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Affix: meaning, definitions and examples

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affix

 

[ ˈæfɪks ]

Noun / Verb
Context #1 | Noun

word formation

A morpheme added at the beginning or end of a word to modify its meaning. Affixes can be prefixes (added at the beginning) or suffixes (added at the end). They are common in many languages for creating new words or changing the grammatical function of existing ones.

Synonyms

addition, prefix, suffix.

Examples of usage

  • Adding the prefix 'un-' to 'happy' changes the meaning to 'unhappy'.
  • The suffix '-less' added to 'fear' creates the word 'fearless'.
Context #2 | Verb

attach

To attach or fasten something to something else. It can also refer to the act of adding an affix to a word.

Synonyms

attach, fix, stick.

Examples of usage

  • She affixed the stamp to the envelope.
  • The linguist affixed the prefix 're-' to the verb 'write'.

Translations

Translations of the word "affix" in other languages:

🇵🇹 afixo

🇮🇳 प्रत्यय

🇩🇪 Affix

🇮🇩 afiks

🇺🇦 афікс

🇵🇱 afiks

🇯🇵 接辞 (せつじ)

🇫🇷 affixe

🇪🇸 afijo

🇹🇷 ek

🇰🇷 접사 (jeopsa)

🇸🇦 لاحقة

🇨🇿 afix

🇸🇰 afix

🇨🇳 词缀 (cí zhui)

🇸🇮 afiks

🇮🇸 viðskeyti

🇰🇿 жұрнақ

🇬🇪 აფიქსი

🇦🇿 əlavə

🇲🇽 afijo

Etymology

The word 'affix' comes from the Latin verb 'affigere', which means 'to fasten to'. The concept of affixes has been used in language for centuries as a way to modify words and create new ones. Affixation is a fundamental process in word formation and is essential for the structure and meaning of many languages.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #18,163, this word belongs to specialized vocabulary. While not common in everyday speech, it enriches your ability to express complex ideas.