English derivational morphology
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Below is a sample of some English derivational affixes. This is only a sample; there are far more affixes than presented here.
Some derivational affixes of EnglishAffix | Class(es) of word to which affix applies | Nature of change in meaning | Examples |
Prefix 'non-' | Noun, adjective | Negation/opposite | Noun: non-starter Adj.: non-partisan |
Suffix '-ity' | Adjective | Changes to noun | electric/electricity obese/obesity |
Prefix 'un-' | Verb Adjective | Reverses action opposite quality | tie/untie, fasten/unfasten clear/unclear, safe/unsafe |
Suffix '-ous' | Noun | Changes to adjective | fame/famous, glamor/glamorous |
Prefix 're-' | Verb | Repeat action | tie/retie, write/rewrite |
Suffix '-able' | Verb | Changes to adjective; means 'can undergo action of verb' | print/printable, drink/drinkable |
Labels: Morphology