Other Usage Notes

Negative Prefixes

by Mark Nichol

What determines which prefix is attached to a word to form that word’s antonym? Why unlawful, but illegal? Why infirm, but impaired? You may be surprised that there’s a method to this madness: Negative prefixes come in forms that vary not only according to language derivation but also depending on meaning, and variations occur according to the letter that follows.

Here are the ins and outs of in- and un- and their like, and details about their distinctions:

1-2. A-/An-

These Greek-derived prefixes mark words expressing an absence of something (atypical, anodyne). A- is attached to words starting with consonants, and an- is the form for words beginning with vowels. An exception is words beginning with h; depending on the root word, either prefix may be present (ahistorical, anhydrous).

Anti-

Anti-, from Greek by way of Latin, means “opposite” (antithetical) or “in opposition to” (antivirus), and can also denote defense (antisubmarine) or prevention (antidepressant).

Dis-

This Latin prefix, when attached to a word, implies one of several meanings: absence (disaffected) or lack (disabled), opposition (disapprove), or removal (disenfranchise).

In-

In- and its several variations, all signaling Latin derivation, also denote lack of a given quality. The variations il- and -ir are attached to words starting with l or r (illogical, irreversible). Im-, meanwhile, precedes m (immaterial) and p (impatient) and the lone example for b: imbalance. The rare prefix ig- sometimes comes before n (ignoble). In- appears before root words beginning with all other letters.

Non-

This Latin negative prefix is the least particular of the class, and can often be found attached to root words so that the resulting term differs in meaning from one formed by the attachment of another negative prefix to the same root word. For example, nonrational means “not according to rational means or rules,” but unrational refers to behavior that does not conform to these norms. The nonparticular non- is the go-to negative prefix for neologisms.

Un-

By contrast with the other negative prefixes, the attachment of this Latin-based form to a root word can, in addition to expressing lack or absence (unconcern), denote a reversal (uncoiled). It can also refer to an action not yet taken (unopened).

Other Usage Notes

The presence of negative prefixes can lead to awkward constructions such as “nonhearing-impaired people.” The easy solution in such cases is to relax the phrase: “people who are not hearing impaired.”

Note, too, that with most prefixes, the insertion of a hyphen is the exception, not the rule. Prefixed words should be closed except when the root word is a proper noun (non-Euclidean) or in the rare case when confusion with a similarly constructed but distinct word is possible (un-ionized and unionized, for example).

Wags have great fun with humorous poems and other compositions featuring invented examples of antonyms for unpaired words (words with negative prefixes that do not have antonyms), such as ept to contrast with inept – which actually has an etymological counterpart in apt — or ruth in opposition to ruthless.

A prefix is a group of letters (affixes) added in front of a word or a root of the word to change its meaning. A negative prefix is a prefix which carries a negative meaning 'not', 'opposite of'.

Common negative prefixes in English are un-, im-, in-, il-, and ir-, and dis -. Some of these prefixes are only attached to a noun or an adjective while some are only attached to a verb. It is not possible to predict whether the negative prefix un-, in-, or dis - is used with a particular word. The correct form must be learned.

1. The negative prefix un-

This prefix is normally attached to an adjective or a noun to form an adjective or a noun.

Words	Meaning
Unauthorized (Adj.)	For which official permission has not been given
Unbelievable (Adj.)	Too difficult to believe
Uncountable (Adj.)	Too many to be counted
Undamaged (Adj.)	Not damaged or not spoiled
Undesirable (Adj.)	Not wanted
Unemployment (N.)	No work, job
Unforgetable (Adj.)	That will stay forever in memory
Unkind (Adj.)	Not friendly
Unlucky (Adj.)	Not lucky
Unpopular (Adj.)	Not popular
Unrelated (Adj.)	Not related or not connected
Unreliable (Adj.)	Not reliable
Unsatisfied (Adj.)	Not satisfied

It is important to distinguish the negative prefix un - 'not' from the prefix un - 'do the reverse of' which is normally attached to a verb. The resulting word remains a verb.

Words	Meaning
Undo (V.)	To cancel the effect of something
Undress (V.)	To remove one's clothes
Unroll (V.)	To open something that is rolled up
Untie (V.)	To remove somebody or something that is tied
Unwrap (V.)	To undo the covering that wraps something

2. The negative prefixes in-, im-, il-, ir-

This prefix is normally attached to an adjective. The resulting word remains an adjective.

Prefiixes + initial consonant of the attached root	Words	Meaning
il + l	illegal (Adj.)	Against the law, not legal
il+ l	illiterate (Adj.)	Not able to read or write
im + b	imbalanced (N.)	Not balance
im + p	impossible (Adj.)	Not possible
im + m	immeasurable (Adj.)	No able to be measured
ir + r	irregular (Adj.)	Not regular
ir + r	irresponsible (Adj.)	Not responsible
in + other consonants	incomplete (Adj.)	Not complete
in + other consonants	intolerable (Adj.)	Not tolerable
in + other consonants	incorrect (Adj.)	Not correct

It is also important to distinguish the meaning of the prefix im - or in- 'not' from those carrying the meaning 'in, into' which forms a verb.

Prefiixes + initial consonant of the attached root	Words	Meaning
im + p	import (V.)	To bring goods from a foreign country
in + other consonants	inflame (V.)	To cause strong feelings, especially among a lot of people
in + other consonants	incorporate (V)	To make something part of the whole
in + other consonants	inject (V.)	To put in at speed a drug or other substance into somebody or something
in + other consonants	inhale (V.)	To breathe in
in + other consonants	intend (V.)	To have a particular plan in mind

3. The negative prefix dis- 'not, opposite of, away'

This prefix is normally attached to a verb, an adjective or a noun. The resulting words can be a verb, an adjective or a noun.

Words	Meaning
disappear V.)	become no longer visible
disarm	take weapons away from someone
discard (V.)	throw something away
disbelieve	Refuse to believe
disclose	Reveal, make something known
discontinue (V.)	To stop doing something
discount (N.)	To reduce the price
discourage (V.)	To take away someone's confidence or somebody's hope of doing something
discover (V.)	To find or learn about a place or an object for the first time
discredit (V.)	Damage the good reputation
discredit (N.)	Loss of reputation or respect
dishonest (Adj.)	Not honest
disloyal (Adj.)	Not loyal, not faithful
dissatisfied	Not satisfied

---

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14