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Glite Dictionary
prefixation

prefixation

7.0
Adding a small word part like un- or re- to the start of a word to make a new word
  • noun
  • /ˌpriːfɪkˈseɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: prefijación
  • In English, prefixation can change the meaning of a word, such as in the case of 'unhappy,' where 'un-' is the prefix.

Examples

  • The linguist explained that prefixation involves adding a prefix to modify the meaning of a base word.

  • Teachers often discuss prefixation while teaching students how to expand their vocabulary by using prefixes.

  • Prefixation

    Academic text (2006)

Synonyms

affixation
vsprefixation
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Adding a prefix or suffix to a word to make a new word

focuses only on adding parts to the start of an existing word

Surface Forms

prefixation singular
prefixations plural

Morphology

prefixation = prefix (transparent) = prefix + ation

The word clearly means the process of prefixing, with the suffix '-ation' forming a noun of action or process from the verb 'prefix'.

Etymology

Prefixation comes from pre- 'before' and fix 'fasten'. That is, prefixation is the process of adding a short part at the front of a word, like 'un-' in 'unhappy'.