A LIST OF PREFIXES

WEBSTER’S definition is clear and serviceable: ‘One or more letters or syllables combined or united with the beginning of a word to modify its signification, as pre- in prefix, con- in conjure. Prefixes are abstract and have merely formative function, as in unecessary, foreordain, postpone.’

Strictly, a prefix should consist of either a preposition or an adverb. The original preposition or adverb is often hardly recognizable, except by the student of language.

The following list omits the false prefixes of science, e.g. ab(s)- for ‘absolute’ and acfor ‘alicyclic’: they are not prefixes at all; they are abbreviations. A word that exists, in its own right, as an entry in the Dictionary—for example, after, through—is either ignored or referred to its place in the Dictionary. On the other hand, such prefixes as (English) a-, be-, for-, (English) mis-, un-, are included in a list predominantly Greek and Latin and Latin-derived French.

For the few abbreviations employed, see Abbreviations. Whereas a cross-reference to an italicized word (e.g., ‘cor-. See co-’) applies to that word as recorded in this list, a cross-reference to a word in small capitals (e.g., ‘mis- (1): cf MINUS’, or ‘mis-(1): cf minus at MINOR’) sends you to an entry in the Dictionary.

a-

(1). The pre-consonantal form of Gr an-, without (noun), not (adjective, adverb). This ‘privative alpha’, as it is sometimes called, is akin to Skt an-, a-, L in-, Germanic un- (not). Occurring in, e.g., anarchy, lawlessness (an-archy)—the hybrid amoral, lacking morals (a-moral)—agnostic, not knowing (a-gnostic)—and anhydrous, waterless (anhydrous, h- being an exception to the rule ‘a- before consonants’).

a-

(2). The Gr a-, with (cf Skt sa-), together, as in acolyte and Adelphi.

a-

(3). A variant of L ab, from, away, away from, separated or departed from; akin to IndoIranian apa-, Gr ap(o)-, Go ap- and E of and off. Examples: avert (a-vert), to turn away, ward off—abrupt, broken off or away (L abruptus=ab-ruptus)—abhorrent (ab-horrent), shuddering away from, (hence) causing someone to shudder away, Cf also abs- and av- and, in advance, even adv-.

a-

(4). A variant or, rather, a reduced form of L ad, to, towards, akin to Celtic ad- and Go at. The form ad- occurs in, e.g., advent, from ML adventus (L aduentus); the reduced form, in ascend, L ascendere, to climb to, aspect, etc., and also in words adopted from French, as avenue, or derived from French, as achieve. The prefix ad- normally experiences assimilation before b, c,f,g, l, n, p, r, s, t: see ab-, ac-, af-, ag-, al-, an-, ap-, ar-, as-, at-.

a-

(5). A reduced form of OE an, on, having the basic sense ‘in contact with esp something

Origins 3868

beneath’ and being akin to OGmc an(a), Gr ana, Av ana. (See ON.) Examples, showing the nuances ‘on’, ‘in’, ‘at’: ashore, on (the) shore; afire, on fire; nowadays; aloud; He is a-dying, he who so recently was a-laughing, though a-begging. Cf ac-(2).

a-

(6). A much-reduced form of OE of, off, (hence) from—cf, therefore, OF and OFF—as in adown, from OE of dūne, off the hill, and anew, of new (cf of late, recently).

a-

(7). A development, through ME i-, from OE ge-, together, (hence) strongly, .(hence) completely; as in aware, ME iwar, OE gewaer. Cf, therefore, ge- and i-, variant of y-.

a-

(8). This short-a prefix has been ‘thinned’ from OE ā-, akin to Go ur- (G er-) or us-, with basic meaning ‘out’ but now vaguely intensive (cf ‘an out-and-out liar’), as in dial abear, to endure, arise, to rise out of, e.g., bed, and ago, from agon, pp of ME agon, from OE āgān, to pass away, lit ‘to go (gān) out (ā-)': cf to ‘pass away’ and ‘to pass out’ (faint). Cf or- (1).

a-

(9), with variants ad- and as-. Vague in meaning, it appears usually to connote ‘to’ and therefore to approximate to (3), L ad, and therefore to be akin to the Fr à: cf Spenser’s addoom, to ‘deem’ or adjudicate (a-, to+euphonic -d-+doom), and the archaic amate (a- +mate, to checkmate, overcome)—from OF amater or amatir (a, i.e. à+mater), to subdue, dishearten.

Then there are several minor varieties, e.g.:

a-

(10). A reduction of at, as in ado, to do, from ME at do, Northern for to do. See ADO.

a-

(11). A violent reduction of OE and-, against (cf Gr anti, as well as anti- below), as in ‘along the coast’.

a-

(12). The interjection ah, as in alas, from OF alas(F hélas), where a- represents L ah.

a-

(13). An at first careless rendering of L ē-, as in amend, ME amenden, OF amender, from L ēmendāre. Cf e-.

a-

(14). In the mysterious avast (to cease), occurring only as naut term, e.g. ‘Avast heaving’ or ‘Avast there!’, the a- may be that of (12).

a-

(15). The Ar al, the, as in apricot, F abricot (Ar al-burqūq).

a-

(16). For af-, as in afraid for affrayed. See af-(2).

a-

(17). For the indefinite article a, as in apace (formerly a-pace) for a pace and as in apiece (formerly often a-piece) for a piece.

ab-

(1) is an assimilated c/f of ad- before b, as in abbreviate, from abbreviātus, ML pp of L

A list of prefixes 3869

abbreuiāre for ad-breuiāre.

ab-

(2), abs-. See a- (3), variant of L ab, from, away from. The form abs-, which occurs in abstain, from L abstinēre (abs-+-tinēre, combining-form of tenēure, to hold), is to ab- what Gr ăψ (aps) is to (apo).

ac-

(1) is the form taken by ad- before c, as in L accidere, to befall, presp accidens, o/s accident-, whence E accident, and before q, as in L acquirere, whence ‘to acquire’.

ac-

(2), as in acknowledge, comes from ME a-, from OE on. A variation, therefore, of a- (5).

ac-

(3), as in accursed, pp of ‘to accurse’, ME acursien. The ME a- here=OE ā-, lit ‘out’ but mostly an intensive. Cf a- (8).

ad-

. L ad, to, towards: see a- (4).

ad(v)-

=a(v)-, where a-=ab-, from, away—cf a- (3) above. Only in ADVANCE, where a(b) has been confused with ad-.

af-

(1). The form taken by ad- before f, as in L affirmāre, whence ‘to affirm’. In affair, af- stands for F a- (OF a, F à, to) from L ad-.

af-

(2), as in affright, derives from ME a-, OE a-: cf- a- (16).

af-

(3), as in afford, derives from ME a- (aforthen), for i- or y-, from OE ge- (geforthian). Cf, therefore, a- (7) and y-.

af-

(4), as in affray, comes from OF ef-, from L ex, out of: cf ef-.

ag-

. For ad- before g, as in L aggressus, whence ‘to aggress’. Cf:

al-

(1). For ad- before l, as in L allegātiō, o/s allegǎtiōn-, whence E allegation. The change may happen at a later stage, as in allegiance, where al-represents the ME a- (from L aid-) of alegeaunce (a-+OF ligeance).

al-

(2), in nn from Ar (often through Sp), is etymologically the Ar al, the, as in alchemy and

algebra. See esp ‘Articled Nouns’ in P4.

al-

(3), as in alligator, is the Sp el, the, alligator being ‘Hobson-Jobson’ for Sp el lagarto, the lizard.

al-

(4), as in almighty, is simply all: almighty for all-mighty (all-powerful).

am-

(1), Gr. As in ambrosia, adopted from Gr, this am- is a softening of privative an-, q.v. at

Origins 3870

a-(1), ambrosia (food of the Olympian gods) combining and deriving from an-, not +brotos, mortal.

am-

(2), L. As in amputate, this am- is a shortened form, existing already in L, of ambi-.

am-

(3), L via F. In ambush, ME enbussen or enbuschen, from OF embussier or embuschier, am-represents F en, in(to), from L in, in(to)+a stem we see in BUSH.

ama-

: see hama-.

ambi-

—before a vowel, amb- (perhaps cf AMBASSADOR)—comes direct from L amb(i)-, around, about, as in ‘ambition’ (L ambitiō, lit ‘a going (itiō, o/s ) about’) and ‘ambidextrous’, from ML ambidexter, right-handed on both sides. Ambi is akin to Gr amphi: and as amphi derives from amphō, both, so ambi derives from ambo, both. For ambo- and ampho-, see Elements. Cf:

amphi-

—before a vowel, amph—comes direct from Greek amphi, on both sides, (hence) around, as in ‘amphibious’ and ‘amphanthium’. Cf prec.

an-

(1). See a- (1).

an-

(2). See ana-.

an-

(3). The form taken by ad- before n-, as in L annotāre, pp annotātus, whence ‘to annotate’.

an-

(4) is a rare variant, directly of am- (2), q.v., and therefore indirectly of ambi-.

an-

(5), as in anoint, represents F en-, in(to), from L in- (prep in, in, into); cf en- (1).

an-

(6), in answer, is short for OE and-, against, akin to anti-.

an-

(7), as in ancestor, descends from L ante, before (L antecessor, one who goes before).

an-

(8), in anent, anon, derives from ME an-, from the OE prep on: OE onefen, lit ‘on even’ (on an even with); ME anan, lit ‘in one’ (moment).

an-

(9), in another, is simply the article (a), an: an other.

ana-

; before vowels, an-. From an(a)-, c/f of Gr ana, on, up, upwards, above, back, backwards, again, throughout, (hence) very much, excessively; Gr ana is akin to E on; IE *ano, on high. Examples : ‘anachronism’, from Gr anakhronismos, and anagoge, from Gr anagōgē, a leading (agōgē) up.

anci-

A list of prefixes 3871

[. See ANCIENT and cf ante-.]

ann-

(1), in anneal, derives from ME an- for OE on: cf, therefore, an- (8).

ann-

(2), in annoy, derives from ME an-, AF an-(OF an), from L in, in. See ANNOY itself and cf an-(5).

ant-

. See anti-.

ante-

, which remains ante- before a vowel, is the L ante, before (preposition and adverb). Examples: ante-Christian, ante-room. In anticipate, ante-becomes anti-, by confusion with anti- below.

anth-

, in anthem (q.v. in Dict), is a rare variant of:

anti-

—before a vowel, often ant-—represents Gr ant(i)-, c/f of anti, against, whether physically or morally, as in Gr antarktikos, whence E ‘antarctic’, and ‘anti- Darwinism’. The Gr anti is akin to L ante, before (whether in space or in time) and Skt anti, opposite (adv): that which is physically before or in front of something is over against it, hence against it.

ap-

(1). See apo-.

ap-

(2). The form taken by L ad, to, towards, before p, as in L appendere, whence, via French, ‘to append’, to hang (something) to. In appal(l), ap=F a-, derived from F a=L ad.

ap-

(3), in aperient, is perhaps a variant of L ab, q.v. at a- (3).

ap-

(4). Like Fitz in Fitzgibbon and Mac in Macbeth, ap- signifies ‘son of’. From OW map (W mab), son, itself akin to Scots and Irish Mac. Functionally, therefore, a compoundforming element, yet hardly to be included in Elements.

aph-

. See:

apo-

; aph- before aspirated vowel; before ordinary vowel, ap-; meaning ‘from, away, away from; off, off from’, as in Gr apokrupha, L hence E apocrypha, ‘(things) hidden away’— cf cryptic from Gr kruptikos—or apostle, Gr apostolos, a person sent apo or away—or apagoge, from Gr apagōgē (ap-+agōgē, a leading)—or apheresis, L aphaeresis, Gr aphairesis, compounded of apo, away+hairein, to take. Akin to L ab, OHG aba, Skt ápa,

OPer apa, E off.

ar-

(1): L ad- before r, as in ‘to arrive’, ultimately from L ad riuam, to come to the shore, and as in arrogate. In arraign, ar-=OF a-, c/f of a=L ad.

Origins 3872

ar-

(2), in artichoke represents the Ar article al, the; via It articiocco.

arch-

[, arche-, archi-. Being neither prepositional nor adverbial, these intimately interconnected ‘prefixes’ are strictly compound-formers and are therefore treated in their right place: Elements.]

as-

(1) is merely ad- before s, as in L ascribere (for adscribere), whence ‘to ascribe’, or in L assistere, whence ‘to assist’. Cf at- (1).

as-

(2), in astonish, astound, derives from ME as-, from OF es-, from L ex-: cf ex- (1).

as-

(3), in assagai, is the Ar article al, the.

at-

(1)=ad- before t, as in L attentāre, whence, through French, ‘to attempt’. See ATTEMPT.

at-

(2), in atone (q.v. in Dict), is simply the E prep at.

av-

occurs, e.g., in avaunt (cf avant), where F av-=L ab, from, away.

avant-

, meaning ‘before’, occurs only in such a gallicism as avant-garde; it represents L ab ante, from in front.

ba-

, in balance (OF balance), represents L bi-, from bis, twice. Cf, therefore, bi- (1).

be-

, akin to OFris be or , OHG , Goth bi, by, near (cf, therefore, by- and BY), but also to Gr amphi, about, around, occurs only in verbs, mostly transitive, falling into two notable groups, the intensive (from verbs only) and the causative (usu from adjectives) or approximately causative, and into such others as privative and denominative. See the following nine entries.

be-

(1). Intensive, connoting ‘about, around, over’, as in bedeck. Cf:

be-

(2). Intensive, connoting ‘on both or all sides, all around, all over’, as in beclasp, becloud, bedim.

be-

(3). Intensive, connoting ‘thoroughly’ or ‘repeatedly’ or ‘violently’, as in bedrowse (render thoroughly drowsy), bechase (to chase repeatedly), belabour (to beat violently).

be-

(4). Intensive, connoting ‘overmuch, excessively’, as in befringe, belaud, bediamond; bediamond, like berobe, suggests ostentation.

be-

(5). Causative (from adjectives or from nouns), as in becalm and bedunce.

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be-

(6). Approximately causative or predomiantly causative, with connotation ‘to affect with, treat or provide with, cover with’ (and analogous nuances); always deriving from nouns and often exemplified in (mostly past) participial adjectives rather than in ‘straight’ verbs. Thus: befrock(ed), befurbelowed, bemusk, beplumed. Frequently jocose or ironic or sarcastic.

be-

(7). Privative, connoting removal or departure and deriving either from verbs or from nouns, thus: bereave, beglide, behead.

be-

(8). Denominative (from nouns, occasionally from adjectives), to name, call, style, as in belady, bewhore, belord, berogue; bestupid, befunny.

be-

(9). Transitives (from verbs), connoting a prepositional relationship between verb and object, the preposition understood being usually against, at, by, for, on, over, to, with, as in beshout (shout against, at, but also for), beshine (shine on, upon), besigh (sigh for or over), becross (decorate with a cross, make the sign of the cross over), bemire (cover with mire), betide (happen to).

bene-

. The L adv bene, well, used as a c/f, as in benediction and benvolence. Contrast male-.

bi-

(1), indicating either ‘two’ or ‘twice’ (or ‘doubly’), comes from Latin and should therefore be compared with bin- and bis-. The L bi-, bin-, bis- are akin to E twi- (q.v. below), Gr di-, Skt dvi-, themselves consequently related intimately to E two, L duo, Gr duo (Homeric duō). Exx: bipedal, having two feet; bipinnate, twice pinnate; connotative of combination: biracial; lasting two, occurring every two, e.g. years, as biennial, bimonthly, (ambiguously) twice in, as biweekly, appearing twice a week, and therefore confusable with biweekly, appearing every two weeks. (To this ‘twice (in)’ bi, semi- is preferable.) Connoting ‘consisting of two parts’, as bicycle, or ‘divide into two’, as bisect; anatomically: bi-auricular, having two auricles—or pertaining to them; chemically: bicarbonate, bisulphate.

‘Bi- and di- are [in chemistry] sometimes interchangeable, but di- is now usually preferred in most senses’ (Webster).

bi-

(2), in bishop, derives from OE bi-, for Gr epi-: cf epi- below.

bin-

, divided into, or consisting of, two parts as in binoculars, comes from L bīni, two by two, itself from bis, twice: cf terni from ter, thrice.

bis-

, twice, as in bisaxillary, biscuit, twice cooked, and bissextile, is used, notably in Anatomy and Medicine, where a vowel or c or s follows. The L bis derives from duis, itself from the stem of duo, two. Cf bi- (1).

by-

, as in bystander, has the basic sense of the preposition and its derivatives, by adv and by

Origins 3874

adj: ‘near’. The derivative sense ‘beyond’ occurs in by-pass. See BY and cf BYE.

cat-

. See:

cata-

; before an unaspirated vowel, cat-; before an aspirated vowel, hence before h, cath-; and cato-, variant of cata-. These come from Greek: cata- from kata-, c/f of prep kata, ‘down’, hence adv ‘downwards’; kat-; kath-; katō, a distinct form of adv kata. In combination, the principal senses are: down, downwards; hence, according to—but also, against, contrary to; back, back again; and often as a mere intensive. In English it is sometimes difficult to assess the value of the prefix: witness, e.g., catalogue. The variants kat(a)-, kath-, as in katabatic, katharsis, are, in English, to be discouraged: what’s wrong with catabatic and catharsis ? Examples that do reveal the sense of the preposition or the adverb include catachresis, (something that is) contrary to usage—cataclastic, broken down, thoroughly broken—catholic—catocathartic, a remedial purgative.

cato-

. See prec,

circu-

, as in circuitous, is a rare ‘weakening’ of:

circum-

is the c/f of the adv circum (originally the acc of L circus), meaning ‘round about’, hence ‘around’, as in ‘To circumnavigate the globe’, but used also with nouns (circumgyration) and esp with adjectives (circumcentral, circumoral, circum-Sa-turnian). For ulterior etymology, see CIRCUS.

cis-

represents the L prep cis, on this side of, (hence) on the near side of, as in cis-Alpine. Occ transferred to time, as in cis-Augustan. Perhaps akin to OS sĭ, Lith šis, and Hit kās, hither, kēz, on this side.

citra-

represents the L adv and prep citrā, on this side (of), as in citramontane. Strictly, L citrā is the f abl of the adj citer, hither. The stem is ci-(ki-), answering to PGr *ki- (or *ky-): cf also Go hi-. For both cis and citra, see esp E & M.

co-

, with, together, jointly. The form taken by com- (c/f of cum) before a vowel and often before h (cohabit) and w (co-worker).

coi-

, in coil (q.v. in Dict), is for col-, q.v. at cum-.

col-

, with, etc. See cum-: col- is an assimilated form of com- before l.

com-

, with, etc. See cum-, of which it constitutes the basic c/f in v cpds. Cf co- and:

con-

, with, etc. The form taken by com- before any consonant except b, h, l, m, p, r, w, and often (as in connect) before n. See cum.

contra-

A list of prefixes 3875

. The L adv and prep contrā, against, over against, facing, (adv) on the contrary. Contrā=con (see cum)+-trā, adv suffix, occurring already in Skt átra, here, and tátra, there. In E cpds, contra signifies ‘against’ or ‘contrary, in opposition’, as in contradict, contradistinction. Cf the adj contrary and the adv counter, and also contro- (q.v. below).

contre-

, seen only in such gallicisms as contredanse and contretemps, is simply the F form of L contra-.

contro-

. The L adv contrō, doublet of contrā; as in controversy.

cor-

. As in corrupt, cor- is an assimilated form of com- before r. Therefore see cum.

cou-

, as in couch and cousin, stands for com-, q.v. at cum. (Skeat.)

coun-

, in council (and counsel), in count and countenance, stands for com-, q.v. at cum-. (Skeat.)

counter-

is the c/f of the E adv counter, from F contre (adv), from the L prep contrā, against. Exx: counterfeit, countermand, counterpane, counterpoise, countersign.

cu-

, as in custom, stands for com- or con-, qq.v. at:

cum

, as in cum laude, (on diplomas) with praise, i.e. honourably, ‘caravan-cum-house’ and Chorlton-cum-Hardy, represents the L prep cum, with, along with.

As a preverb (prefix serving to build cpds), it has two main forms: com- (or con-) and co-; and, as assimilated forms of com-, the varieties col- and cor-. See, above, co-, com-, con-. The nasal (m or n) is not essential: cf L cohors, gen cohortis, o/s cohort-, E cohort, and Celtic co- alongside com-, con-; cf also OS kŭ alongside Vedic kám. Prob IE r: *co- or ko-, with variant *ca- or ka-.

In cpds co-, com-, con-, etc., connote, usu, ‘together’, often ‘(in) reunion’, occ Very’.

cur-

, in ‘to curry (a horse)’, comes, via OF cor-, from L com-, q.v. at cum.

de-

(1). The L prep dē, from, down from, away from; (hence) coming from, originating in, as a result of; sometimes merely intensive. There are kindred forms in the early Italic dialects Oscan and Umbrian, and also in Celtic. Exx: depend, descend; delegate;

(intensively) denude, derelict; (reversal, deprivation) declassify, decapitate.

de-

(2). When, however, E de- represents the OF des-, it comes from L dis- (see below): as perhaps in destroy and certainly in defeat. Cf deluge, adopted from OF-MF, from L dīluuium, where dī-stands for dis-: cf di- (2).

de-

(3), in devil (OE dēofol, -ful, LL diabolus, Gr diabolos), represents dia-.

dea-

Origins 3876

, in deacon, like de- in devil, comes from Gr dia-, q.v. below.

demi-

. The F demi, half, a half, c/f demi-, comes as adj from the L adj dīmidius, half, itself a com-pound of dī- (i.e. dis-)+adj medius, middle, and as n from L dīmidium (cf MEDIUM), Lit in demicanton, demigroat, demilune; ‘curtailed’ in demirobe; ‘inferior’ or ‘informal’ in demilustre, demitoilet. (Examples from Webster.)

des-

. A Romance—usu F, occ Sp—shape of L dis-, as in descant and despatch. Cf esp dis-.

(2) Chemistry uses it, for de- (free from, deprive of), before vowels, as in desoxymorphine.

dh-

[ is not a true prefix. Its use serves to indicate a Hindi, occ Marathi, word, usu of Skt origin; as in dharma, dhobi, dhow.]

di-

(1). Short for dia-, q.v.; before vowels, as in diactinic.

di-

(2). For L dī-, for dis- (q.v.), connoting separation or reversal; as in didromy and diminish.

di-

(3). For Gr dis, twice (see 2nd dis-), as in dilemma, diploma, the Gr coin distater.

di-

(4). For L dē-, as in distil: cf de- (1).

dia-

represents the Gr prep dia, through, throughout, as in diachronic; occ an intensive; often, from the idea of (e.g., cutting) ‘through’, in nuances ‘asunder’—‘apart’—‘across’, as in diapositive. Before a vowel, often di-, as in diactinic. This prefix ‘seems to be a transformation of IE *dis (L dis-, OHG zir, Alb tš-) “in two, separately” (*di[s]a, after meta, etc.), cf diaskhizō, L discindo. “I cut in two, split” ’ (Boisacq).

dif-

. See dis- (1).

dir-

. See:

dis-

is the L dis-, apart, asunder, in two. In Mod E, dis- is the only form, as in disassociate, but in words coming entirely from Latin, the following variations are noticeable: occ dir- before vowels, dis- being very much commoner; dif-before f, as in differ; di- before b, d, g, t, m, n, r, v, occ j, as in direct, direption (lit, a tearing asunder, hence away). The general meaning is ‘separation’, as in dismiss; hence, deprivation, reversal, negation, as in disable, disqualify. For the etymology cf dia-.

(2) Gr dis, twice, doubly, double, as in dis-diapason, disdiazo-. Rare.

do-

, in dozen, and dou-, in double, come, through F, from L duo, two. Cf:

du-

may be called the c/f of L duo, two, and occurs, e.g., in duel, duet, duplex. See DUO and

A list of prefixes 3877

cf dual(L duālis: du-+-ālis). Cf the prec entry.

dys-

is the L form of Gr dus-, badly, ill (adv), severely, akin to Skt dus-; dus- seems, indeed, to have been the IE stem; cf also Go tuz-, OHG zur-, OIr du- or do-, OE to-, ON tor-, and the Skt variant dur-. Exx: dyslogia, difficulty in expressing ideas in speech; dysphemistic—the opp of euphemistic; dysphoria, a general malaise.

e-

(1), as in eject, emit, erupt. See ex-. In words from F from L (e.g., eloign) e- derives from OF es-for L ex-.

e-

(2), in enough, derives from ME A, from OE ge- (genōh): cf, therefore (i- at) y- near end of this list.

e-

(3), in escalade, escarpment, escutcheon, especial, espouse, espy, esquire, estate, and in a few less familiar words, has been adopted from F, which prefixes it to words in sc-, sp-, sq-, st-(‘impure s’, as some call it) because of the difficulty in pronouncing those four combinations. (Skeat.) This purely phonetic addition occurs also n It.

é-

, in such gallicisms as élite and émigré, is F é, from OF es, from L ex-. Cf e- (1).

ec-

, out (of), represents the Gr ek, as in ecbatic, the adj of ecbasis (Gr ekbasis), a going out, (hence) a digression, and as in ecstasy (Gr ekstasis). Cf ex-(1).

ecto-

or, before a vowel, ect- comes from ekto-, c/f of the Gr adv and prep ektos, outside, externally, as in ectoplasm. Ektos, outside, is to ek, out of, as entos, within, is to en, in: cf, therefore, ek-and ex- (1).

ef-

is the form taken by L ē or ex before f, as in effect, from L effectus, itself from efficere.

eis-

comes straight from Gr eis, into, and occurs only in words adopted or slightly adapted from Greek, as eisegesis, from Gr eisēgēsis: eis+(n from) hēgeisthai, to lead.

el-

(1) is an assimilated form, already in Gr, of en- (see the 2nd en-), as in ellipse.

el-

(2), in elixir (q.v. in Dict) and elemi (a kind of resin), is the Ar al, the. Cf al- (2).

em-

(1) is the form taken by 1st en- (from L in, in, into) before b, as in embellish—before m, as in emmarvel—and before p, as in employ: all from F words; all, therefore, from the F prefix en- (for L in-).

em-

(2). But em- occ represents Gr en (in), which itself, in certain combinations (before m, p, ph), becomes em-, as in emmetros, proportional, proportioned (en+metron, a measure), whence the cpd emmetropia, and as in emphasis. Cf the 2nd form of en-.

emb-

Origins 3878

in at least one word (embassy) seems to vary amb-, variant of ambi-, q.v.

en-

(1) represents F en, in, into, from L in, in, into, in words coming from French or formed on the analogy of such borrowings from French, as in enchant, enchase, engulf, engloom. The force of en-is often merely intensive.

en-

(2). But cf em- (2) above, for en- may also represent Gr en, in, as in encaustic, endemic, energy, enthusiasm: in short, this en occurs only in words taken from Greek or in words formed on the analogy of such E words.

en-

(3), in enemy, derives, through F, from L in-, not. Cf the 1st en- and the 2nd in-.

endo-

; before a vowel, usu end-. Adopted from Gr, where it constitutes the c/f of the adv and prep endon, (on the) inside; endon=en, in+a loc suffix. Exx: endogamy, inbreeding, and endogenous, produced or originating from within. Cf ento-.

enter-

(1). The E shape of F entre-, c/f of the prep entre (L inter), between, among—occurring in F entrechat, entremets—from L inter; as in entertain (F entretenir) and enterprise (F entreprise). Cf inter-.

enter-

(2) is merely the prevocalic form of entero-, q.v. at enter(o)- in Elements.

ento-

; before a vowel, usu ent-. Within, (hence) inner. Adopted from Greek, where ent(o)- constitutes the c/f of the adv entos (cf L intus), inside, within, the opp of ektos (q.v. at ecto-); entos=en, in+-tos, suffix indicating origin. Exx: entogastric, entozoic.

entre-

is the F original of 1st enter-, q.v., and therefore comes from L inter; between, among.

ep-

. See epi-.

eph-

. See epi-.

epi-

; before an ordinary vowel, ep-; before an aspirated vowel, eph-. The Gr prep epi means ‘on, upon, onto’, hence ‘towards, to’, and is akin to Skt api, near to, beside, beyond, and Lith apie, about, around, near, at. Exx: epact, from Gr epaktos (ep-+aktos, from agein, to lead or bring); ephemeral, adj of ephemera, from Gr ephēmeras (epi becoming eph before hēmera, a day); epigram, from Gr epigramma (epi+gramma, something written).

es-

is the form taken by ex- in a few E words of Romance origin, esp It and F; e.g., escambio, escape, escheat, escort, estreat.

eso-

, within, (hence) internal; hence, in Organic Chem, directly attached, direct attachment, to a ring, as in esoneural. Opp exo-, q.v. Adapted from the Gr adv esō, which, as the Ionic variant eisō shows, is intimately related to eis, q.v. at eis-.

A list of prefixes 3879

eu-

, well, comes straight from Gr eu, well, itself orig the neu of the adj eus, good, strong, valiant, answering to IE *esus (esu-+s), root *es, akin to E is: ‘*esu-s, *existent, *alive, hence valiant’ (Boisacq). Exx: eugenic, eupeptic, euphemism, eutropic. Cf:

ev-

. The form assumed by Gr eu in ML, as in Evadne, evangel, the exhilarated outcry evoe, Evonymus. Cf eu-.

ex-

(1); ef- before f, as in effusion; e- before b (ebriety)—d (educe)—g (egestion)—and l (elapse)—m (emerge)—n (enarration)—r (erase)—and v (evade). In F words, it often occurs as es- (escape), aphetically s- (scape), or as é- (élan). L ex corresponds to Gr ek or, before an aspirated vowel, ex; and is akin to OS iz-, Lett iz, Lith is, OIr ess-, Gaulish eks-. The IE etymon was presumably *eks, with variant *egs or *egz.

In E words, the principal denotations and connotations are these: out, out of, as in exhale; out from, off from, off, from, as in exeunt; coming out of, and ascending, as in efferent and extol, and even in exalt; beyond, as in exceed; away from, as in expatriate;

(derivatively) separated from, lacking, without, as in exanimate; in inchoative vv, change of state, as in effervesce; completion, as in effect and exhaust; an intensive (cf intensive de-), as in excruciate; adopted from a LL usage, ex+n connotes a person out of a rank, position, office held formerly, as in ex-king, ex-president.

ex-

(2), in excise (q.v. in Dict), prob comes from L ad-, to.

ex-

(3). See:

exo-

; before a vowel, usu ex-, The Gr exō- represents the prep exō, out of, outside, a derivative from ex, out of, from: see ex- (1), 1st para. Its general English meaning is ‘out of’ or ‘external’, as in exoneural; in Chem it often connotes ‘outward’.

extero-

[ appears more fittingly in the Compound-Forming Elements list.]

extra-

represents the L adv and prep extra, on the outside (opp intus)—outside of (opp intrā), beyond—hence, without, except, except for. Exx: extravert, one who lives externally; extracostal, outside of the ribs; extramundane, beyond the (physical) world; extraordinary, beyond the ordinary, (hence) most unusual. The connotation ‘beyond’ leads to the idea of intensification, as in extra-special, very special indeed.

Etymologically extra is the f abl of the adj exter, (placed) on the outside—cf citrā; exter clearly derives from ex (see 1st ex-).

Cf stra-.

extro-

, as in extrovert, variant of extravert, has been formed from extra- on the analogy, and as the opp, of intro-, q.v. The L extrō occurs only in L extrorsum.

for-

(1) is akin not only to prep for (q.v. for etymology) but also to such OGmc prefixes as

Origins 3880

ON for-, OHG fir-, Go fra-. Although no longer used to form words, it survives in forfend, to prohibit or avert; forget, forgo, to omit or fail to get, to go without; forswear, to reject, or renounce, formally; fordo, to slay; forspent, utterly spent (exhausted); forlorn, utterly lost. The connotations there implied are ‘prohibition, destruction; failure, omission; thoroughly’; certain obsolete words exhibit one or two additional connotations or functions.

for-

(2), in forfeit (q.v. in Dict), comes from F for-, from L foris, out of doors, itself from foris, door, with cognates in Skt, OSl, OHG.

for-

(3), in forever, forasmuch, is obviously the as, prep for (q.v. in Dict): cf for ever and for as much as.

for-

(4), in forward and in the slovenly forbear for forebear (ancestor), is identical, in origin and sense, with:

fore-

(1), as in foregoing (preceding, earlier) and forebears (ancestors). For etymology, see FORE.

fore-

(2), in (to) forebear for (to) forbear, is slovenly for for- (1).

forth-

, only in forthcoming and forthwith, has come straight down from OE. (Skeat.) See the adv FORTH in the Dictionary.

fro-

, in froward, comes from ON frā, from. Sec adv fro at FROM in Dict.

gain-

, in gainsay and dial gainstand, to withstand, and archaic gainbuy, to redeem, derives from OE gēan: see AGAINST in Dict.

ger-

, like ker-, is an echoic prefix occurring only in si and coll words. It may, in its weaker form, ge-, owe something to the G prefix ge-, esp where it appears in Yiddish. Both ger- and ge- are occ interchangeable with ker- and ke- resp, as in ger-or ker-doing (or -doink), an AF exclamation apropos, and indicative, of a crash.

hama-

, as in hamacratic (of, by, for government based on mutual action), comes from the Gr adv hama, together. Occ, loosely, ama-, as in the photographic amacratic.

hemi-

, half-, as in hemisphere, merely adapts Gr hēmi-, akin to L semi- (q.v.), OHG sami-, OE sām-. The IE stem may therefore have been either *hsēm- or hsām-. Cf the formation of Gr huper-, q.v. at hyper-, Cf also me- below.

hyp-

. See hypo-.

hyper-

, over, above, beyond, beyond the ordinary or normal, transcending, excessively, as in

A list of prefixes 3881

hyperbole and hypercritical, represents Gr huper-, c/f of the prep huper, over or above, beyond or exceeding. As Gr hēmi- is akin to L semi, so is huper akin to L super: the IE stem may therefore have been *hsuper, the s dropping out in Gr, the h in L. Cf OHG ubir and Skt upon and see hypo-.

hyph-

. See:

hypo-

; before an unaspirated vowel, often hyp-; before an aspirated vowel, hyph-. The E meanings ‘below, beneath, less than the ordinary or the normal'—the opp, therefore, of hyper—correspond to those of Gr hupo-, c/f of the prep hupo, below, beneath. Hupo is akin to OPer (and Av) upa, towards, and also to L sub, under: as huper to super, so hupo to sub (? orig sup). The IE *hupo-or *hsupo-, whence Gr hupo, prob forms the origin of huper. Exx: hypocrite, hypodermic, hypothesis; hypallage, hyparterial; hyphen.

i-

. See y-. (2) See the 2nd in-.

il-

is the form taken by in-, not, before l, as in illegal, and also by in-, in, into, as in illumine. Cf im- and esp in-.

im-=in-, not, before m, as in immense, and before p, as in improper; before b, as in imbue; (2), not, before m, as in imminent; and before p, as in impend.

in-

(1), in, within, into, towards, comes either from the E prep and adv in, as in inborn, income, inside, or from L in (same senses), as in indebted, invade. Except in such softenings as immesh, impark, the E in- remains in-, but the L in- experiences these changes: il- before l, as above; im- before b, m, p, as above; ir- before r, as under. In the L derivatives, in- (il-, im-, ir-) has often a merely intensive force, as in imprison. Cf em- and 1st en-.

in-

(2). Again from L, where it forms an inseparable prefix with no originating adv or prep, this in-, akin to the synonymous E prefix un-, means ‘not’ and experiences, in L, the same assimilations as we have noticed in in- (1), with an additional one—before gn it becomes i, as in ignobilis, whence ignoble, and in ignōrāre, whence E ignore. Exx: inadvertent, incapable, illicit, immature, improper, irregular.

indi-

or, before a vowel, ind-, as in indigenous and indigent (ind-+-igent), represents PL indu, within, cognate with Gr endon, within. (Skeat.) Cf endo-above.

infra-

, below or beneath in position, situation, series, status, as in infracostal, infrahuman, (hence) inferior, as in infranatural, but also (as in infraterritorial) within, represents the L adv and prep infrā, beneath, lower, physically and morally—opp suprā—and akin to L inferus, with cognates in Skt.

intel-

. See:

inter-

Origins 3884

confusion is entirely natural, for psychologically and semantically the fundamental ideas of ‘less’ and ‘change, change for the worse’ are very closely akin, one to the other. Mislike orig signified ‘to be displeasing to’, as in ‘It mislikes me much’ (OE mislīcian), but the predominant sense has, since 1900 at the latest, been ‘to dislike’, as in ‘I mislike that man’.

n-

(l)=we, not, as in never, not ever, from OE nfre, consisting of OE ne, not+OE fre, ever. As an active prefix, n- (and ne-) ceased to exist soon after ME became EE. The OEME ne is akin to L ne, not, which we see in neuter (ne+uter) and nefarious and null.

n-

(2), as in newt and nickname, is the -n of the E article an, the: an ewt, an ekename resp become a newt, a nickname. See ‘Articled Nouns’ in P*.

ne-

. See n- (1). In L c/ff, ne- before o and l often took the stronger form neg-, prob developed from nec-, c/f of nec, an emphatic form of the adv ne: negō, I deny (cf E negation); negōtium (neg-+ ōtium), whence, ult, E negotiate; neglegere (variant neclegere), whence, ult, neglect.

neg-

. See prec.

non-

, not, merely makes a c/f of the L adv non, not, which derived from PL noenum, i.e. neoenum, not one (thing), oenum being the PL form of L ūnum. Occ non- merges with a noun, as in non-conformist and nonsense; usu it precedes an adj, as in non-Christian and non-religious. Non-, it is clear, is less emphatic than in- or un-; usu, so far from denoting an opposite, it merely connotes a negation.

o’-

is a shortening of of or on, as in Shakespeare’s ‘turning o’ the tide’; therefore cf a- (5) and a- (6).

o-

(2) represents L ob- (q.v.), as in omit (L omittere).

ob-

, towards or facing, as in obverse—against, as in object—upon, over, as in obfuscate, but also down, as in oblige—completely, thoroughly, (very) much, as in obdurate; in modern scientific and technical words, reversely, as in obovate.

The following assimilations are common: ob-before c becomes oc-, as in occur; before f, becomes of-, as in offend and offer; before g, becomes og-, as in the obsolete ogganition, a snarl, from L oggannīre (ob+gannīre), to snarl at; before p, becomes op-, as in opponent.

L ob is akin to Gr epi, upon, towards (cf cpi-above).

oc-

. See ob-, 2nd para.

of-

(1). See ob-, 2nd para.

of-

A list of prefixes 3885

(2), in offal, does duty for off-: offal=off-fall: but offfal(l) would have been phonetically absurd. (Skeat.)

off-

, as in offset, is the adv off, q.v. in Dict. Cf prec.

og-

. See ob-, 2nd para.

on-

, as in oncoming; is the adv and prep on, q.v.in Dict.

op-

. See ob-, 2nd para.

opiso-

: from Gr opisō, backwards, as in opisometer, an instrument for the measurement of curves. Cf;

opisth(o)-

: Gr opisth(o)-, c/f of opisthen, at the back (cf opiso-), as in opisthognathous (cf -gnatha), having jaws that retreat; opisthograph; opisthosomal (cf -Some).

opsi-

: Gr opsi-, c/f of adv opse, late, too late; prob IE s and r, *op-, var of the ap- of Gr apo, (away) from—cf L abs and ab. Exx: opsigamy, late marriage, from Gr opsigamia (cf - gam).

or-

(1), in ordeal and ort(s), has a prefix that, occurring in OE as or-, OFris as or-, MD as oor-, G as ur- or er-, Go as us-, has basic meaning ‘out’ and is therefore akin to a- (8), q.v.

or-

(2), in orlop, contracts D over(loop), over.

os-

, in ostensible, which consists of os-+tensible, is either a worn-down or merely a phonetically convenient form of obs-, a variant of ob-, q.v.

out-

. See adv OUT in the Dict. Cf also ut-, utt-, near end of this list.

outr-

, in outrage, represents F outre (as in outremer, beyond the sea, (hence) foreign lands), from L ultra, beyond: see ultra-.

over-

. See OVER in the Dict.

pa-

, in palsy, shortens para- (1), q.v.: ME palesie, earlier parlesie (or -sey): OF paralysie, LL paralysis, Gr paralusis.

palin-

, as in palindrome, palingenesis, palinode, but palim- in palimpsest, means ‘back again’: Gr palin, back, again; app from an IE stem that means ‘to turn’. (Boisacq.)

par-

A list of prefixes 3887

fyr-. Boisacq postulates an IE r *per, ‘expressing the execution of a movement forward or of an effort directed to a precise end’. That IE stem *per has, in combination, a shortened form pr- as in Gr pro- or prō-, and L prō-, forward, to the fore.

pil-

. See per-, at end.

po-

, in position, positive, is aphetic for L *apo, close kin to *ap, the PL form of ab—cf a- (3) and apo-.

pol-

. See:

por-

(1), as in portend, represents L por- (as in portendere), an allied form of L prō-, q.v. at the 2nd pro-. ‘It appears as pol- in pollute’ and perhaps as pos- in possess. (Skeat.)

por-

(2). In E words from F, por-, like pur- (q.v. below), represents an early form of pour-, the F re-shaping of the 2nd pro-. Example: portrait.

pos-

. See por- (1), at end.

post-

, after (in time), as in postdate, postpone, post-Shakespearean, after (in place, position, point, etc.), as in postfrontal, behind the forehead, and, in medicine, occurring as a result of, as in post(-) neuralgic, comes from the L post, after, behind (prep, adv, prefix)—opp ante, before; and L post is akin to Skt pasća, Av pāskat, OPers pasā, after, and to TokhB post, OSl pozde. The IE r appears to be *pos, with variant *pas.

pour-

, as in the gallicisms pourboire, pourparler, pourpoint, poursuivant, is a c/f of the F prep pour, for, OF por, VL por, L prō: see the 2nd pro-.

pr-

, in prison and prize, is ult identical with L pre-, which=prae-. (Skeat.) See:

prae-

, surviving in legal terms (e.g., praemunire) and in Roman-historical terms (praenomen, praetor, etc.); otherwise pre-, as in preamble, prefect, pre-text; sometimes through F pré- ; ML pre- or prae-; L prae-, in c/ff often pre-, from the L prep and adv prae, PL prai, before, akin to prō, q.v. at 2nd pro-: cf Oscan prai, Umbrian pre, and, with varying shades of meaning, OP prei, OSl pri. Cf also:

praeter-

, only in ‘Roman’ survivals and in archaistic spellings; elsewhere preter-, as in pre-terit (e), pretermit, preternatural: L praeter, in front of, (hence) beyond, (hence) not counting, except. Praeter was orig either a comp of prae or a prae- derivative analogous to subter from sub, or inter from in.

pre-

. See prae-.

preter-

. See praeter-.

Origins 3888

pri-

, as in prior and prime, private and deprive, occurs only in words coming from L and is a variant of or, at the least, closely akin to prae-(pre-) and L pro.

pro-

(1). The Gr pro- or prō-, before, whether in space or in time, comes from IE *pro or prō, to the fore or front: cf Skt prā-, Av fra- or frā-, OPer fra-, L pro- or prō-, OSl pro- or pra-, OHG fir-. Exx: problem, proboscis, proscenium; prologue; in SciE, primitive or rudimentary, as in progamete.

pro-

(2). The L pro-, forward, forth, is akin to and was much influenced by Gr pro or prō, before. The basic sense of the L adv and prep pro, forward, in front (of), occurs in such words as proceed, progress, project.

These basic senses of L pr imply that somebody or something is behind one, therefore shielded or sheltered or protected by one: thus have arisen the nuances ‘in defence of, for the sake of, in behalf of ‘and so forth, as in procure and prolocutor and, with the accentuated nuance ‘in favour of’, in such modern terms as pro-American, proBritish, pro-Joyce.

The basic senses of L pr also imply ‘in the place of, instead of: hence, substituted for’, as in pro-consul.

For etymology, cf 1st pro-. For variations show-ing F influence, see por-, pour-, pur-.

pro-

(3) is, in provost, an odd deviation from prae-, pre-. (Skeat.)

prod-

, in prodelision (lit a ‘forward’, i.e. ‘before’, elision),=2nd pro-, q.v. Cf L prodesse (prod+esse).

pros-

, as in proselyte and prosody, connotes ‘towards’, hence ‘concerning’; in prosenchyma, ‘near’; in prosencephalon, ‘fore-’. A Gr preverb, it comes from pros, a Gr adv (at the side; besides) and prep (towards, beside, near to). The dial variant proti helps us to see the kinship of pros to Skt práti, towards, and OSI protivū, face to face with, and Lett prett’, over against. The IE etymon is presumably *proti, against, over against, facing, perhaps having an ult form *prati. Cf the com-pound-forming element prot(o)-, and also:

proso-

is a c/f deriving from Gr prosō, forwards, onwards—an extension of pros; c/f Gr exō from ex. The E prefix occurs only in Sci and tech words, with the general meanings ‘in front’, as in proso-bronchia, prosodetic, prosopyle—‘passing to, or into, another’, as in prosodemic—‘developing progressively’ or ‘progressive development’, as in prosoplasia.

pu-

, in puny; puis- in puisne; these two prefixes represent F forms of L postea, afterwards, F puisné meaning ‘later-born’.

pur-

, as in purchase (OF porchacier), to pursue-hence to seek—and obtain, hence to obtain by seeking with a price (to purchase, as we now under-stand purchase), in purfle (OF

Origins 3890

sans-

, which is, in effect, the F prep sans, without, from L sine (cf sine- below), occurs only in such gallicisms as sans-culotte (and -culottism) and sansgêne, casual behaviour, sansserif and Sans Souci, Frederick the Great’s palace at Potsdam.

satis-

, as in satisfy and satispassion (a suffering that is theologically acceptable), =L satis, enough, akin to Go saths, Ir sathech, sated, OP satuinei, thou satest, Ionic Gr asaō, I sate. The IE r is prob *sat-.

sē-

(1) or, before a vowel, sect-. This L prefix indicates separation, parting, privation, and it derives from a PL prep, meaning ‘without’—superseded by sine (cf sine- below). Sē-, sed- perhaps forms the origin of the L conj sed, but; certainly it is akin to Umbrian sei, to Arm k‘ec, detached or separated, and Sl sveni, outside (prep). Exx: secede, to move away; secern, secret, secrete; secure, free from cura or anxiety; sedition (a going aside or away); seduce (to lead aside, hence astray); select (lit, to gather aside); separate (lit, to make ready—on the side, at a distance); obs sepose, to set aside or apart; and perhaps sober.

se-

(2), in semester, is L sex, 6.

semi-

, adopted from L sēmi-, half-, akin to Gr hēmi-, half (see hemi- above) and more obviously Skt sami, and OE sam-. Exx: semi-acid, semidetached, semi-Gothic, semiliquid; in AE, such words are written solid.

sin-

is the form taken by L sēmi- in L sinciput, (lit) half a head, sense-adapted by An, with adj sincipital.

sine-

, as notably in only one word, sinecure, from ML sine cūra, without cure—i.e., without cure (care) of souls. The L prep sine, without, occurs in several L phrases, e.g. sine qua non. Cf sans-.

so-

(1), in sober (sobriety), is L sō-, variation of privative se-: cf, therefore, se- above.

so-

(2), in sojourn, comes, via OF, from L sub(VL *subdiurnāre): cf sub- below,

sopr-

, as in soprano, is short for It sopra-, from L sūprā- (q.v.).

sover-

, in sovereign, comes from OF, where soverderives from L super: cf super- below.

su-

. See sub-, at end of 3rd para.

sub-

, predominantly ‘under’ or, derivatively, ‘less than, inferior to’, is, in effect, the L sub, predominantly ‘under’ (opp super), hence ‘in the vicinity of, or within reach of, hence ‘very soon after’; nor is the connotation ‘inferior (to)’ absent in certain L words.

Origins 3892

as supercilious, superficies, superfluous, superlative, supersede, superstition, supervene. In certain words that reach us via F, super- has become sur-, as in surcharge, surface, surfeit, survive.

supra-

, above, higher than, (in An) on the dorsal side of, represents the L adv and prep suprā, orig the f abl superā (hence suprā) of an adj *super, supērus, (in physical position) superior. Suprā has the same meanings as the L adv and prep super (q.v. at super- above) and is opp infrā (q.v. at infra-). For the form, cf L infrā and intrā; for the anterior etymology, cf sub (q.v. at sub-). English exx: supracaudal (above the tail), supranasal, supranormal, supravital.

sur-

(1). See sub-, 3rd para.

sur-

(2). See super-, last sentence.

sus-

. See sub-, 3rd para.

sy-

, as in system and systole, is a shortened form of E syn-, as the Gr orig suis of sun-.

syl-

. The assimilated form taken by syn- before f, as in syllable, syllapsis, syllogism. Cf:

sym-

. The assimilated form of syn- before b, m, p, as in symbiosis, symmetry, sympathy.

syn-

: syl- before l, sym- before, b, m, p. In E words, it means ‘(along or together) with’, whether spatially or temporally, as in synagogue and synthesis; occ there is a connotation of association or concurrence, as in synergism, synonym, syntax. Syn- represents the L form of Gr sun-, the c/f of the prep sun, (along) with, in space or in time, i.e. together or simultaneously. The Gr sun was orig xun. Existing in PGr xun (with variant xu), it has no ‘assured cognates outside Greek’, as Boisacq remarks; he does, however, compare OSl sŭ, with, and, reservedly, Lit sù, with. And is not xun or sun akin to L cum, with ? The IE root accounting for xun, sun, cum would prob be either *ksun, perh with variant *ksum, or *kum, perh with variant *kun; the *ks-, *k- forms being alternatives.

t- (1), in tautology, represents to, neu s of the Gr definite article ‘the’. (Skeat.)

t- (2), in tawdry, is the final letter of saint; (Sain)t Awdry has become tawdry. (Skeat.) t- (3), in twit, is aphetic for ME at-, from OE aet-: OE aetwītan yields twit. (Skeat.)

ter-

, thrice or threefold, as in tercentenary, is merely the L adv ter, thrice. Cf tri- below and see THREE.

thorough-

, in thoroughfare, is simply a variant of prep THROUGH; in thorough-going, of the adj through.

to-

(1), an intensive, connoting ‘asunder, (all) to pieces’, as in all to-brake (Judges, ix, 53) and to-break, or ‘away’, as in to-go, or ‘completely, entirely, (or no more than) severely’,

A list of prefixes 3893

as in to-beat, occurs only in a few archaic and dial words. It derives from OE to-, asunder, and is therefore akin to OFris to-, te-, ti- and OS te- or ti-, OHG zar-or zer-, Go dis-, L dis-; notably cf TWO.

to-

(2), in today, tomorrow, tonight, derives from OE to-, c/f of the prep to, q.v. in Dict.

tra-

; trail-. See:

trans-

; before a word beginning in s, it usu drops the s, as in transcend, transcribe and transude, to ‘sweat’ through (F transsuder; -suder from L sudāre); in a few other words, trans- softens to tra-(L trā-), as in tradition, traduce, trajectory, the obs tralation (a metaphor), the obs tralucent (displaced by translucent), the v and n traverse (cf the adj transverse).

The chief senses of transin E words are: ‘(over) across’, hence ‘beyond’, ‘on the other side of; as in transalpine; transmit and transfer, where the connotation of ‘exchange’ occurs; translate.

The L trans is akin to W tra, beyond, and perhaps to Skt tiráh, Av tarō, across, beyond, Skt tárati, he crosses, traverses, and to the second part of L intrāre; almost certainly to OE thurh, through (cf, therefore, THROUGH).

tre-

(1), in treason, is a shape taken in ME (and continued in EE-E) by OF-from-L tra-, q.v. at trans-.

tre-

(2), in treble, represents L tri-, thrice (cf tri-below), akin to tres, three. With treble cf triple.

tres-

is a form occ taken in OF by trans; as in the E trespass.

tri-

, having or divided into three parts, occurring thrice or in three ways, as in tricycle, trifarious (cf multifarious), trigonometry, tripod, trisect, triennial. It comes either from L tri- or from Gr tri-, often through F tri-, and is therefore akin to E THREE, L tres, three, Skt tris, thrice.

tris-

: Gr tris-, c/f of tris, thrice, from treis, three. Ex: Trisagion, the hymn known as The Thrice Holy’ (Gr hagios, holy). The rare var triakis-, from Gr triakis, thrice, occurs in Geom terms.

twi-

u-

. See UTOPIA.

ultra-

, beyond, as in ultramarine, ultramundane—on the other side (ultramontane)—

Origins 3894

transcending (ultramicroscopic)—hence, beyond the usual or the normal, i.e. excessively, as in ultramodern, is, in effect, the L prefix ultra-, from the adv and prep ultra, beyond, on the other side (of), further than—opp citrā. Now, ultrā was orig the f abl of an adj *ulter, being or lying beyond (cf citer, q.v. at citra- above); itself from the PL prep uls, beyond, opp cis (see cis- above).

um-

, in umpire (for numpire), derives from F non, not (cf non-). Therefore cf n- (2).

umbe-

, archaic for ‘about’ or ‘around’, as in umbecast and umbethink, comes from OE ymbe (influenced by ON umb), akin to OFris umb or umbe, OHG and OS umbi (Mod um) and L ambi, on both sides (of): cf ambi-, q.v.

umu-

. In Bantu, it indicates ‘human being’. Cf M- above.

un-

(1), before adjj and advv, occ before nn, means ‘not’, as in unable, unruly, uncomfortably, unbelief, and is usu neutral (merely ‘not’) rather than ‘contrary’, as in unmoral opp immoral. It occurs more often with stems of Gmc origin than with those of Gr or L origin.

This un- descends unchanged from the OE un-, which is akin to OFris, OHG (and G), OS un-, ON ū- or ō—to OIr an- (or in-), Ga, W, Cor, Br an-; to L in-; to Gr an- (before vowels); to Skt an(or a-). Cf, therefore, a- (1) and in- (2) above.

un-

(2), before a v and occ before a pa there-from, connotes ‘reversal’ or ‘the contrary’, as in unbend, untie, undone; often it goes with nn to form vv connoting either the deprivation of the thing designated by the n, as in unman and unyoke, or the removal of someone, something, from the thing designated by the n, as in unearth; sometimes unmerely intensifies, as in unloose.

This un-, ME un-, descends from OE un- or on-, akin to the and- of, e.g., andswerian (EE-E answer), lit ‘to swear against’—to Go and—and to Gr anti, against: cf, therefore, anti- above.

un-

(3), in until and unto. Until is ‘a substituted form of unto’ (Skeat): and unto=undto, where -to is the prep to and und- is akin to, prob adopted from, OFris und, unto, akin to OS und, unto.

on-

(4). See uni- in the Elements list.

ut-

, in utmost, answers to the adv out, q.v. in the Dict.

utter-

(1), in uttermost, answers to outer, q.v. at out in Dict.

utter

(2), in utterance, is a distortion of the outre-(cf outr- above) shortened to outr- in F outrance, which, though a gallicism, occurs in E.

v-