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Glite Dictionary
prefixal

prefixal

1 7.1
Placed at the start of a word to change its meaning
  • adjective
  • /ˈprɛfɪksəl/
  • Specialized
: prefijal
  • Prefixal derivatives in con-, de-, e-, per-, prae-, re-, and sub- are on record, each supported by a mere handful of examples.

Examples

  • In linguistics, the prefixal element 'un-' is commonly used to indicate negation.

  • For the word 'happy', its prefixal form 'unhappy' conveys the opposite sentiment.

  • The teacher explained how prefixal modifications can change the meaning of the root word.

Surface Forms

prefixal positive

Morphology

prefixal = prefix (transparent) = prefix + al

The adjective is built directly from the noun 'prefix' plus the common adjectival suffix '-al', so its meaning is straightforward.

Etymology

The word prefixal comes from pre- ('before') and fix ('to attach'), the same parts you see in prefix and fix. So a prefixal element is something attached at the start of a word to change its meaning.