Etymology of
derivational
affixes
Миннебаева и Зарипова
Two main
classes of
affixes
01
Native affixes are those existed in the Old English
period or were formed from Old English words.
Many of the suffixes and prefixes of native origin were
independent words. In the course of time they have
lost their independence and turned into derivational
affixes.
Examples
The suffix ‘– ship’ has developed from noun ‘scipe’
(meaning: state);
The adjective forming suffix ‘-ly’ has developed from
the noun ‘lic’ (meaning: body, shape);
-dom < dom ‘fate, power’ ;
-hood < had ‘state’.
The prefix ‘over’ had developed from the word ‘ofer’
(meaning: in excess, extra, upper).
‘out’ < ut ‘foreign, external’.
Noun-forming suffixes
-er-ness-ingdom-hoodship -th-let
speaker, hunter, builderugliness, sickness, softnesscamping, hoping,
cookingboredom, officialdom (чиновничество)neighbourhood,
fatherhoodchampionship (чемпионат, соревнование,
первенство), worship, membershipstrength, youth, growthleaflet, nutlet, ringlet
Adjective-forming suffixes
-full
-less
-y
-ish-ly-ensome -like
peaceful, lawful, truthfuluseless, hopeless, powerless, foggy, creamy,
noisySpanish, childish, foolishweekly, miserly (скупой), livelyashen, earthen
(земляной, глиняный), woolenawesome, lonesome, winsome
(миловидный, обаятельный)childlike, godlike, businesslike
Verb-forming suffixes
-en
widen, harden, sweeten
Adverb-forming suffixes
-ly
badly, wisely, kindly
Prefixes
be- mis-unover-
befall (приключаться, происходить), behoof (польза, выгода,
интерес), besidemisunderstand, misbehave, misadviseunfamiliar, unbelievable,
unknownoverwork, overpaid, overflow
Two main
classes of
affixes
02
Borrowed affixes are those that have come to the English
language from different foreign languages.
To enter the morphlogical system of the English language a
borrowed affix has to satisfy certain conditions. The borrowing
of the affixes is possible only:
a) if there a great number of words containing this affix;
b) if its meaning and function are definite;
c) if its structural pattern corresponds to the structural patterns
already exis­ting in the language.
If these conditions are fulfilled the foreign affix may even
become productive and combine with native stems or borrowed
stems within the system of English vocabulary like –able- Lat “abilis” in such words as laugh­able or unforgettable.
The affixes of foreign origin are classified according to the
source into:
1. Latin
2. Greek
3. French
Latin-Derived
Prefixes and
suffixes
ab-/abs-/a- (Lat. ab-: away, from) abduct
ad-/a- (Lat. ad-: to, toward, at) advent, accident
ante- (Lat. ante-: before) anteroom
com-/co- ... (Lat. com-: with, together ) compress
de- (Lat. de-: away from, off) depend, depress
dis-/di- (Lat. dis-: away, from, apart) dismiss, different
ex-/e-/ef- (Lat. ex-: out of) excursion, elocution, effort
in-/im- (Lat. in-: in, into, within) impel, incise
in-/im- (Lat. in-: not) inert, imperfect
inter- (Lat. inter-: between, among) interlocutor
non- (Lat. non-: not, without) nonsense
ob-/o- (Lat. ob-: to, forward, against) obvious, omit
per- (Lat. per-: through) perforate
post- (Lat. post-: behind, after) postscript
pre- (Lat. prae-: before) predict
pro- (Lat. pro-: before, forward, forth) progeny, profession
re- (Lat. re-: back, again, anew) reverse
sub-/sus- (Lat. sub-: under, below) submarine,
suggest, support, sustain
sur- (Lat. super-: over, above, beyond) surname, supreme
trans- (Lat. trans-: over, across, beyond)
transatlantic, transform
The suffix –able
curable, capable, adorable, etc.
The suffix -ate
congratulate, create, appreciate, etc
The suffix –ute
contribute, constitute, attribute, etc.
The suffix -ct
conduct, collect, act, etc.
The suffix –d(e)
applaud, include, divide, etc.
The suffix -ant
constant, important, arrogant, etc.
The suffix -ion
opinion, legion, union, etc.
The suffix –tion
temptation, relation, revolution, etc.
The suffix -ent
absent, evident, decent, etc.
The suffix -or
junior, major, senior, etc.
The suffix -al
fraternal, maternal, cordial, etc.
The suffix -ar
familiar, solar, lunar, etc.
French-derived affixes
The prefix –en
enable, ensure,
enfoldment, etc.
The suffix -ous
joyous, courageous,
serious, etc.
The suffix -ess
hostess, tigress,
adventuress, etc
The suffix -age
village, passage, marriage,
etc.
The suffix -ment
establishment, settlement,
etc.
The suffix -ence
patience, intelligence,
reference, etc.
The suffix -ance
Entrance, hindrance,
endurance, etc.
Greek-Derived
Prefixes
a-/an- (Gk a-, an-: without, not) amoral
ana-/an- (Gk ana-: up, back, again) analysis,
anagram, anode
anti- (Gk anti-: against, opposite of) antonym
dia- (Gk dia-: through, across) diagnose, diabetes
dys- (Gk dys-: bad, difficult) dyslexia
en-/em-/el- (Gk en-: into, within) endemic,
ellipsis, empathy
syn-/sym-/sy- (Gk syn-: with, together)
symposium, synonym
Greek-Derived Suffixes
-ia/-y anemia, agony
-sis/-sy hypocrisy, diagnosis
-ism heightism
-ist Marxist
-ite Israelite
-tery monastery
-isk asterisk
-ac cardiac
-oid asteroid
-ize advertize