86 Prefixes: creating new meanings

A

B

C Common prefixes

in- (and its variations im-, il-, ir-) can make a word negative, as in inappropriate, incapable, inaccuracy, inability and imperfect. mis- means wrongly or badly, e.g. misbehave and misuse. [use in the wrong way or for the

wrong purpose] out- suggests being greater or better than something, e.g. outnumber[to be larger in number than

another group] and outweigh. [be greater or more important than something else] re- has the meaning of ‘do again’ as in reconsider[think again about a decision or opinion], redevelop and rethink. [change what you think about something or what you plan to do] e- has the meaning of ‘electronic’ as in e-commerce[buying and selling goods online],e-reader[an

electronic device for reading books] and e-cigarettes. [cigarettes that use water vapour rather than tobacco] eco- has the meaning of ‘good for the environment’, as in eco-friendly cleaning products, an

eco-city[using energy efficiently and producing very little pollution] and an eco-warrior. [an informal word for someone who campaigns to protect the environment]

Preposition-based prefixes

over- may indicate (a) an excess of something, (b) being above something, or (c) going across something. (a) excess That film was overrated in my view. [people said it was better than it really was] It was a bad restaurant, with an overpriced menu. [too high prices] (b) above Several of our neighbour’s large trees overhang our garden. [their branches go over

our garden] Our garden is overshadowed by the block of flats next door. [the flats cast a shadow

over our garden] She always felt overshadowed by her older, more successful, sister. [metaphorical

use, felt less important than] (c) across He oversteppedthe mark when he said that. [crossed a barrier into offensive/ unacceptable behaviour] Will you be staying overnight? [cross from one day to the next] under- may indicate (a) less than the desired amount, (b) something below another thing, or (c) some kind of negative behaviour. (a) less Don’t underestimate the time it will take. [think it will be less than it really is] The company is seriously understaffed. [lacking staff] (b) below It’s quite wet underfoot. Did it rain last night? [on the ground, beneath your feet] The underlying question is a very difficult one. [the deeper question] (c) negative I wish you would not undermine everything I do. [attack, weaken]

He did it in a very underhand way. [secretly and possibly dishonestly] up- can suggest a change of some kind, often positive. The airline upgraded me to business class. [changed my ticket to a better class] There has been an upturn in the economy. [change for the better]

Less frequent prefixes

con-/com- often suggests mixing things together (often in verbs of communication).

converse commiserate condolences congeal contaminate

pro- can often suggest pushing something forward or increasing it.

promote proliferate procrastinate procreate

e- can give the idea of something coming out of something.

They were ejected from the restaurant for bad behaviour. [thrown out; formal]

The machine emitted a loud noise and then stopped working. [gave out; formal]

86.1

86.2

86.3

86.4

Choose a word from A opposite to complete each sentence.

1 They are planning to the area around the old bus station. 2 It is to use informal language in a formal essay. 3 The yes votes the no votes by two to one. 4 Ivan’s English is excellent but he still tends to idioms occasionally.

5 We all hope you will your decision to turn down our offer of a job.

6 I’m afraid I only have an understanding of the situation myself.

7 These pupils do not usually

in class. 8 An to drive is a serious problem for anyone in this line of business. 9 Lance seems to be of understanding even the simplest instructions. 10 Paula lost marks in her science test because of the of her measurements. 11 More and more businesses use the internet in order to sell their products, so is

becoming more and more important to the economy. 12 More farmers are now choosing to use fertilisers that don’t harm the environment or wildlife.

Decide which of the meanings of over- and under- are most obvious in the words in bold.

Use the labels (a), (b) or (c), as in B opposite. Circle the correct letter. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1 I really think she overstated her case, and lost a lot of sympathy. a b c 2 The plane’s undercarriage failed to open and it crashed. a b c 3 A detailed list of awards is given overleaf. a b c 4 He has a very overbearing personality. a b c 5 The project was underfunded from the outset. a b c 6 During the cruise, a child fell overboard and drowned. a b c 7 Priya’s contribution to the project has sometimes been underrated. a b c 8 Phil always gets an underling to do the tasks he doesn’t enjoy. a b c

Rewrite these sentences using words from the opposite page.

1 There are more women than men on my course. Women outnumber men on my course. 2 The hotel gave me a luxury room instead of the ordinary one I’d booked. 3 Would you like to spend the night there or come back the same day? 4 The problem that lies under the surface is a very serious one. 5 For me, the advantages of air travel are more significant than the disadvantages. 6 I think this hotel charges too much. 7 It’s slippery walking just here. Be careful. 8 The company experienced a rise in popularity after it changed its name. 9 I felt that what she said was critical of my position and weakened it somewhat. 10 It would be a mistake to think Frances was less intelligent than she really is.

Match these definitions to a word in C opposite. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1 to keep delaying something that must be done 2 to make something poisonous or less pure 3 to throw out with force 4 suddenly to increase a lot in number 5 to sympathise with someone’s unhappiness 6 to change from a liquid or soft state to a solid or hard state 7 to produce young (formal) 8 to chat (formal) 9 to send out (a beam, noise, smell or gas) 10 to encourage people to buy or use something