Making Use of Word Formation （构词法）: Prefixation (前缀法)
You don't need to look up every new word in the dictionary while reading. You have various （各种各样的） ways to help you deduce（推测） its meaning. One of the ways, which you are learning in this unit, is affixation (词缀法). Affixes are particles（词缀） added to the beginning or to the end of a root（词根）, or to both. If you know the meaning of a root, the word formed from the root by adding affixes should not be a new word to you such as clear--clearly, and afraid--unafraid.
Affixes are subdivided（划分） into prefixes（前缀） and suffixes（后缀）.
Prefixes
A prefix is a particle which is added to the beginning of a root. Generally, prefixes change the meaning of the root, but not its part of speech（词性）.
e.g. exist v. → coexist v. （共存）
chemistry n. → biochemistry n. （生物化学）
possible ad. → impossible a.
1. Prefixes denoting “opposition”（相反的，对立的）
Prefixes meaning example
un- not interested → uninterested
in- not correct → incorrect
im- not polite → impolite
il- not legal → illegal（不合法的）
counter- against clockwise （顺时针方向地）→counterclockwise
anti- against foreign →antiforeign（排外的）
2. prefixes denoting “location”（地点）, “direction”（方向） and “distance”（距离）
prefix meaning example
fore- before arm → forearm（前臂）
de- down grade → degrade（降级）
sub- under way → subway（地铁）
mid- middle east → Mideast（中东）
over- above pass → overpass（天桥）
3. Prefixes denoting “time”
prefix meaning example
pre- before history→prehistory（史前）
fore- before noon→forenoon（午后）
post after war → postwar（战后）
4. Other prefixes
prefix meaning example
de- reversal（相反） merit（优点） → demerit
sur- beyond pass → surpass（超过）
extra- outside ordinary（普通的）→ extraordinary（非常的）
self- one's own study → self-study
re- again read → reread（再读，重读）
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