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HOW PREFIXES MODIFY THE ROOT

The prefix ‘pre’ means before. this is not always obvious as in the word ‘precise’. In such instances it is important to look at the root from which the word derives. Some of the words are printed in bold to highlight an alteration in pronunciation. Study the following words:-

1.

a section at the beginning of a speech, report, or formal document that explains the purpose of what follows

pre...

2.

an action taken to protect against possible harm or trouble

pre...

3.

to come before somebody or something in time, position or importance

pre...

4.

somebody who leads the singing of the congregation or choir in a church

pre...

5.

a rule, instruction, or principle that guides somebody’s action

pre...

6.

exact and accurate

pre...

7.

to prevent somebody from doing something

pre...

8.

somebody or something that comes before and is considered to lead to the development of another person or thing

pre...

9.

somebody who held a particular position or job before somebody else

pre...

10.

to decide in advance what is going to happen

pre...

11

to base an opinion, an action, or a result on something

pre...

12.

to say what is going to happen in the future

pre...

----

13.

a particular liking or preference for something

pre...

14.

occurring before and leading up to something

pre...

15.

occurring, existing, or developing earlier than is expected

pre...

16.

to plan or devise something a crime in advance

pre...

17.

a statement given as the evidence for a conclusion

pre...

18.

the amount above its nominal value at which something such as a security sells

pre...

19.

to make something ready for use or action

pre...

20.

to occupy something in advance or before somebody else

pre...

21.

greater in power, force, or influence

pre...

22.

an exclusive privilege or right enjoyed by a person or group occupying a particular rank

pre...

a sign or warning of a future event

pre...

23.

to direct a patient to follow a particular course of treatment

pre...

24.

to be the chairperson or hold a similar position of authority at a formal meeting

pre...

25.

having or showing knowledge of actions or events before they take place

pre...

26.

to accept that something is virtually certain to be correct even though there is no proof of it

pre...

27.

to prove to be stronger and in the position of greater influence and power

pre...

28.

to cause something not to happen

pre...

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The prefix ‘ex’ means out of, from, or out. This is not always obvious as in the word ‘exact’ In such instances it is important to look at the root from which the word derives. The root is given in italics. Study the following words with the use of a good dictionary.

1.

to demand steep payment out of someone [agere]

ex...

2.

to hollow out [cavare]

ex...

3.

to go outside the limits of something [cedere]

ex...

4.

to take out a passage from a longer work [carpere]

ex...

5.

to take out something from a text [caedere]

ex...

6.

to shut somebody from consideration [claudere]

ex...

7.

to tear off the skin of a person or animal [coriare]

ex...

8.

to take out waste matter [cernere]

ex...

9.

to breathe out [halare]

ex...

10.

to draw out gases or fumes [haurire]

ex...

11.

to hold out or display [habere]

ex...

12.

to take out a corpse from a grave [humare]

ex...

13.

to go out of a room or place [ire]

ex...

14.

to remove a burden [onus]

ex...

15.

to take out the presence of evil spirits [orkos]

ex...

16.

to compel somebody to leave or give up membership of an institution [coriare]

ex...

17

to come to an end, or be no longer valid or in operation [spirare]

ex...

18.

to send goods out of the country [portare]

ex...

19.

to take something out from a record [pungere]

ex...

20

to pull something out [trahere]

ex...

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Prefixes also modify meaning. In the examples below the root is the same. The new words came into being primarily as a result of the prefixes being added to the root. What is the missing word that goes with each of the following meanings?

1

somebody who takes another person away

ab...

2

a bridge that carries a canal across a valley or river

aq...

3

to behave in a specified way

co...

4

medium that allows electricity etc. to pass along it

co...

5

to come to a logical conclusion

de...

6

to subtract an amount for some purpose

de...

7

a tube or channel through which something can flow

du...

8

a substance extracted unaltered from another

ed...

9

to install somebody formally in an office

in...

10

act of presenting somebody to an audience

in...

11

tubes that transport eggs from the ovary to the uterus

ov..

12

making or creation of something

pr...

13

the decreasing of something in size etc.

re...

14

analysis of something into simpler elements

re...

15

the production of young plants and animals

re...

16

persuading somebody to do something wrong

se...

17

transfer of genetic material from one bacterium to another

tr...

18

a bridge that takes a road etc. over a wide valley

vi...

---

What English word is derived from each of the following combination of prefix and root:

1. ab + duco to remove someone by force

ab + norma to deviate from the norm

abs + tenere to choose to refrain

ab + jurare to renounce or retract

ab + dicare to renounce responsibility

ab + errare departure from the truth

ab + horrere to detest vehemently

ab + lavere to wash or cleanse

ab + negare to deny to oneself

ab + caldere to cut off

2. ad + cedere to give one’s consent

ad + celer to speed up

ad + canyus prominence of a spoken syllable

ad + capere to take or receive

ad + cadere the right to approach or enter

ad + cadere an unintentional occurrence

ad + clamare to acknowledge someone publicly

ad + collum something awarded as an honour

ad + complere to succeed in achieving something

ad + cor agreement

3. ad + aptare to modify to suit different purposes

ad + dicere person dependent on a substance

ad + ducere to cite as evidence or proof

ad + apisci a person who is skilled or proficient

ad + aequare sufficient for a purpose

ad + haerere to stick or hold fast

ad + jungere to attach

ad + diurnum to postpone

ad + minister to direct or control

ad + optare to take over as one’s own

4. ad + facere a thing to be done or attended to

ad + facere to act upon or influence

ad + filius to associate or be associated with

ad + figere to attach or attribute

ad + fligere to distress greatly

ad + fluere having abundant wealth

ad + frontis a deliberate insult

ad + ferre directing inward towards the brain

ad + fidare to bind to a promise of marriage

ad + firmare to confirm or ratify

5. ad + parare equipment used in a laborator

ad + parare garments or clothing

ad + parere spectre

ad + pellere to request for relief or aid

ad + parere to come into sight

ad + pendere additional material at the end

ad + petere a desire or craving for food

ad + plaudere to indicate approval by clapping

ad + pretium to value highly

6. ad + spirare desire to achieve something

ad + simulare collect or put something together

ad +serere to insist upon or exert influence

ad + sedere to estimate the value of a thing

ad + signare to appoint to a post or task

ad + simulare to learn an understand

ad + sociare to link with or to connect to

ad + suavis to give relief in times of pain etc.

ad + sumere to take for granted

ad + securus to convince

 

7. bi + caput reflex muscles of the forearm

bi + cyspis having two cusps

bi + fas ranged in two rows (Bot.)

bi + findere divided into two lobes

bi + furca divided into two branches

bi + lingua able to speak two languages

bi + mensis lasting two months

bi + parere producing two at once

bi + portire made by two parties

bi + pedis having two feet

8. com + battuere a fight, conflict or struggle

com + bini to join together

com + fortis state of ease or well-being

com + memorare to honour

com + initare to begin

com + mandare to praise

com + mensurare proportionate

com + mereis financial and business activity

com + miserani to express or feel sympathy

com + movere upheaval

9. de + barque to remove bark from a tree

de + but first public appearance

de + cadere deterioration of culture

de + cant to pour from one to another

de + caput to behead

de + cedere death

de + clinare to refuse to do or accept

de + crescere diminution or reduction

de + cenere a law made by one in authority

de + crepare infirm due to old age

10. dis + confire to make uneasy or confused

dis + cordis lack or agreement or harmony

dis = corage to inhibit

dis + currere verbal communication

dis + co-operire to learn about for the first time

dis + crepare conflicting claims or figures

dis + gorge vomit

dis + guise to conceal actual appearance

dis + mantel to take apart

dis + parage to damage the reputation

11. per + manere intended to last

per + meare to spread through the whole of

per + orare to speak at length

per + oxide short for hydrogen peroxide

per + pendere at right angles to a plane

per + patrare to be responsible for deception

per + petere eternal, permanent

per + quaerere incidental benefit in a job

per + servus to show persistence

per + sistere to continue steadfastly

12. prae + ambulare a preliminary event

prae + cavere action to avoid an undesirable event

prae + cedere to go or be before

prae + claudere to exclude or debar

prae = coquere developing or ripening early

prae + decessor an ancestor

prae + dicere foretell

prae + diligere preference

prae = eminere extremely eminent

prae + ferre to value more highly

prae + figurare to suggest in advance

prae + ludere an introduction

prae + scindere to cut off prematurely

prae + sumere to take for granted

13. pro + ballein something difficult to deal with

pro + boskein elongated, flexible trunk or snout

pro + cedere to continue

pro clamare to announce publicly

pro + crastinus to put off until later

pro + creare to bring into being

pro + agere reckless expenditure

pro + ducere to yield or bring into existence

pro + filium an outline of an object

pro + filigere shamelessly immoral

14. pro + geras being prematurely old

pro + gignoskein prediction of a disease

pro + legein preface, introduction

pro + ludere an introductory exercise

pro + mittere to give an assurance

pro + phanai one who predicts the future

pro + scribere to prohibit

pro + secare one who dissects dead bodies

pro + stenai male glands surrounding bladder

15. re + calx not susceptible to control

re + capere to take into one’s hand

re = cadere one habitually relapsing into crime

re = citare to repeat aloud to an audience

re + clinare to rest in a leaning position

re + cule to move back violently

re + compensare to pay back; reward

re + conciliare to become friendly again

re + credere cowardly or faint-hearted

re + cumbere lying down

sub + alternus inferior position to the captain

sub + dare to overcome—bring under control

sub + jungere to add at the end of something

sub + mittere to be voluntarily subjected to

sub + ordinare under the control of another

sub + ornare to bribe or instigate

sub + poena writ for one to come to court

sub + prior a prior’s assistant

sub + rapere a fallacious representation

sub + rogare to substitute for another

sub + scribere to promise to pay at regular intervals

sub + sedere financial aid

sub + sistere manage to live

sub + tendere stretch across

sub + urbs outlying area of a town

sub + cingere concise

sub + caedere shaped as if cut off abruptly at the end

sub + cubare an evil female demon

sub + cumbere to give way to a force or desire

sub + quatere favourable outcome of an attempt

sub + capere liable to be afflicted

sub + specere to believe someone guilty

sub + pendere to hang from above

sub + spirare to utter with a sigh

sub + tenere withstand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Last modified: October 14, 2007