A prefix (affix) is a word, or letter(s) placed at the beginning of another word (a base word) to
adjust or qualify its usage or meaning. The opposite of prefix is suffix.
Here’s a list of common prefixes that you may see in AS-A Level exams. There are many more
prefixes out there, but for the moment there’s no point in learning them all.
►Aéro- : From Ancient Greek ἀέρος (aéros), the genitive singular of ἀήρ (aḗr, “air”).
Denoting a connection to air or aircraft.
aéroclub: flying club
aérodrome: airfield
aéronef: aircraft/spaceship
►Agri- : Originally from Latin ager, agrī (“field”). Denoting agriculture.
►Anté- : From Latin ante (“before”).
antérieur: previous/prior
►Anti- : From Ancient Greek ἀντί (antí, “against”). Anti- should not be confused with ante, which is a prefix of Latin origin meaning before. (However, anti- does exist as a variant
spelling of ante- in some borrowed words, such as anticipate and antipasto, but this spelling
cannot be used to coin English words.) Anti- sometimes becomes ant- before words beginning
in a vowel.
►Aqua- : From Latin aqua, (“river”).
aquagym: water-aerobics
►Bi- or Bis- : From Latin bis (“twice”).
bicentenaire: bicentenary (two hundred years old)
bicolore: two-coloured
►Biblio- : From Ancient Greek βιβλίον (biblíon, “small book”). (relating to books)
Bibliothèque: a library
Bibliothécaire: a librarian
►Chromo- : From Ancient Greek χρῶμα (khrôma, “color”).
►Chrono- : From Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”).
►Hydro- : From Ancient Greek ὑδρο- (hudro-), from ὕδωρ (húdōr, “water”)
►Igni- : From latin (ignis) “fire”
►In- : Used with certain words to reverse their meaning.
Added to adjectives to mean not: incapable (incapable) insupportable (unbearable)
intarissable (inexhaustible) etc.
Added to nouns to mean lacking or without: incrédulité (disbelief) inaptitude
(incompetence, uselessness) etc.
►Intra- : From Latin intra (“within”) a prefix signifying inside, within, interior, during.
Paris intra-muros: within Paris itself. Because during the Middle-Ages big cities used to be
surrounded by defensive walls. Such cities have grown over the centuries and therefore this
military term is quite irrelevant but we still use it to talk about the city-center. “Paris intramuros” means the very center of Paris. It is often used by journalists or architects…
►Mi- : From Latin medius (“ which is in the middle ”).
Lille se situe à mi-chemin entre Londres et Paris: Lille is situated halfway between London
and Paris.
La mi-temps: half-time (sports)
A la mi-Juillet: in mid-July
Etc.
►Mono- : From Ancient Greek μόνος (mónos, “alone, only, sole, single”)
Une famille monoparentale: a single-parent family
Monosyllabe: a word of one syllable
Careful, un monospace is a MPV, a people carrier.
►Néo-: From Ancient Greek prefix νεο- (neo-), from νέος (néos, “new, young”).
►Para-: From Ancient Greek παρά (pará, “beside; next to, near, from; against, contrary to”).
Un parachute: a parachute. In French, “une chute” means “a fall”. The parachute is the object
that prevents someone from falling down.
Un parapluie: an umbrella. Same logic, “le parapluie” protects you against “la pluie” the rain.
Un parasol: sunshade.
Un paratonnerre: a lightning rod
►Philo-: From combining form of Ancient Greek φίλος (phílos, “beloved, dear”), φιλεῖν
(phileîn, “to love”), of unknown origin. Forming compound words indicating a fondness for or
liking of the second element.
philosophie: from Greek philosophia "love of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom; systematic
investigation," from philo- "loving" + sophia "knowledge, wisdom
►Post-: Latin post (“after, behind”).
►Pyro-: From Latin pyr, from Ancient Greek πῦρ (pûr, “fire”).
►Télé-: From Ancient Greek τῆλε (têle, “at a distance, far off, far away, far from”).
Andrei E.S