1.1.3. Prefixes of Germanic Origin

Prefix

Meaning or function

Examples

I

II

a-, an-

1. In OE "a" (meaning "of").

arise

2. In OE "of" (orig. meaning "off").

adown

3. In OE "and-".

answer

4. In OE "ge-".

aware, afford

5. In OE "on-".

awaken, ashamed

be-

OE — be. In Mod. E. forms:

1) verbs with a reinforcing sense of "about" or "over", or with a meaning of "all around", "all over";

beclasp, bedash, bescreen, bewrap

2) transitive verbs with the force of "to affect" or "by means of";

bedew, freflag, begem

3) verbs with the sense of "thoroughly", "completely", "violently", "repeatedly";

bedazzle, bemuddle, besmear

4) verbs with the sense of "away", "from";

bereave

5) transitive verbs implying action done for, to, at, by, over, against;

becrawl, begroan, beleap

6) verbs (from adjectives or nouns) with the force of "to make" or "to cause to be";

becripple, befool

7) verbs with the sense of "to name".

bebrother, belady

for-

Used with verbs to indicate prohibition, exclusion, failure, neglect.

forsay

May also be used with intensive force denoting "completely", "overwhelmingly".

forbruise, forride

un-

1. Signifies "not".

unwilling, unbearable, unable

2. Shows the reversal of an action.

tie-untie, bind — unbind, do — undo

Prefix

Meaning or function

Examples

I

II

a-

Means "not", "un-", "non-".

Atheist, atheism

apathy, anonymous

amphi-

Signifies "about", "on both sides", "of both kinds".

amphitheatre

amphibious

anti-, ant-

Signifies "opposite", "against", "instead".

antitype, antithesis,antiaircraft,antarctic

dis-, di-

Means "twice", "double".

dissyllable

diphthong

poly-

Means "many" or "much".

polysyllable, polytheist

polyglot