Learn prefixes with Sensei

By cryotosensei | diaperfinancingfund | 3 Nov 2024

Compiled these nuggets of information while my children were playing merrily at the indoor playground. I bet you will learn a thing or two from this!

‘Dis’ and ‘de’ are both Latin prefixes
‘Dis’ means ‘apart’
If you dismiss employees, you send them apart.
If you dissect a frog, you cut it apart.
‘Dis’ means ‘not’ too. Examples are dislike and distrust.
To be different is to be dissimilar.
‘De’ means ‘down’, as in descend.
If you degrade something, you grade it down.
‘De’ means ‘off’ (or ‘away’) too, as in deduct.
If you decide, you cut off deliberations.
To postpone a decision is to defer it.
To defend yourself, you would ward off blows.
When the prefix ‘de’ starts a word, it means ‘remove’
To deforest is to remove the trees from the forest.
To dethrone is to remove from the throne.
‘De’ means ‘undo’
To decode is to undo the code

‘pre’ means ‘before’
To precede is to go before
To prefer is to set above, or before, in favour
‘pro’ means ‘forward or forth’
To place an idea forward is to propose it
A procession is a movement of people going forward
To proclaim is to cry forth
‘per’ means ‘through’
A performer is one who carries an act through
To see all the way through is to perceive
To permeate is to soak through
To sweat through the pores of the skin is to perspire
The state of being perplexed is to be literally “entwined” all the way through.

‘re’ means ‘again’
When the prefix ‘re’ starts a word, it means ‘again’
To reenter is to enter again
To request is to seek again
If we recommend, we commend again
‘re’ means ‘back’ too
To recall some information is to call it back. If we recollect, we collect back.

When the prefix ‘mis’ starts a word, it means ‘wrong’ or ‘bad’
Spell wrongly = misspell
Treat someone badly = mistreat

When the prefix ‘un’ starts a word, it means ‘not’ or ‘opposite’
Not safe = unsafe
Not sold = unsold

‘Ad’ means ‘toward’ or ‘near to’
If you apply glue to a piece of paper, it sticks toward or adheres.
Acclaim is composed of ad (to) clamare (to shout), meaning “applaud, praise”. Note that the d is silent. Assimilation has taken place. Other examples are affirm and aggression
Apply means to fold together
Allure means to lure
Aggregate means to herd

Assimilation occurs also in words derived from the Latin prefixes com (with, together), dis (not), in (into, in) and sub (under, beneath)
Correlation, difference, irrational, succumb, immediate
If two people work together, they collaborate
One who literally “lies under” has succumbed to great pressure
A modern English word is derived from ‘ad’ and pallir (to grow pale). If we see a situation and “grow pale”, we are appalled.
‘Ac’ is a variant of ‘ad’. Examples are acquaint, acquire, accessory, accuracy, accountant, accustom
‘Ap’ is a variant of ‘ad’. Examples are appointment, appropriate, appraisal and appellate