Prefixes Related to Place
A number of prefixes indicate place or direction; they tell us where. These prefixes indicate in or out; to or from; around, across, or through; above or below. You are probably familiar with a great many words that use these prefixes.
How many words can you find in the following paragraph that have a prefix meaning "around," "across," or "through"? Which have a prefix meaning "over" or "under"? "Into" or "out of"? Circle the words with those prefixes.
The ship arrived in the harbor after a year at sea with the crew looking tired and worn. They had circumnavigated the globe; it had taken them more than a year. Still no rest was in sight. The cargo had to be transferred from the interior of the ship to the warehouse. Papers had to be filled out and submitted to the customs officer for everything being imported to this city and then for the exports that would be loaded into the hold, bound for other parts of the world. All the permits had to be in order before the goods could be loaded. Then the crew could go into the town. But Hector reclined on his bunk, book in hand….
Did you circle circumnavigated, transferred, interior, submitted, imported, exports, permits, and reclined? The prefixes of these words are discussed in the following sections. Make a list of five (or more) other words with these prefixes that indicate "where."
super- and sub-; over- and under-
Super- and sub- mean "above" and "below," respectively. To supervise means, literally, "oversee." Subterranean is formed from the prefix meaning "under" and the base terra, meaning "earth," giving us "underground."
We saw over- and under- in the previous lesson, meaning "too much" or "too little." In some cases these prefixes related to place rather than amount. In both overhead and overhand, the prefix refers to a location above. In underline and underground, the prefix refers to a location below.
ex- and im- or in-; intro- and extra-
Ex- and im- are prefixes meaning "out" and "in." To export is to send something out of the country, or "from the port." What is import? Exhale and inhale refer to breathing out and in. If -hibit is a word base or root meaning "hold," what are exhibit and inhibit? Explain combines a base meaning "level" with ex-, giving us "level out or make plain or understandable."
Intro- and extro- or extra- are related prefixes, meaning "inside" and "outside." The terms introvert and extrovert are examples; if -vert refers to "turning," what do these terms mean? To introduce is to "lead into" something. Do you know the meanings of extraterrestrial and extracurricular?
inter-
The prefix inter- means "among" or "between." For example, to intercede is to "go between" two parties. To interrupt is to "break into" a conversation or activity. Do you see this prefix in internal and interior?
per-
The prefix per- means thorough, throughout, or through. For example, to be perfect is to be thoroughly correct, to "carry it through." To perceive is to "be totally aware of something." Permanent combines the prefix per- with a root that means "remain," giving us something that continues without change.
trans-
Trans- means "across." To transcend means to "go across." Transfer is based on the root meaning "carry," giving us "carry across." When we transfer money from a savings account to a checking account, it is "carried across" from one account to the other.
circum- and peri-
Circum- and peri- both mean "around." To circumvent means to come around an obstacle or problem. To circumnavigate the globe means to sail around it. In some instances this prefix drops its m (as in the word circulate, meaning "pass around") or drops its -um ending (as in the word circle).
Periscope combines peri- with scope, which means "look," giving us something that helps us "look around" an object. Perimeter includes the root meter, which comes from a word meaning "to measure." The perimeter of an area is the measurement around it.
re- and retro-
We saw re- in the previous section in this lesson with words that use it in the sense of "again." Re- can also mean "back," as does retro-. Recline combines re- with a root that means "to lean," giving us the meaning "lean back." Retroactive means "acting back in time" or "becoming effective some time in the past." Retrospect combines retro- with a root, -spect-, meaning "look"providing us with a word that means "looking back in time." To retrofit is to provide newly designed parts for an existing piece of machinery.
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