Word Building - compounding

Technical prefixes

Compounding by means of prefixes - technical

§158

The following technical prefixes are used to modify nouns and adjectives:

a-

'not...; without . .., lacking ...' e.g.

esthesia > anesthesia

gnostic 'relating to knowledge' > agnostic

new formation:

nocive 'harmful' > anocive 'innoxious'

Note: The variant an- appears before h and vowels. Cf. the nontechnical synonyms in- and non-.

amphi-

1. 'both, on both sides' e.g.
   bio- 'life' > amphibie 'amphibious'
2. 'around, about' e.g.
   theatro 'theater' > amphitheatro 'amphitheater'
   new formation:
   nucleo 'nucleus' > amphinucleo [Biol.] 'amphinucleus'

ana-

'again' e.g.

baptismo 'baptism' > anabaptismo 'anabaptism'

new formation:

genese 'genesis' > anagenese [Physiol.] 'anagenesis'

Note: Cf. the nontechnical synonym re-.

apo-

1. 'off, away' e.g.
   geo- 'earth' > apogee 'apogean'
   new formation:
   trachea 'windpipe' > apotracheal
2. [Chem.] 'formed from, related to' e.g.
   morphina 'morphine' > apomorphina 'apomorphine'
   new formation:
   quinina 'quinine' > apoquinina 'apoquinine'

cata-

1. 'down, downwards' e.g.
   rhino- 'nose' > catarrhin [Zool.] 'catarrhine'
   new formation:
   phyllo- 'leaf' > cataphyllo [Bot.] 'cataphyll'
2. 'against; reflected' e.g.
   -optro- > catoptric 'catoptric'
   new formation:
   acustica 'acoustics' > catacustica [Phys.] 'catacoustics'

Note: The variant cat- appears before h and vowels.

dia-

1. 'through' e.g.
   metro 'measure' > diametro 'diameter'
   new formation:
   nodo 'knot' > dianodal [Math.]
2. 'away, apart' e.g.
   stas- '(act of) standing' > diastase 'diastasis'
   new formation:
   magnetic > diamagnetic

Note: The variant di- appears before vowels. Cf. the nontechnical synonyms trans- and per-.

dys-

'bad, badly, not well' e.g.

pepsia 'digestion' > dyspepsia

new formation:

genese 'genesis' > dysgenese 'difficulty in breeding, dysgenesis'

Note: Cf. the nontechnical synonym mis-.

ecto-

'outside, external' e.g.

derma (in compounds) 'skin' > ectoderma [Zool.] 'ectoderm'

new formations:

cornea 'cornea' > ectocornea

cranio 'cranium' > ectocranial

Note: The variant ect- appears before vowels. Cf. the nontechnical synonym extra-.

en-

'in, into' e.g.

demo [Gr. Antiq.] 'demos' > endemia [Med.] 'endemic'

new formation:

derma > endermic [Med.]

Note: The variant em- appears before b, m, p, ph. Cf. the nontechnical synonym in-.

endo-

'within' e.g.

gamo- 'marriage' > endogame 'endogamous'

osmose 'osmosis' > endosmose 'endosmosis'

new formation:

phag- 'to eat' > endophage 'endophagous, eating fellow-tribesmen'

Note: The variant end- appears before vowels.

ento-

'within, inside' e.g.

-zoon 'animal' > entozoon 'entozoen, intestinal parasite'

new formation:

ot- 'ear' > entotic 'entotic, pertaining to the interior of the ear'

Note: The variant ent- appears before vowels.

epi-

'on, upon' e.g.

-tapho- 'tomb' > epitaphio 'epitaph'

new formation:

gastro 'abdomen, stomach' > epigastric

Note: The variant ep- appears before h and vowels.

exo-

'without, outside' e.g.

gamo- 'marriage' > exogame 'exogamous'

osmose 'osmosis' > exosmose 'exosmosis'

new formation:

phag- 'to eat' > exophage 'exophagous, practicing cannibalism outside the tribe'

Note: The variant ex- appears before vowels.

hyper-

'over; beyond; too much' e.g.

critic 'critical' > hypercritic 'hypercritical'

tension > hypertension

new formation:

dimension > hyperdimensional

Note: Cf. the nontechnical synonym super-.

hypo-

1. 'below, beneath, under' e.g.
   derma > hypodermatic 'hypodermic'
   new formation:
   carpo- 'fruit' > hypocarpio 'hypocarp';
2. 'to a lower degree; somewhat' e.g.
   troph- 'nourishment' > hypotrophia 'hypotrophy'
   new formation:
   esthesia > hypoesthesia
3. [Chem.] 'indicating a lower state of oxidation, or a lower position in a series of compounds' e.g.
   phosphato 'phosphate' > hypophosphato 'hypophosphate'
   new formation:
   acide 'acid' > hypoacide 'hypeacid'

Note: Cf. the nontechnical synonym sub-.

meta-

1. 'behind' e.g.
   carpo [Anat.] 'wrist, carpus' > metacarpo [Anat.] 'metacarpus'
   new formation:
   branchia [Zool.] 'gill, branchia' > metabranchial
2. 'beyond, transcending, higher' e.g.
   physica 'physics' > metaphysica 'metaphysics'; new formation:
   mathematica 'mathematics' > metamathematica 'metamathematics'
3. 'after, subsequent to' e.g.
   zoon > metazoon
   new formation:
   arthritis > metaarthritic
4. [Chem.] 'designating derived, metameric or similar compounds' e.g.
   globulina [Biochem.] 'globulin' > metaglobulina 'metaglobulin'
   new formation:
   gelatina 'gelatin' > metagelatina 'metagelatin'

Note: The variant met- appears before vowels and h. Cf. the nontechnical synonyms trans- and ultra-.

para-

1. 'besides, alongside' e.g.
   site- 'food' > parasite 'parasitic'
   new formation:
   centro 'center' > paracentral
2. 'amiss, faulty, wrong' e.g.
   -dox- 'opinion' > paradoxe 'paradoxical'
   new formation:
   -phem- 'voice' > paraphemia
3. 'resembling; modification of' e.g.
   typhoide 'typhoid' > paratyphoide 'paratyphoid'
   new formation:
   physic 'physical' > paraphysic 'paraphysical'

Note: The variant par- appears before vowels and h.

peri-

'around, about' e.g.

metro 'measure' > perimetro 'perimeter'

new formation:

arteria 'artery' > periarterial

Note: Cf. the nontechnical synonym circum-.

syn-

'with, together; alike' e.g.

logos 'logos' > syllogisar 'to syllogize'

chrono- 'time' > synchrone 'synchronous'

phon- 'voice, sound' > symphone 'symphonicus'

new formation:

dactyl- 'finger' > syndactyle [Zool., Med.] 'syndactyl'

Note: Appears as syl- before 1; sym- before b, m, p, ph. Cf. the nontechnical synonym con-.