Greek Suffixes 2

Level: C1

hyper- over, beyond: hyperbole, hypercritical

hypo- under: hypothesis, hypocrite

meta- (met) implying, change: metaphor, metonymy

pan- all: panacea, panorama, pantheism

para- beside, by the side of: parallel, paradox, parasite

peri- round: period, perimeter, periscope

philo- (phil) love: philosophy, philanthropy

pro- before: prophesy, programme

syn- (sym, syl, sy) with, together: synonym, sympathy, syllabus, system

English Suffixes - Adjective Makers

Level: C1

-ed having: gifted, talented, wretched, learned
-en made of: wooden, golden, woollen, earthen
-ful full of: hopeful, fruitful, joyful
-ish somewhat like: boorish, reddish, girlish
-less free from, without: fearless, shameless, hopeless, senseless, boundless
-ly like: manly, godly, sprightly
-some with the quality of: wholesome, meddlesome, gladsome, quarrelsome
-ward inclining to: forward, wayward
-y with the quality of: wealthy, healthy, windy, slimy, greedy, needy, thirsty, dirty

Greek Prefixes 2

Level: C1

di- twice: dilemma
dia- through: diagonal, diameter
dys- badly: dyspepsia, dysentery
en - (em) in: encyclopaedia, emblem
epi- upon: epilogue, epitaph
eu- well: eulogy, euphony, eugenics
ex- (ec) out of: exodus, eccentric
hemi- half: hemisphere
homo- (hom) like: homogeneous, homonym

Latin Suffixes - Verb Makers

Level: C1

-ate: assassinate, captivate, exterminate
-esce: acquiesce, effervesce
-fy: simplify, purify, fortify, sanctify, terrify
-ish: publish, nourish, punish, banish

English Suffixes - Adjective Makers

Level: C1

-ed having: gifted, talented, wretched, learned
-en made of: wooden, golden, woollen, earthen
-ful full of: hopeful, fruitful, joyful
-ish somewhat like: boorish, reddish, girlish
-less free from, without: fearless, shameless, hopeless, senseless, boundless
-ly like: manly, godly, sprightly
-some with the quality of: wholesome, meddlesome, gladsome, quarrelsome
-ward inclining to: forward, wayward
-y with the quality of: wealthy, healthy, windy, slimy, greedy, needy, thirsty, dirty

Greek Suffixes 1

Level: C1

-ic (ique): angelic, cynic, phonic, unique

-ist: arist, chemist

-isk: asterisk, obelisk

-ism (asm): patriotism, despotism, enthusiasm

-ize: civilize, sympathize, criticize

-sis (sy): crisis, analysis, heresy, poesy

-e (y): catastrophe, monarchy, philosophy

Note: We still feel the force of a number of suffixes of foreign origin. These are:

-ee (French) added to nouns to denote, usually, the person who takes a passive share in an action: employee, payee, legatee, mortgagee, trustee, referee

-or (ar, er, eer, ier) denoting a person who performs a certain act or function: emperor, scholar, officer, muleteer, gondolier

-ist denoting a person who follows a certain trade or pursuit: chemist, theosophist, artist, nihilist

-ism forming abstract nouns: patriotism

-ble forming adjectives that have usually a passive sense: tolerable, bearable

-ize (ise) forming verbs from nouns and adjectives: crystallize, civilize, moralize, baptize

English Suffixes - Noun Makers

Level: C1

(1) Denoting agent/doer

-er (ar, or, yer): painter, baker, beggar, sailor, lawyer

-ster: spinster, punster, songster

-ter (ther): daughter, father

(2) Denoting state, action, condition, being, etc.

-dom: freedom, martyrdom, wisdom

-hood (head): manhood, childhood, godhead

-lock (ledge): wedlock, knowledge

-ness: darkness, boldness, goodness, sweetness

-red: kindred, hatred

-ship: hardship, friendship, lordship

-th: health, stealth, growth

(3) Forming diminutives

-el (le): satchel, kernel, girdle, handle

-en: maiden, kitten, chicken

-ie: dearie, birdie, lassie

-kin: lambkin, napkin

-let: leaflet

-ling: duckling, darling, stripling, weakling

-ock: hillock, bullock

Latin Suffixes - Noun Makers

Level: C1

(1) Denoting chiefly the agent/doer

-ain (an, en, on): chieftain, artisan, citizen, surgeon
-ar (er, eer, ier, ary): scholar, preacher, engineer, financier, missionary
-ate (ee, ey, y): advocate, trustee, attorney, deputy
-or (our, eur, er): emperor, saviour, amateur, interpreter

(2) Denoting state, action, result of an action

-age: bondage, marriage, breakage, leakage
-ance (ence): abundance, brilliance, assistance, excellence, innocence
-cy: fancy, accuracy, lunacy, bankruptcy
-ion: action, opinion, union
-ice (ise): service, cowardice, exercise
-ment: punishment, judgment, improvement
-mony: parsimony, matrimony, testimony
-tude: servitude, fortitude, magnitude
-ty: cruelty, frailty, credulity
-ure: pleasure, forfeiture, vedure
-y: misery, victory

(3) Forming diminutives

-cule (ule, cel, sel, el, le): animalcule, globule, parcel, damsel, chapel, circle
-et: owlet, lancet, trumpet
-ette: cigarette, coquette

(4) Denoting place

-ary (ery, ry): dispensary, library, nunnery, treasury
-ter (tre): cloister, theatre

Greek Prefixes 1

Level: C1

a- (an) without, not: atheist, apathy, anarchy
amphi- around, on both sides: amphitheatre, amphibious
ana- up, back: anachronism, analysis
anti- (ant) against: antipathy, antagonism
apo- (apo) from: apostate, apology
arch- (archi) chief: archbishop, archangel, architect
auto- self: autocrat, autobiography, autograph
cata- down: cataract, catastrophe, catalogue

English Prefixes

Level: C1

a- on, in: abed, aboard, ashore, ajar, asleep

a- out, from: arise, awake, alight

be- by, (sometimes an intensifier): beside, betimes, besmear, bedaub

for- thoroughly: forbear, forgive

fore- before: forecast, foresee, foretell

gain- against: gainsay

in- in, inside: income, inland, inlay

mis- wrong, wrongly: misdeed, mislead, misjudge

over- above, beyond: overflow, overcharge

to- this: today, tonight, tomorrow

un- not: untrue, unkind, unholy

un- to reverse an action: untie, undo, unfold

under- beneath, below: undersell, undercharge, undergo, underground

with- against, back: withdraw, withhold, withstand

Note: There are only two prefixes of English origin that are still applied freely to new words, mis- and un-, the former with the force of the adjective bad, and the latter with the force of a negative or reversal of an action.

Latin Prefixes 1

Level: C1

ab- (a, abs) from, away: abuse, avert, abstract
ad- (ac, af, ag, al, an, ap, ar, as, at, a) to: adjoin, accord, affect, aggrieve, allege, announce, appoint, arrest, assign, attach, avail
ambi- (amb, am) on both sides, around: ambiguous, ambition, amputate
ante (anti, an) before: antedate, anticipate, ancestor
bene- well: benediction, benefit
bis- (bi, bin) twice, two: biscuit, bisect, binocular
circum- (circu) around: circumnavigate, circumference, circuit
con- (col, com, cor) with, together: contend, collect, combine, correct
contra- (counter) against: contradict, counteract, counterfeit
de- down: descend, dethrone, depose
dis- (dif, di) apart: disjoin, differ, divide
demi- half: demigod

Latin Suffixes - Adjective Makers

Level: C1

-al: national, regal, mortal, fatal
-an (ane): human, humane, mundane
-ar: familiar, regular
-ary: customary, contrary, necessary, ordinary, honorary
-ate: fortunate, temperate, obstinate
-ble (ible, able): feeble, sensible, laughable
-esque: picturesque, grotesque
-id: humid, vivid, lucid
-ile: servile, fagile, juvenile
-ine: feminine, canine, feline, divine
-ive: active, attentive, sportive
-lent: corpulent, indolent, turbulent, virulent
-ose (ous): verbose, dangerous, onerous, copious