Ultimate word success - Peterson's 2009

Day 4 Study Prefixes
Part II Find Out That New Words Equal the Sum of Their Parts

A prefix is a letter or a group of letters placed at the beginning of a word to change the word’s meaning. For example, the prefix in means “not.” Therefore, inappropriate means “not appropriate.” Insolvent means “not solvent” or bankrupt; insatiable means “not able to be fully satisfied.” (To sate or satiate is a verb that means “to satisfy fully.”)

Knowing common prefixes is a very useful skill because it enables you to figure out the meaning of many unfamiliar words. In addition, by discovering the building blocks of words, you easily can master thousands of test-worthy words.

How Prefixes Work

1. Prefixes Are Added to the Front of Roots to Create Many Words.

As just stated, prefixes are placed at the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Therefore, knowing just a handful of prefixes can make it easy for you to figure out many words—without ever having to use a dictionary. Here are some examples with the prefix re, which means “to do again.”

2. Prefixes Are Most Often Attached to Words Without a Break.

Even though you may have seen the prefix written with a hyphen (as in pre-, re-, de-), the prefix is attached seamlessly. The following chart shows some examples:

The word prefix is made up of the Latin prefix prae, which means “before,” and the root word fix, which means “firmly placed.” It takes a prefix to describe prefix!

3. Prefixes Are Different Lengths.

Prefixes can be as short as one letter or as long as six letters. The following chart shows some examples:

4. Prefixes Can Have More Than One Meaning.

For example, the Latin prefix in- can mean “in” (as in inhabit), but it can also mean “not” (as in inhuman). As a result, knowing a prefix will take you only so far in defining test-worthy words. You’ll also have to use context clues to check meaning.

Here are some examples of Latin prefixes that have more than one meaning:

5. Prefixes Can Have More Than One Spelling.

For instance, the prefix for “together” can be spelled syn- or sym-. The prefix for “apart” can be spelled dis-, di-, and dif-. Ignore these minor variations because the prefix still has the same meaning.

Time for Fun: Word-Find Puzzle

Time for a break. There are fifteen words hidden in this word-find puzzle. (See the word list below.) Ten words have already been covered in this chapter, but five are new. To complete the puzzle, locate and circle all the words. The words may be written forward, backward, or upside down. The answers appear on here. Good luck!

Word List

1. multiform: having many different forms

2. cohabit: live together

3. intractable: hard to handle; unmanageable

4. disinter: to unearth

5. reacquaint: meet again

6. malcontent: a dissatisfied person

7. amoral: not moral

8. tractile: ductile; able to be drawn out

9. reabsorb: absorb again

10. discredit: to cause to be doubted

11. colloquial: informal, as in conversation or writing

12. lucid: clear; bright

13. delude: to deceive

14. malign: to speak badly of another with the intent to harm

15. dementia: a loss of mental abilities or powers

Learn Test-worthy Words with Greek Prefixes

Ten Useful Greek Prefixes

Many important test-worthy words have Greek prefixes. Knowing these prefixes can help you decode and define many important words. Below are ten Greek prefixes that can help you do your best on standardized tests.

It’s Your Turn: Ten Useful Greek Prefixes

Take a break and test yourself by completing the following chart. For each word, first write the prefix and its meaning. Then, use what you learned about prefixes to define each word. Feel free to look back at the ten prefixes you just learned. The answers appear on here.

Ten More Greek Prefixes

Below are ten more prefixes that have made their way from ancient Greek to modern English. Read through the prefixes, meanings, and examples. Pause after each row to see how many other words you can brainstorm that start with the same prefix.

It’s Your Turn: Ten More Greek Prefixes

Remember what you learned on Day 3: one of the most effective ways to remember words is to review them often. To help you remember the prefixes you just learned, fill out the following chart. First identify the prefix, then define it, and finally use what you learned to define the word. Refer to the previous chart if you need a quick review. The answers appear on here.

Even More Greek Prefixes!

It’s plain from the number of Greek prefixes in this chapter that these are very important word parts. Study the following ten additional Greek prefixes. As you read each one, look up and repeat the information to yourself. Then, write some of the least familiar words on cards, as you learned in Day 3. Refer to these cards often to help you lock these test-worthy words in your consciousness.

It’s Your Turn: Even More Greek Prefixes!

Identify the prefix, define it, and then define the word. Feel free to look back at the chart if you need to refresh your memory. Remember: practice makes perfect. The words aren’t going to help you unless you remember them on test day! The answers appear on here.

The Greek Prefix Archi-

An architect is a person who designs and oversees the construction of buildings. The Greeks called their architects architektons, or master builders. The word comes from the Greek prefix archi- (chief) and the root tekton (workman).

The Greek prefix archi- and the verb from which it is derived—archein (to be the first, to rule)—appear in many English words. The prefix is generally defined as “chief.” The following chart shows some of these “arch” words that you are likely to find especially useful on standardized tests.

The Greek Prefix Cata-

Also from the Greeks comes the prefix katarasso, meaning “down rushing,” as in rain or a river. The earliest evidence of this prefix in English can be found in the Bible, where cataracts were the floodgates of heaven to keep back the rain. Today, we use the word cataract to mean a waterfall or a deluge. As a medical term, a cataract is an opacity that blocks light from entering the lens of the eye. From these examples, it’s clear that the word retains its sense of being a floodgate as well as a flood. The prefix cata- is defined as “down, against, or wholly.”

Here are some test-worthy words that come from this Greek prefix. Use the techniques you learned on Day 3 to make these words part of your permanent vocabulary.

Learn Test-worthy Words with Latin Prefixes

Not to be outdone by Greek, Latin has given us some extremely useful prefixes. The Latin prefix circum- is a case in point. Circum-, which means “around,” can be used to form heaps of useful everyday words. Here are twelve such examples:

The Latin Prefix Circum-

Ten Test-worthy Latin Prefixes

Study these ten Latin prefixes, their meanings, and examples.

Give It a Try: Word Scramble

Time for fun! First unscramble each of the ten test-worthy words so that it matches its definition. All but two of the words begin with prefixes. Then, use the words to fill the appropriate spaces on the corresponding line. When you have completed the entire puzzle, another test-worthy word will read vertically in the column with circles. The answers appear on here.

Seventh-Inning Stretch: Multiple Choice

Use what you’ve learned so far about Latin prefixes to figure out the meanings of the following ten words in boldface. Write the letter of your choice in the space provided. The answers appear on here.

______ 1. cursive

(A) cruel

(B) foul language

(C) commonplace

(D) criminal

(E) flowing handwriting

______ 2. agitate

(A) clean

(B) tap your foot

(C) tranquilize

(D) stir up

(E) annoy

______ 3. adjoin

(A) separate

(B) listen closely

(C) touch

(D) disunite

(E) admonish

______ 4. cohabit

(A) nun’s garb

(B) dependent

(C) change

(D) live together

(E) mortify

______ 5. concede

(A) yield

(B) build

(C) augment

(D) curtail

(E) remunerate

______ 6. depress

(A) elevate

(B) upraise

(C) invigorate

(D) annotate

(E) bring down

______ 7. adjudicate

(A) subjoin

(B) deduct

(C) lessen

(D) arbitrate

(E) annex

______ 8. affix

(A) withhold

(B) repair

(C) fasten

(D) injure

(E) disparage

______ 9. confederation

(A) Southerners

(B) antagonism

(C) alliance

(D) aversion

(E) panorama

______ 10. collateral

(A) security

(B) far away

(C) considerably

(D) dependent

(E) peer

Ten More Test-worthy Latin Prefixes

Here are ten more Latin prefixes for your examination. Remember: the more prefixes you learn, the more words you can decode. Knowing just one prefix can help you figure out five or even more words. As a result, consider how many words you can define when you know ten, twenty, or thirty prefixes!

It’s Your Turn: Ten More Latin Prefixes

Now, apply what you learned to define the following ten words. Each one uses a prefix you just covered. Choose the best definition from the words in the box. You will have definitions left over. The answers appear on here.

Prefixes for Numbers

The symbols we use for numbers—1, 2, 3, 4, etc.—come from the Arabs, the first great mathematicians. The words we use to speak or write these symbols—one, two, three, four, etc.—are from the Anglo-Saxons.

How many sides does the Pentagon have? How many tentacles does an octopus have? If you know your number prefixes, these questions are a snap to answer. The envelope, please: The Pentagon has five sides (penta 5 five). An octopus has eight tentacles (octo 5 eight).

As you can see, when we want to combine a number and a word to form another word, such as a synonym for a “five-sided figure,” we use the Greek or Roman word for the number, pentameter.

Here are ten Greek and Latin prefixes that show the numbers one to ten.

Anglo-Saxon Prefixes

Below are the five most common Anglo-Saxon prefixes and their variations. Read through the chart and examples. To help you remember the prefixes, complete the activities that follow.

Give It a Try: Anglo-Saxon Prefixes

Based on the meaning of its prefix, define each of the following words. The answers appear on here.

Seventh-Inning Stretch: More Anglo-Saxon Prefixes

Define each of the following underlined words, based on the way it is used in the phrase. Write the letter of your choice in the space provided. The answers appear on here.

______ 1. miscarriage of justice

(A) benediction

(B) detail

(C) villain

(D) example

(E) failure

______ 2. beseech emotionally

(A) implore

(B) deny

(C) shriek

(D) pursue

(E) debase

______ 3. something strange is afoot

(A) underneath

(B) going on

(C) clandestine

(D) covert

(E) epigram

______ 4. unethical behavior

(A) judicial

(B) impartial

(C) unprincipled

(D) competent

(E) impeccable

______ 5. an overwrought child

(A) heavy

(B) unmannerly

(C) placid

(D) distraught

(E) innocuous

It’s Your Turn: Even More Anglo-Saxon Prefixes

Each of the following words starts with a prefix. Use what you learned about prefixes to see how many of these words you can define. Select the correct meaning for each of the following boldfaced words. Circle your choice. The answers appear on here.

Answers and explanations

Word-Find Puzzle (here)

Ten Useful Greek Prefixes (here)

Ten More Greek Prefixes (here)

Even More Greek Prefixes! (here)

Word Scramble (here)

collaborate

obsolete

novice

telepathy

requalify

apogee

disinter

intractable

contraindicate

theology

Reading down: contradict

Multiple Choice (here)

1. E

2. D

3. C

4. D

5. A

6. E

7. D

8. C

9. C

10. A

Ten More Latin Prefixes (here)

1. dig out

2. sound waves with a frequency below the audible range

3. teach

4. awkward

5. criminal

6. odd

7. restless

8. flowing forth

9. write on

10. vulgar

Anglo-Saxon Prefixes (here)

1. agreement

2. illuminate

3. fate

4. rebirth

5. twist up

6. request

7. not pertinent

8. exclude from communion

More Anglo-Saxon Prefixes (here)

1. E

2. A

3. B

4. C

5. D

Even More Anglo-Saxon Prefixes (here)

1. agree

2. false virtue

3. existing

4. complete

5. deep blue

6. excessive activity

7. underground room

8. not moral

9. squeeze

10. arrogant