![]() Following Marchand (1969), these types of words are formed by native word-formation processes. Several English words are analyzed as a combination of a dependent affix and an independent base, such as those found in words like boy-hood or un-just. en- creates transitive verbs from noun bases: slave (noun) > enslave (verb). The relatively unproductive be- creates transitive verbs from noun bases: witch (noun) > bewitch (verb). a- typically creates adjectives from noun and verb bases: blaze (noun/verb) > ablaze (adj). Examples of this type include a-, be-, and en. However, there are a few prefixes in English that are class-changing in that the word resulting after prefixation belongs to a lexical category that is different from the lexical category of the base. Thus, the word do, consisting of a single morpheme, is a verb as is the word redo, which consists of the prefix re- and the base root do. Unlike derivational suffixes, English derivational prefixes typically do not change the lexical category of the base (and are so called class-maintaining prefixes). These words may nevertheless be in occasional use for humorous or other effect. In particular, using verbs describing an irreversible action produces words often considered nonsense, e.g. Only certain verbs or nouns can be used to form a new verb having the opposite meaning. ![]() This word has the following internal structure: Subsequently, the -able suffix is added after the newly created unlock adjective base deriving the adjective unlockable. In the second unlockable "able to be unlocked", the prefix un- "reverse action" is attached to a verb base lock, resulting in the derived verb unlock. In the first unlockable "not able to be locked", the prefix un- "not" is attached to an adjective base lockable (which, in turn, is composed of lock + -able). Thus, English can have two words that are pronounced and spelled the same and have the same lexical category but have different meanings, different prefixes, a different internal morphological structure, and different internal bases that the prefixes are attached to: The first prefix un- "not" is attached to adjective and participle bases while the second prefix un- "reverse action" is attached to either verb or noun bases. For instance, there are two different un- prefixes in English: one meaning "not, opposite of", the other meaning "reverse action, deprive of, release from". These selectional restrictions on what base a prefix can be attached to can be used to distinguish between otherwise identical-sounding prefixes. Thus, examples of re- plus a noun base (such as the ungrammatical *rehusband, *remonopoly) or re- plus an adjective base ( *renatural, *rewise) are virtually unattested. ![]() It cannot be added to bases of other lexical categories. For example, the prefix re- meaning "again, back" is only added to verb bases as in rebuild, reclaim, reuse, resell, re-evaluate, resettle. ![]() This contrasts with English suffixes, which may be either derivational or inflectional.Īs is often the case with derivational morphology, many English prefixes can only be added to bases of particular lexical categories (or "parts of speech"). In English, all prefixes are derivational. non-childproofable (consisting of prefix non-, root child, root proof, and suffix -able)Įnglish words may consist of multiple prefixes: anti-pseudo-classicism (containing both an anti- prefix and a pseudo- prefix).non-childproof (consisting of prefix non-, root child, and suffix -proof).untouchable (consisting of prefix un-, root touch, and suffix -able).undo (consisting of prefix un- and root do).English prefixes are affixes (i.e., bound morphemes that provide lexical meaning) that are added before either simple roots or complex bases (or operands) consisting of (a) a root and other affixes, (b) multiple roots, or (c) multiple roots and other affixes.
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