1. 20 Most Frequent Prefixes in School Texts
1. unable
2. review
inedible (impotent, illegal, irresponsible)
distrust
enlighten (empower)
nonsense
inside, implant
overcome
misguided
submarine
prefix
interrupt
forewarn
derail
transfer
supersonic
semicircle
antitrust
midterm
underfed
Analysis: White, Sowell, and Yanagihara 1989
Susan Ebbers 2005

2. Prefixes: Meaning and Connotation
Often Negative
dis-, de-
non-
sub-
in-
un-
mis-
mal-
anti, contra a-
Somewhat Positive
pro-
co-
bene-
super-
com-
be-
en-, em-
ad-
Susan Ebbers 2005

3. Derivational Suffixes
Derivational suffixes change the part of speech
words ending with –tion are often nouns
words ending with –ive are often adjectives
words ending with –ish are often adjectives
words ending with –ity are often nouns
What about -ment, -ous, -ness?
Susan Ebbers 2005

4. Greek Combining Forms hydro (water) graph (write) geo (earth)
pyro (fire)
polis (city state)
neuro (brain)
ortho (straight)
scope (see or view)
photo
therm (heat)
crat (government)
psych (mind)
chron (time)
phobe (fear)
pseud (fake)
onym (name)
crypt (hidden)
helio (sun)
logy (study of X)
sphere (ball）
the, theo （god）
Greek Combining Forms
Susan Ebbers 2005

5. Counting in Greek and Latin
mono
uni di bi
du, duo
tri
tetra
quadri
penta
hexa
sept
oct
nove
deca
deci
cent
milli
poly
multi
semi
hemi
Susan Ebbers 2005