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How to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words by analyzing their prefixes, roots, and suffixes. It provides examples of common word parts and their meanings, as well as instructions for identifying roots that may be hidden within a word. Additionally, it suggests resources for further learning.
Typology: Summaries
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Prefix (^) Root Suffix New word
non- conform^ - ist^
nonconformist
Suppose that you come across the following sentence in a literature textbook.
Ralph Waldo Emerson led a movement of nonconformist thinkers.
If you did not know the meaning of nonconformist, how could you determine it? An easy and fast alternative to looking in the dictionary is to break the word into parts and analyze the meaning of each part. Many words in the English language are made up of word parts called prefixes, roots, and suffixes. These word parts have specific meanings that, when added together, can help you determine the meaning of the word as a whole.
MEANING not + go along + one who does = someone who does not something go along with others
Knowing the meanings of the most common word parts gives you the building blocks for hundreds of words in the English language. Before you use word parts there are a few things you need to know.
**1. In most cases, a word is built upon at least one root.
Further explanation and activities for Learning Word Parts: Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes can be found in the following texts: Flemming, Loraine. Reading for Results , 12th^ ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2014. (See pages 77-83, 108-114) Flemming, Loraine. Reading Keys , 3rd^ ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2011. (See pages 63-74) McWhorter, Kathleen T. Reading Across the Disciplines: College Reading and Beyond , 5th^ ed. San Francisco: Pearson Education, 2009. (See pages 57-69)
When a group of letters having a special meaning appears at the beginning of a word, we call that group of letters a prefix. Following is a list of the most frequently used prefixes that account for 97% of prefixed words in printed English.
Prefix Meaning Example dis- opposite defrost in-, im-, il-, ir- not injustice, impossible re- again return un- not unfriendly
Word roots are the words from other languages that are the origin of many English words. About 60% of all English words have Latin or Greek origins. Roots give words their fixed meaning. Prefixes and suffixes can then be attached to the roots to form new words.
Root Meaning Example
bio life biology, biography
chron time chronology, sychronize
fer carry transfer, inference
geo earth geography, geode
nom name nominate, nomenclature
tele distant telegraph, telepathy
A group of letters with a special meaning appearing at the end of a word is called a suffix. Here is a list of 6 important suffixes. Following is a list of the 6 most frequently used suffixes that account for 97% of prefixed words in printed English.
Suffix Meaning Example
- ed past-tense verbs hopped - ing verb form/present participle running - ly characteristic of quickly - s, - es more than one books, boxes - able, - ible able to be manageable, defensible - ful full of wishful