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Prefixes 01
In the word 'octopus' the 'oct' part is a prefix meaning 8. An octopus has 8 arms.

Prefixes 01

In English, a prefix is a few letters placed at the beginning of a word to modify its meaning. For instance dis- is a prefix and placing it in front of "appear" makes "disappear".

You wouldn't think a few letters could be so powerful, but prefixes are. Often they turn words into their opposites, as in the case of "appear" and "disappear". It might not always be obvious how the prefix relates to the root word, however. Dis- means a negation. But what does it negate in the case of "disturb"? In this case, the prefix intensifies the root (which is related to turmoil or turbulence). Sometimes the root word changes its meaning so it is no longer as clear how the prefix is operating, as in the case of "disabuse", which means "to undeceive". And what about "dismay"? Can it be the opposite of "may"? Amazingly, it is! But this is only true for the older sense of "may" as having the power to do something, which is much stronger than our current sense of it as a word connected to possibility or having permission.

Try this quiz on the subject to help you get the hang of prefixes.

1.
What does the prefix oct-' (as in "octopus") mean?
Six
Seven
Eight
Ten
An octopus has eight tentacles
2.
What does the prefix peri- (as in "perimeter") mean?
Around
Beside
In front of
Inside
The word "peripatetic" also begins with the prefix peri-
3.
What does the prefix pre- (as in "prefix") mean?
After
Before
Beside
Next to
Pre- is the prefix in "preview"
4.
What does the prefix dec- (as in "decade") mean?
Ten
A hundred
A thousand
A million
There are ten years in a decade and a decagon has ten sides
5.
What does the prefix tele- (as in "television") mean?
Far
Hear
Near
See
The prefix tele- can also be seen in "telephone" and "telegraph"
6.
What does the prefix milli- (as in "millipede") mean?
A hundredth
A thousandth
A millionth
Ten millionth
A thousand millimetres make a metre
7.
What does the prefix re- (as in "return") mean?
Again/back
Against/opposite
Before/earlier
Before/in front of
The prefix re- is also found in the word "repeat"
8.
What does the prefix cent- (as in "centurion") mean?
Ten
A hundred
A thousand
A million
A Roman centurion was in charge of a hundred men
9.
What does the prefix ex- (as in "exit") mean?
Down
In
Out
Up
Ex- is the prefix in "extract", too
10.
What does the prefix poly- (as in "polygon") mean?
Few
Many
One
Some
A polygon is a many-sided shape

 

Author:  Sue Daish

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