Vocabulary Development- Revision of prefixes - JSS3 English language Lesson Note

Vocabulary Development: Revision of Prefixes

Definition

A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word to modify its meaning. Prefixes can change a word into a different word class and can also alter the word’s meaning.

 

Common Prefixes and Their Meanings

 

1. un-: not, opposite of

   - Example: **un**happy (not happy), **un**fair (not fair)

 

2. re-: again

  - Example: **re**do (do again), **re**write (write again)

 

3. in-, im-, il-, ir-: not

   - Example: **in**visible (not visible), **im**possible (not possible), **il**legal (not legal), ir-regular (not regular)

 

4. dis-: not, opposite of

  - Example: **dis**like (not like), **dis**agree (not agree)

 

5. pre-: before

  - Example: **pre**view (view before), **pre**dict (say before)

 

6. mis-: wrongly

  - Example: **mis**understand (understand wrongly), **mis**spell (spell wrongly)

 

7. non-: not

  - Example: **non**fiction (not fiction), **non**sense (not making sense)

 

8. sub-: under, below

  - Example: **sub**marine (underwater vessel), **sub**way (underground train)

 

9. inter-: between, among

  - Example: **inter**national (between nations), **inter**act (act between)

10. trans-: across, beyond

   - Example: **trans**port (carry across), **trans**mit (send across)

 

11. super-: above, beyond

   - Example: **super**human (beyond human), **super**market (large market)

 

12. semi-: half, partly

   - Example: **semi**circle (half circle), **semi**final (partly final)

 

13. anti-: against, opposite

   - Example: **anti**social (against social behaviour), **anti**bacterial (against bacteria)

 

14. auto-: self

   - Example: **auto**graph (self-writing), **auto**biography (self-life story)

 

How Prefixes Change Word Meanings

Prefixes can drastically change the meaning of a word. For example:

- happy becomes unhappy (not happy).

- agree becomes disagree (not agree).

- regular becomes irregular (not regular).