* * * * *
The best account of these is to be found in Kellner's edition of Dr
Morris's _Historical Outlines of English Accidence_ (1895), and
especially in Professor Skeat's _Principles of English
Etymology_--First Series (2d ed. 1892), chaps. xii.-xiv.; Second Series
(1891), chap. xviii. To these books the following lists are largely
indebted.
A- (A.S.) represents:
(1) A.S. _an_, _on_, on, as _a_bed, _a_board, _a_foot, _a_shore, _a_sunder,
now-_a-_days, twice-_a-_week, _a_live, _a_mong, _a_bout, _a-_fishing.
(2) A.S. _and-_, over against, in reply to, to, as _a_long (from A.S.
_and-lang_, i.e. over against in length); appearing also as E- in _e_lope,
as AM- in _am_bassador, and as EM- in _em_bassy; the same as _un-_ in
verbs. See Un- (2). [Cog. with Goth. _and-_, Ger. _ent-_, _ant-_, L.
_ante-_, Gr. _anti-_.]
(3) A.S. _á-_, an intensive prefix to verbs, out, out from, as in _a_rise
(from A.S. _árísan_, to rise out of or up); or sig. 'very,' as in _a_ghast.
Cf. _a_bide, _ac_curse, _af_fright, _a_maze, _a_rise, _a_rouse, _a_go.
[Cog. with Ger. _er-_, Goth. _us-_, _ur-_.]
(4) A.S. _of_, of, from, as in _a_down (from A.S. _of dúne_, 'from the
height'), _a_new, _a_kin; or from _of-_, intensive, as _a_thirst.
(5) A.S. _ge-_, _y-_, as _a_ware (A.S. _ge-w['æ]re_), _a_fford.
(6) _at_, old sign of inf., as _a_do. [A Northern idiom, due to Scand.
influences, as in Ice., Sw., &c.]
A- (L. and Gr.) represents: (1) L. AB-, as in _a_vert; (2) L. AD-, as
_a_chieve; (3) L. E- or EX-, as in _a_bash, _a_mend; (4) Gr. A- (for AN-),
as in _a_byss. See these prefixes.
A-, AB-, ABS-, AS- (L.), away from, as _a_vert, _ab_sent, _ab_solve,
_ab_stract; and also _as_soil and _av_aunt through French. Indeed, this
prefix appears as A-, ADV-, AV-, V-, as in _a_vert, _adv_ance, _av_aunt,
_v_anguard, &c. [L. _a_, _ab_, _abs_ (oldest form _ap_); cog. with Gr.
_apo-_, Sans. _apa_, Ger. _ab_, Eng. _off_.]
AB-. See Ad-.
AC-. See Ad-.
AD- (L.), to, at, as ADhere, ADapt. It appears as A-, AB-, AC-, AD-, AF-,
AG-, AL-, AN-, AP-, AR-, AS-, AT-, as in _a_chieve, _ab_breviate, _ac_cede,
_ad_mire, _af_fix, _ag_gregate, _al_lot, _an_nex, _ap_prove, _ar_rive,
_as_sign, _at_tract. The words _a_chieve, _a_gree, _a_merce, _a_mount,
_a_cquit, _a_cquaint, _a_vow, &c. show the same prefix, derived through the
medium of Old French. [L. _ad_; cog. with Sans. _adhi_, Goth. and Eng.
_at_, Celt. _ar-_.]
AF-. See Ad-.
AFTER- (A.S.), as _after-_growth, _after-_math, _after-_wards. [A.S.
_æfter-_.]
AG-. See Ad-.
AL-. See Ad-.
AL- (Ar.), the--also as A-, AR-, AS-, EL-, L-, as _a_pricot, _ar_tichoke,
_as_sagai, _el_ixir, _l_ute.
ALL- (A.S.), all, as _al_mighty, _all-_wise. In Early English _al-_=quite
is added (1) to past participles, as _al-_brent=quite burnt,
_al-_heled=quite concealed; (2) to verbs preceded by _to_, as
_al-_to-brenne=to burn up entirely. In Elizabethan and later writers
_all-to_=altogether, quite--the original meaning of _to_ having been lost
sight of. Cf. Milton's 'all-to ruffled,' &c. [A.S. _eall-_.]
AM-, (1) the Fr. _em_--L. _im_ for _in_, as _am_bush: see In- (2); (2) the
Gr. _an-_, as in _Am_brosia: see An- (2); (3) the same as An- (1), as in
_am_bassador.
AMBI-, AMB-, AM- (L.), round about, both, as _ambi_dexter, _am_bition,
_am_putate. [L.; cog. with Gr. _amphi-_, Sans. _abhi_, around.]
AMPHI- (Gr.), round about, both, as _amphi_theatre, _amphi_bious. [Cog.
with L. _ambi-_, _amb-_.]
AN- (A.S.), against, in return, as _an_swer. See A- (A.S.) (2), above.
[A.S. _and-_, Ger. _ant-_, Goth. _and-_.]
AN-, A-, AM- (Gr.), not, without, as _an_archy, _a_tom, _am_brosia. [Gr.;
cog. with Sans. _an-_, _a-_, L. _in-_, Eng. _un-_, _in-_, not.]
AN- (Fr. _en_--L. _in_), as in anoint. See In- (2).
AN-, as in _an_cestor; see Ante- (below).
AN-. See Ad-.
ANA-, AN- (Gr.), up, back, as _ana_lyse, _ana_tomy, _an_eurism. [Cog. with
Goth. _ana_, Eng. _on_.]
ANTE-, ANTI-, ANCI-, AN- (L.), before, as _ante_cedent, _anti_cipate,
_anc_ient, _anc_estor (for L. _antecessor_). [L. _ante_, old form _anti_;
conn. with _anti-_; Fr. _anci-_, _an-_.]
ANTI- (Gr.), opposite to, against, as _anti_pathy, _anti_podes; as ANT- in
_ant_agonist, and ANTH- in _anth_em. [Gr.; conn. with L. _ante-_, Sans.
_anti-_, facing, Ger. _ant-_ in _Ant_wort, Eng. _an-_ (for _and-_) in
_answer_ (see Dict.). Cf. _A-_ (A.S.) (2), above.]
AP-. See Ad-.
APO- (Gr.), off, from, away, as APOstle; as APH- in _aph_elion,
_aph_æresis. [Cog. with L. _ab-_.]
AR-. See Ad-.
ARCH-, ARCHI-, ARCHE- (Gr.), first, chief, as _arch_bishop, _archi_tect,
_arche_type.
AS-. See Ad-.
AT-. See Ad-.
AT- (Eng.), denoting nearness, as _at_one; against, as _t_wit (A.S.
_æt-wítan_, to blame). [A.S. _æt_.]
AUTO-, AUTH- (Gr.), self, as _auto_crat, _auto_graph, _auto_psy,
_auth_entic.
AV-. See Ab-.
BE- (A.S.), the most fertile of all English prefixes, is the weak form of
_by_. The original meaning was '_about_.' (1) It forms derivative verbs,
with the sense of 'around,' 'on all sides,' 'in all directions,' as
_be_blear=to blear all over, _be_girdle, _be_jumble, _be_paste, _be_smudge;
(2) it forms intensive verbs, with the sense of 'thoroughly,' 'soundly,' as
_be_breech=to breech soundly, _be_daub, _be_welcome; (3) it renders
intransitive verbs transitive by adding a prepositional relation, as
_be_chatter=to environ with chattering, _be_gaze=to gaze at, _be_smile=to
smile at, _be_speak; (4) it forms transitive verbs of adjectives and
substantives, as _be_foul=to affect with foulness, _be_dim=to make dim,
_be_dew=to cover with dew, _be_friend.
BIS-, BI-, BIN- (L.), twice, double, as _bis_cuit, _bi_ennial, _bin_ocular;
as BA- in balance. [Corr. of _duis_, ablative of _duo_, two.]
CATA-, CATH-, CAT- (Gr.), down, downwards, according to, thoroughly, as
_cata_ract, _cath_olic, _cat_echism. [Gr. _kata_.]
CIRCUM-, CIRCU- (L.), round about, as _circum_scribe, _circu_it. [Properly
accusative of _circus_, a circle. See Circle in Dict.]
CIS- (L.), on this side, as _cis_alpine.
COM-, CON-, CO- (L.), together, with, as _con_nect, _co_here, _col_lect,
_cor_rect, _coun_cil. In _cur_ry, this prefix has been attached to O. Fr.
_roi_, order; often intensive, as _com_motion; _co-_admire, _co-_enjoy,
_co-_actor, _co-_believer. [_Com-_ is the old form of L. _cum_, with; cog.
with Gr. _syn_, Sans. _sam_. The root, originally signifying 'one,' is seen
in L. _sim-ul_, together, Gr. _ham-a_, together, Eng. _sim_ple (which see
in Dict.).]
CONTRA-, CONTRO-, CONTR-, COUNTER- (L.), against, as _contra_dict,
_contro_vert, _contr_alto, _counter_act. [L. _contra_ (whence Fr.
_contre_), from _Con-_, and -_tra_, from root _tar_, to cross, seen also in
_trans_.]
DE- (L., or Fr.--L.), down, from, away, occurs in words derived either
directly from L., as _de_duce; or through the Fr. from L., in which case
DE-, DI-, represents either (1) O. Fr. _des-_ from L. _dis-_, asunder, not,
as in _de_feat (O. Fr. _des-_fait), or (2) Fr.--L. _de-_, as _de_scribe
[lit. 'write _down_'], decompose. This prefix DE- is negative and
oppositive in _destroy_, _desuetude_, _deform_, or intensive in _declare_,
_desolate_, _desiccate_.
DEMI- (Fr.--L.), half, as _demi_god, _demi_quaver. [Fr. _demi_--L.
_dimidium_, half.]
DI- (Gr.), double, as _di_lemma, _di_alogue.
DIA- (Gr.), through, as _dia_meter; shortened to DI- in _di_æresis, and
appearing as DE-, DEA-, in _de_vil, _dea_con. [Gr. _dia_, from _dyo_, two.]
DIF-. See Dis-.
DIS- (Gr.), two, twice, as _dis_syllable, _di_cotyledonous. [From _duis_,
from root of _two_.]
DIS-, DI- (L.; in O. Fr. DES-), in two, asunder, as _dis_part, _dif_fer,
_dis_perse; negative, as _dis_relish; privative, as _dis_lodge. Thus
variously DI-, DIF-, DIS-, DES-, DE-, and even S-, as in _s_pend. [_Dis_
for _duis_, from L. _duo_, Gr. _dyo_, Sans. _dvi_, Goth. and Eng. _two_.]
DYS- (Gr.), ill, difficult, as _dys_entery, _dys_pepsy. [Cog. with Sans.
_dus_, Goth. _tus_, Ger. _zer-_, A.S. _to-_, Eng. _two_.]
E-. See Ex-.
E-=A.S. _ge-_, in enough (A.S. _genóh_, Ger. _genug_).
E-, as in _e_lope. See A- (A.S.) (2), and also An- (A.S.).
E-, a purely phonetic addition, of French origin, as in _e_squire,
_e_state, _e_schew, _e_special, _e_scutcheon.
EC- or EX- (Gr.), out of, from, as _ec_stasy, _ex_odus; also as EL- in
_el_lipse. [Gr. _ex_, cog. with L. _ex_, out.]