Affixation is the process of adding a morpheme (an affix) to a root word or base to create a new word or modify its meaning. Affixes can occur at the beginning, middle, or end of a word and are used extensively in languages to form new words, change grammatical forms, or adjust the meaning of words.
Definition of Affixation
“Affixation is a method of forming new words and modifying existing ones.”
“Affixation is a productive process in language that allows speakers to form new words and adapt existing ones for various communicative purposes.”
Types of Affixation
There are four types of affixes:
- Prefixation
- Suffixation
- Infixation
- Suffixation and Prefixation together
Prefixation
Adding a prefix to the beginning of a word to change its meaning. Prefixes in English usually do not change the word’s grammatical category.
Examples:
- Negation:
- un- → unhappy, unbelievable
- dis- → dislike, disagree
- in- → inactive, insecure
- Reversal or removal:
- de- → deactivate, defrost
- Repetition:
- re- → redo, rewrite
- Position or direction:
- sub- → subway, submerge
- inter- → interact, international
Suffixation
Adding a suffix to the end of a word often changes its grammatical category (e.g., from a verb to a noun, or an adjective to a noun).
Examples:
- Forming nouns:
- -ness → happiness, kindness
- -tion → creation, action
- -er → teacher, writer
- Forming adjectives:
- -ful → beautiful, helpful
- -less → hopeless, careless
- -ish → childish, foolish
- Forming verbs:
- -en → shorten, strengthen
- -ify → beautify, simplify
- Forming adverbs:
- -ly → quickly, happily
Infixation
Infixation is extremely rare in English and typically in informal or emphatic speech. It often involves inserting a morpheme into the middle of a word.
Examples:
- Fan-bloody-tastic! (used for emphasis)
- Abso-friggin-lutely! (used informally)
This type of affixation is more common in other languages but not standard in English.
Suffixation and Prefixation together
When both a prefix and suffix are added to a root.
Example:
- unhappiness (prefix un-, root happy, suffix -ness).
Common Functions of Affixation
- Creating New Words: Create new words
- hope → hopeful (adjective)
- read → reader (noun)
- Changing Grammatical Category: Change tense, number, mood, aspect, etc.
- act (verb) → action (noun)
- quick (adjective) → quickly (adverb)
- walk (base form) → walked (Past participle)
- Altering Meaning: Alter or negate meaning
- like → dislike (negation)
- trust → mistrust (opposite or reversal)
- kind → unkind (negation)
How do you identify affixes?
Identifying affixation in English involves recognizing prefixes, suffixes, or other morphemes that attach to a base or root word. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help:
Understand the Word Structure
Words are often made up of smaller parts:
- Root/Base Word: The core part of the word that carries the primary meaning (e.g., play, happy, friend).
- Affixes: Morphemes added to modify the meaning or grammatical function of the root.
Steps to Identify Affixes
A. Locate the Root Word
- Break the word into its smallest meaningful parts.
- Example: In unhappiness, the root word is happy.
B. Check for a Prefix
- Look at the beginning of the word.
- Example: In unhappiness, un- is the prefix, meaning “not.”
C. Check for a Suffix
- Look at the end of the word.
- Example: In unhappiness, -ness is the suffix, which turns the adjective happy into a noun.
D. Verify the Meaning
- Combine the affixes and root words to ensure the breakdown makes sense.
- Unhappiness → un- (not) + happy (feeling good) + -ness (state/condition) = “the state of not being happy.”
Tips for Identification
- Use Context: Identify the root meaning of the word. Affixes modify this meaning.
- Example: In disagree, the prefix dis- changes the meaning of agree to its opposite.
- Familiarize Yourself with Common Affixes:
- Prefixes: un-, re-, in-, dis-, pre-, sub-
- Suffixes: -ly, -ing, -ed, -er, -tion, -ful, -ness
- Look for Patterns:
- Words that share affixes often have similar meanings.
- Example: unhappy, uncertain, unusual (all involve negation).
- Example: happiness, kindness, darkness (all nouns describing states).
- Words that share affixes often have similar meanings.
- Be Aware of Bound Morphemes:
- Affixes cannot stand alone as words (e.g., -ness, re-). If the morpheme doesn’t function independently, it’s likely an affix.
Practice with Examples
Break down these words into affixes and root words:
- Rewriting = re- (prefix) + write (root) + -ing (suffix)
- Unhelpful = un- (prefix) + help (root) + -ful (suffix)
- Fearless = fear (root) + -less (suffix)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing Root Words with Prefixes:
- Example: In restore, re- is a prefix, but in real, re- is part of the root.
- Not Recognizing Combined Affixes:
- Example: In unhappiness, both un- and -ness are affixes.
English – KnowledgeSthali