AFFIXES & ROOTS

1. AFFIXES & ROOTS Affix-a word element, such as a prefix or a suffix, that occurs before or after a root or base word to modify its meaning. Root-the form of a word after all affixes are removed; meaning: base, root, stem, theme

2. What are roots and root words? • Many English words are formed by taking basic words and adding combinations of prefixes and suffixes to them. A basic word to which affixes (prefixes and suffixes) are added is called a root word because it forms the basis of a new word. The root word is also a word in its ownright. For example, the word lovelyconsists of the word loveand the suffix -ly. • In contrast, a root is the basis of a new word, but it does not typically form a stand-alone word on its own. For example, the word reject is made up of the prefix re-and the Latin root -ject, which is not a stand-alone word.

3. Understanding the meanings of the common word roots can help us deduce the meanings of new words that we encounter.

4. Parts of an Affix: Prefix- an element placed at the beginning of a word to adjust or qualify its meaning. • Example: De-, non-, re-, un-. • Can be used in words such as: decomposition, nonrefundable, restart, and unlikely. • Suffix- an element placed at the end of a word to form a derivative, frequently one that converts the stem into another part of speech. • Example: -ness, -less, -ian, -ology • Can be words such as: viciousness, speechless, magician, biology

5. A PREFIX is a letter or a group of letters attached to the beginning of a word that partly indicates its meaning. For example, the word prefix itself begins with a prefix--pre-, which generally means "before.“Be careful: some prefixes (such as in-) have more than one meaning (in this example, "not" and "into").

6. A SUFFIXis a letter or a group of letters attached to the end of a word to form a new word or to alter the grammatical function of the original word. For example, the verb read can be made into the noun reader by adding the suffix -er; read can be made into the adjective readable by adding the suffix -able.

7. To sum it all up • Many of our words come to us from Greek or Latin. • They don’t come to us complete; they come in parts. • These parts are called Roots and Affixes. • There are two different kind of affixes: Prefixes and Suffixes. • The part at the beginning of a word is a prefix. • The part in the middle is the root or root word. • The part at the end is the suffix.

8. Put it all together: • Put the prefixes, roots, and suffixes together and you end up with words. • Keep in mind that not all words have all three parts. • Some simply have a prefix and a root. • Others, just a root and suffix.