stemsandaffixes.doc

Stems and Affixes

Prefix Meaning Example
ad (a, ac, af, ag, al, to advance, acquire, affix, aggressive,
an, ap, ar, as) allocation, annex, approach,
arrest, assert

ante before, in front of antecedent, anteroom

anti against antithesis, antimagnetic

auto self, self-acting autonomous, autocracy,
automobile, automaton

bi two, twice bimonthly, biennial

circum (circu) around, circle circumscribe, circumference,
circulation

com (co, col, con) together, with combine, cohabit, collision, converse

de down from, apart despise, dehydrate, decapitate

di two, dioxide, dialogue
separate divorce, diversify

dis not discourage, dissatisfy
apart disband, disperse, disrupt, diffuse

en (em) make empower, enlarge, enpurple
around encircle, embrace

ex out of, from, away from extract, expose, exclude
more than excess, exceed, exaggerate
former ex-wife, ex-president

il, im, in not illegal, immature, inactive
into insert, implant,
inter, intro, intra, intel between, inside, within, interrupt, interpose,
inward, into introvert, introspect
intramural, intracellular,
intracity, intelligible,
intellect

mal bad, badly malfunction, maladaptation,
malaria, malapply

macro great macrocosm, macrostructure
micro small, tiny microcosm, microstructure

mis wrong(ly) misbehave, mismanage
bad misfortune, mischance

mono one, single, alone monocracy, monotonous,

multi many, much multilateral, multipurpose
multiply, multilingual

non not, without nonstop, nonsticking, nonattacking

ob (有变体) against, not clear, object, opaque, offend,
opposite obtriangular, obpyramidal

over more than overestimate, overcharge

per through pervious, pervade
perennial, perforate

pre before prearranged, previous

pro forward prospect, projector
for, in favor of pro-slavery,

re back , again reload, retrace

semi half, partly semicircle, semifinal

retro back, backward retrospect,

stereo solid, three dimensional stereophone, stereoanalysis
stereochemistry

sub(suf, sug, sup, sus, sur) under, below, lower submerge, subtitle, subeditor
suffer, suggest, surrounding
suspend,

syl, sym, syn together, the same syllabus, syllogism, symphony
symmetry, synthetic, synchronize

tele far away telescope, telecast, telelecture
teleconversation

trans across transport, transfer, transparent
beyond transonic, transnormal

ultra excessive, extreme ultramodern, ultraviolet

up upward, in an upward upright, upstream
direction upheaval, upgrade

un not unqualified, unload

under below, beneath, under undergo, underestimate, undertake
undermine

uni one universe, unify, unilateral, uniform

Noun suffix Meaning Example
ship 关系, 状态, 身份 relationship, kingship,
资格, 技巧, 技能 apprenticeship, horsemanship
总人数 penmanship, membership, readership

hood 状态, 性质, 集体, falsehood, bachelorhood,
时期 orphanhood, maidenhood,
neighborhood
fold time(s) manifold, millionfold

age state advantage, heritage
place village, anchorage,
amount mileage, carriage, postage, portage

ian one who magician, physician
ant one who assistant, inhabitant
ee one who trainee, interviewee
iot one who patriot, compatriot,
aut one who astronaut, aquanaut
er, ar, or, one who writer, navigator,
ist one who pianist, economist,

tude state of latitude, altitude, attitude, longitude
(t)ure state of mixture, departure
al state of renewal, withdrawal
ance, ence state of importance, interference,
cy, ency state of infancy, tendency
ness state of carefulness, consciousness
tion, sion state of solution, reduction, permission,
ment state of rearmament, equipment,
ty, ity state of density, purity, morality

ology study of theology, psychology

ism doctrine of egoism, socialism

Verb Suffix Meaning Example
ate make or cause to happen create, evacuate
en make or cause to happen shorten, heighten
ify make or cause to happen glorify, certify, rectify, notify,
ize make or cause to happen modernize, publicize, polularize

Adjective Suffix Meaning Example
able, ible capable of edible, convertible, unreadable

ful full of beautiful, graceful
handful, cupful, armful
less without hopeless, limitless

al having the nature of cultural, economical
ant, ent having the nature of pleasant, dependent,
ish having the nature of foolish, childish
ive having the nature of expensive, responsive, indicative
ly having the nature of lovely, lively
ed, ing having the nature of excited, interesting
ous, having the nature of glorious, prosperous
y having the nature of tasty, windy, dusty, dirty

Adverb Suffix Meaning Example
ly in a certain manner slowly, happily

ward in the direction of westward, homeward
wise in the direction of clockwise, counterclockwise

Roots Meaning Example
ann, enn year anniversary, annual, perennial

aqua water aquarium, aquatel, aqueduct

arch chief patriarch, matriarch
monarchy, anarchy

astro space astronaut, astrophysics, astrometry

aud(i) listen, hear audiometer, auditor, auditorium

auto self autograph, automation,
car autocide, autoworker

avia bird, fly avian, aviator, aviary

bibli book bibliography, Bible
bio life autobiography, bio-weapon,

cand light candle, incandescent, candid,

cap(it) head captain, decapitate, capsize

cast throw broadcast, telecast

chron time synchronize, chronological

dem people democracy, epidemic

dict, say dictation, predict

don give donate, pardon, donee

duct, duce lead, direct conduct, reduce, deduct, aqueduct

ego sels egoist, egocentric, egomaniac

fer take, carry transfer, confer, defer, circumference
refer, prefer

flect, flex bend reflect, inflect, circumflex, flexible

gene begin genesis, autogenous, degenerate
regenerate

geo the earth geography, geometry

grad, gres step gradually, degradation
regress, aggressive

gram, graph write telegram, diagram,
stereograph, autograph

homo same homonym, homosexual, homogenous

hydr water hydroscope, hydroaeroplane
log study theology, biology
word logic, dialogue, catalogue

magna, magni great, big, large magnitude, magnate,
magnanimous, magnifier

man, mana, hand manacle, manuscript
manu, main, manipulate, maintain

matri mother matrimony, matriarch, matrifocal

metr, meter measure thermometer, astrometry, barometer

mit, miss send permit, transmit, submission

opt eye, light optical, optics, optophone,
optometrist

pat, pathy disease, feeling pathos, pathology,
telepathy, theopathetic, apathy

patri father compatriot, patriarch

pel, pul drive compel, compulsory, expel,
dispel, repel, propellor

pend hang pending, suspension,
appendix, pendulum
pay spend, expensive

phon sound stereophonic, microphone

poly many polyester,

port carry transport, import, export

pose place depose, opposition, compose,
interpose

psych soul or mind psychopath, psychology

rot turn, wheel rotate, circumrotate

scribe, scrip write transcribe, transcript, circumscribe

sect cut dissect, vivisection, transect, sector

scope see microscope, telescope

spect, spise see inspect, circumspect, despise

tain, tin hold retain, maintain, attain, continue

the god theology, theocracy, monotheism

thermo heat thermometer, thermostat,
thermochemistry

tribut give contribute, tributary, attribute

vac empty evacuate, vacation,
vacuous, vacuum

vert, vers, change converse, revert, diversify

vis, vise, vision see supervise, television,

vig, vit, viv life vigorous, revitalize, revive, vivify

vol, vor turn involve, volume, vortex, divorce,
convolution

8