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Prefixes


A-

The English prefix a- has two main functions:

- I - Meaning "out, away" or giving an intensitive quality:

Adeal "to deal out", adrive "to drive away", abusy "to busy", abuy "to atone for", abear "to bear or behave", ablow "to blow up", acraft "to devise", afeed "to feed", agrise"to be afraid", aguilt "to be in fault", arime "to count", abite "to bite to pieces", afasten "to make firm", ashame "to feel shame", aspring "to spring up", ablin "to cease", ashove "to shove off", astie 'to ascend", arear "to lift up", asend "to send forth", afand "to prove", afoul "to make foul" awend "to turn".

- II - Giving the meaning "in", "on", or "at":

Adays "at day", arood "on the cross", arow "in a row", aright "in rightness/rightly", agame "in jest", atwain "in two", awork "at work", awough "in crookedness, crookedly", agrief "in grief", ahigh "on high".


Alder-

Alder comes from Early English ealra "of all." It is used with superlatives such as best, greatest, etc to give the meaning "best of all" "greatest of all".

Alderbest "best of all", aldergreatest "greatest of all", alderwisest "wisest of all", aldermost "most of all", alderleast "least of all", alderfairest "fairest of all", alderliefest "dearest of all", alderfirst "first of all", aldernext "next of all", alderlast "last of all", alderworst "worst of all".


Ed-

Ed- is used as Latin re-, meaning "back" or "again", "in return":

Ednew "restored", ednewend "restorer", edwend "to return", edwite "reproach", edken "to regenerate", edkenning "regeneration", edquick "restored to life", edchigh "to recall", edgin "to begin again", edchar "return", edquid "relation, narrative", edledge "to repeat", edhue "to reshape", edsight "a relooking", edyield "repayment", edyieldend "remunerator", edyoung "young again", edshaft "new creation", edgift "restitution", edlean "reward", edleanend "rewarder".


Eft-

Eft- is used as latin re- as well, meaning "back" or "again":

Eftcome "to return", eftakenned "born again", eftforgiveness "remission", eftflow "to flow back", eftboot "restoration to health", eftsoon "soon again", eftarise "to arise again", eftarist "resurrection".


El-

El- gives the meaning "other" or "foreign":

Else "otherwise" eltheed "foreign nation", eltheedy "foreign", elland "foreign land", ellandish "foreign", elrordy "of strange speech", elhued "changed in colour", eller "elsewhere".


Even-

Even- is used as Latin equi- or co- expressing equality and mutualness:

Evenbliss "to rejoice equally", evencome "to come together", evensorrow "to commiserate", evenold "contemporary", evenkemp "fellow soldier", evenlearner "fellow student" evenchristian "fellow Christian", evenwright "fellow worker", evennight "equinox", evenworth "equivelant", evenholy "equally holy", evenhigh "equally high".


For-

For- expresses a sense of negativeness or simply intensifies the meaning of a word:

Forbode "prohibition", forhold "to forsake" forlead "to mislead" forlive "to degenerate", fordeem "to condemn", forsee "to neglect", forworth "to perish", forlet "to abandon", forthink "to repent", forlie "to commit adultry", forspend "to exhaust", forspeak "to speak amiss", forswie "to pass over in silence", forwarp "to throw away", forold "to grow old/to decay" forhave "to restrain" forgnaw "to eat up" forweird "destruction", forcouth "infamous" forhard "very hard", forweary "very weary", formany "very many", foroft "very often".


Full-

Full- expresses being or doing something very, fully or completly:

Fulldo "to do fully", fullbeet "to amend fully", fullwork "to work fully", fulltimber "to build fully", fullgrow "to grow fully" fullgo "to accomplish" fullend "to end fully" fullbright "very bright" fullgood "very good", fullblithe "very happy", fullfair "very fair", fullweary "very weary", fullthungen "fullgrown".


I-

(Also spelt y-)

From the Early English prefix ge- (pronounced "ye"). Used as latin co- meaning "with, together", or to intensify meaning. In verbs it is sometimes only used in the past participle form of the verb to indicate completion of an action. In words such as iwho, iwhere, etc, it gives the sense "each, every":

Iwis "certainly", iwork "workmanship", ifere "companion" and as an adverb "together", imong "mixture", imoot "assembly", ikind "nature", ishaft "creation", ifay "a joining", ithank "thought; intention; gratitude", isith "companion", irord "voice", iwrit "a writing", ibead "prayer", ithring "crowd", itheed "language", ished "distinction", itale "number, reckoning", iwold "rule, control", ishie "pair of shoes", ithoft "comrade", idole "division", ichoose "to choose", iknow "to know", imean "common", ithewed "mannered", ibeaten "beaten", iclad "clad", iclept "called", ilike "alike", iwho "each one, everyone", iwhat "each thing", iwhether "both, either, each", iwhich "each", iwhence "from every quarter", iwhere "everywhere", iwhither "in every direction, everywither".


Imb-

Imb- means "around" or "about":

Imbgang "a going about", imbthink "to think about", imbshine "to shine around or upon", imbfare "a circuit", imbclip "to embrace", imblie "to lie around something", imbset "to set around", imbhow "consideration", imbspeak "to speak about", imbrun "a running around or circuit" (altered to ember in Ember Days).


O-

O expresses "ever, every, any":

Owho "anyone", owhere "anywhere, wherever", owhen "whenever, any or every time", owhence "from any whence", owhither "in any direction", owhat "anything".

Added to words with the prefix i-/ y- (iwhere, iwho, etc.) o shows up as a or e:

Aiwhere "everywhere", aiwither "in all directions", aiwhence "from all parts, everywhere", aiwho "each one, everyone", aiwhat "anything", aiwhose "altogether, in every way, entirely", aiwhich "each, every", ei(whe)ther "each of two, both"


Or-

Or- expresses the meaning "out" or "without":

Ordeal "something dealt out, a trial", orsorrow "without sorrow", orworth "shame", ormeet "immense", orween "without hope", ormood "despondant", oreye "invisible", orthank "intelligence", orsoul "lifeless".


Sin-

Sin- (sometimes spelt sen-) is used as latin semper meaning " always, ever, everlasting":

Sinsorrow "endless sorrow", sindream "endless joy", sinnight "endless night", sinhere "immense army", sinship "marriage, wedlock", singrim "ever fierce", sincold "endless coldness" sengreen "(literally "evergreen") houseleek".


Through-

Through- means "through" or "very":

Throughbreak "to break through", throughgo "to go through", throughsee "to see through", throughsting "to pierce through", throughcleanse "to cleanse thoroughly", throughstand "to stand through, to continue", throughshoot "to shoot through, pierce", throughdrive "to penetrate", throughstrong "very strong", throughshildy "very guilty", throughbitter "very bitter", throughbright "very bright", throughwise "very wise".


To-

To- is used to mean "to" or "at" or "this":

Toyear "this year", tocome "arrival", tospeech "speech to another", tohight "hope", toknow "to acknowledge".

In verbs, it is also used to mean seperation, splitting, destruction:

Toburst "to burst apart", tobreak "to break in pieces", totear "to tear to pieces", toflow "to flow apart", towarp "to throw down", tohack "to hack to pieces", todeal "to divide", toblow "to blow in pieces", tobeat "to beat severely", towend "to overturn", tochine "to split open" torend "to rend apart" toshake "to shake in pieces".


Wan-

Wan gives a sense of lacking, waning, or wanting:

Wanton "illdisciplined", wanhope "despair", wanshape "deformity", wanspeed "poverty", wantruth "incredulity", wanspeedy "poor", wanwhole "unsound", wanhealth "weakness", wanhave "a poor person", wanhavel "needy", wanhavelness "want, hunger".


With-

With means "against":

Withspeak "to contradict", withwin "to fight against", withspurn "to hit against", withcleep "to call back", withset "to withstand", withsetness "opposition", withgo "to go against", withqueath "to speak against", withlead "to lead away", withchoose "to reject", withfight "to fight against", withfightend "adversary", withmete "to compare with or liken to", withmetingly "comparative", withsake "to forsake", withhave "to oppose or resist", withsay "to renounce".


Wither-

Wither means "contrary" or "opposing", similar to latin contra:

Withersake "adversary, apostate", withersaking "apostasy", witherquid "contradiction", witherdeed "hostile deed", withergame "contest", witherqueddle "contradicting", witherside "opposite side", witherqueddleness "contradiction", witherread "contrary, opposed", witherchar "to turn against", witherstand "to resist", withermood "contrary-minded", witherfight "hostile fight", witherstall "resistance", witherspeakend "a contradicter", witherwin "contest", withertrode "retreat", witherling "adversary", witherward "contrary", witherlean "requital".


Yond-

Yond means "over" or "through":

Yondwade "to know thoroughly", yondthink "to think over or through", yondlight "to illuminate", yondlightend "illuminater", yondshrithe "to pass through", yondsee "to examine", yondard "to inhabit", yondshine "to shine over or through", yondblow "to inspire", yondfare "to fare over or through", yondflow "to flow over or through".


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