Of Word Beginnings And Endings (Oxford Paperback Reference)

by Michael Quinion

ISBN 13: 9780192801234

ISBN 10: 0192801236

Paperback; Oxford: Oxford University Press, USA, April 3, 2003; ISBN-13: 978-0192801234

Ologies and Isms: A Dictionary of Word Beginnings and Endings

by Michael Quinion

The codebook has arrived!

Some of the most common--and often misinterpreted--parts of English language construction are prefixes and suffixes. Ologies and Isms unlocks the meaning of these building blocks that make up so much of our modern medical and technical vocabulary. In accessible, plain language this book explains what each affix means. With its huge store of examples--over 10,000 across 1,250 entries--this ready reference illustrates the numerous ways that each is used in everyday speech and writing.

Organized in a handy A to Z format, the book features a full Introduction, a section with definitions of technical terms, and a selective thematic index. Anyone (and there are quite a few of us) who has puzzled over 'antidisestablishmentarianism' or struggled with 'histopathologist' will welcome this volume for the relief it provides.

Sheehan, Michael
Word Parts Dictionary
Standard and Reverse Listings of Prefixes, Suffixes, and Combining Forms

Urdang, Laurence
Prefixes and Other Word-Initial Elements of English

Synopsis
Origins, history, meanings and applications of nearly 3000 common and technical free forms, bound forms, and roots that frequently occur at the beginnings of words, with an index of all sample words, variants and etymological source words and roots.