Definition of prefixing and suffixing

In each of the world's languages ​​there are different linguistic procedures by which new words are created that are later incorporated into the existing linguistic system. Among these linguistic creation procedures we find two fundamental ones: prefixation and suffixation, both lead to the creation of derived words in Spanish.

In this UnPROFESSOR lesson we are going to review the concepts of prefixation Y suffixAt the same time, we will see some of the most frequent words that these linguistic procedures have followed, which will serve as examples to clarify the explanation. Keep reading!

The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) defines the prefix as the "word formation process by means of prefixes".

Within the scope of morphological study and the creation of words, the "prefix" is understood to be the morpheme (that is, the minimum unit with meaning) which is placed just before the lexical root of a word, thus modifying its meaning so, for example, to be able to name its antonym, such as prefix

des- next to the word "trust", which gives rise to mistrust, which means the complete opposite of "trust."

Thanks to prefixing and suffixing we are able in Spanish to incorporate new terms than to name emerging realities that previously did not exist in our minds or in our society and that, little by little, we have to incorporate through these mechanisms of formation of words.

Other of the most recurring and used prefixes in Spanish are as follows:

• EX ("ex boyfriend", "extract")
• IN (or its variants I and IM, such as: "impossible", "illegal", "unimaginable", "inhuman")
• RE ("redo", "reduplicate", "reverse", "recognize", "reposition", "reheat")
• SUPER ("superimpose", "supermarket")
• CO- ("co-author", "co-director")
• EXTRA- ("extraterrestrial", "extraordinary")
• NEO- ("neoclassical", "neonate")
• PRE- ("prefabricate", "predict", "prevent")
• OVER- ("overprotect", "overfeed", "overrate", "endure")
• ULTRA- ("beyond grave", "ultramarine", "ultramarine", "deep frozen")

It is also important to note that, unlike the suffix that we will see below, prefixes do not allow us to modify the morphological category of the word that works as a base; that is, if we have a verb like "do" and we add a prefix to it ("re" or "des-", for example) we will obtain a word new, but this will always be morphologically a verb, since the base word from which it starts is, in turn, a verb: "make".

In this other video we discover the derivation word formation.

Faced with the process of creating words by adding a prefix that we have just studied, we can also find them with the reverse process; that is, instead of adding a prefix to the beginning of the stem of the base word, We add it to the end of it.

In this way we are using suffixation, which, according to the dictionary, is the "process of forming words by means of suffixes". For example, the suffix "-oso" is one of the most used in Spanish when creating new adjectives. From the word "rain", which is a noun, we can obtain, using this suffix, the adjective "rainy".

This is one of the characteristics that differentiate suffixes from prefixes, since the former yes they allow us to modify the morphological category of the base word ("rain" is a noun and "rainy" is an adjective) while, as we have already said, with the prefix it is impossible to make such a change.

Some of the most used suffixes in Spanish are as follows:

• -BLE ("friendly", "nice", "edible")
• -TION ("direction", "creation", "association", "organization", "nation")
• -AL / -AR ("family", "school", "confidential", "commercial", "national", "international")
• -ADA ("stab", "slap", "stay", "seafood", "barbecue")
• -AZO ("punch", "zapatazo", "folder")
• -HARD ("gall", "burn", "bite", "sting")
• -MIENTO ("growth", "suffering", "decay")

These are some of the prefixes and suffixes that we use the most in Spanish to create new words, but there are many others. Do you know any more that is different? Go ahead and share them with us!