



and suffixes. 8u/uces are sometimes called vffiatet (ad, 

 1:17 also bo designated 

 i so much fragment* of w 



' ,' the specific part* of speech 



in i-ach cu.-'i'. Thus i-ijlil liri-iiun-s nxiit' "'-, ''{ riyhtt 

 becomes rightoonsn***, ami . where tout, nets, and 





 .M:' HP- ad ' the second chang- 



iji-i-tivo into a noun. 



.r.-o tlnvi- classes, the roots arc by for tho most nume- 

 roots also undergo v- :i cations from 



:.!:! tho suffixes. On tlicso accounts, it scorns 

 desirable to stud;. EM and Miflixon bcforo wo H) 



note 



- into tho requisite details, I wish to make 

 another distinr' 



tin- .!.; .--. Analyse tho word. Obvieusly 



-, .i'.'V . ::, ness. Truth 



i-i tli" primitive word. l!v tho addition of full (or /c 

 boeonit ivo; and tho adjective truthful in 



made into a noun by tho uniirxntlon of the syllable ness. 

 I of a noun, I might have formed an adverb by subjoining 

 ly ; tin: '/i/. I have said that truth is tho ], 



word. Frimititv is here used in opposition to tho word deriva- 

 la relation to its derivatives truthful, truthfully, and 

 trtttJifalness, tho word truth is a primitive word, for it is their 

 source. It is another question whether truth may not bo 

 reduced to a simpler form. In the same way, truthful is a 

 primitive term when viewci in relation to its derivative {,-tttli- 

 fidhj. As with human beings, each word is in turn child and 

 parent. Still there must bo a common stock. But genealogies 

 in language aro scarcely less obscure than other genealogies. 

 In linguistioal genealogies, authority must receive groat defer- 

 ence. Now tho word truth can be reduced to a simpler form, 

 and yet remain a word. From truth tako th, and you have tru 

 that i?, true. So from strength take th, and you have streng, 

 an old form of strong. But fowl is not a derivative word, 

 because you cannot reduce it to another word in a simpler form; 

 for, if yon remove the I or the wl, the remainder is no word at 

 all. Words, then, which appear to bo primitive, may bo deriva- 

 .nd the rule by which to ascertain whether a noun is 

 primitive or derivative is this : words which, on tho removal of 

 one or more of their letters, have a distinct meaning, are id rirn- 

 tives ; and words which, on the removal of one or more of their 

 letters, have no distinct meaning, are primitives. By the appli- 

 cation of this rule, wo learn that king\dom is a derivative, and 

 ad\ditfon a derivative ; while pen and head are primitives. 



Tho prefixes and tho affixes in tho English language are nume- 

 rous. Without a correct acquaintance with their import, the 

 exact force of words can scarcely be understood. But those 

 prefixes and affixes are of Latin and of Saxon origin. Conse- 

 quently, in our attempt to ascertain their meaning, we must 

 borrow aid from tho Latin and from the Saxon. A few prefixes 

 come from the Greek, the signification of which is to be found 

 in tho Greek. I shall treat first of prefixes, and, for the sake of 

 facility of reference, take them up in alphabetical order. 



PBEFIXES IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. 



A (an), of Saxon origin, has the force of tn or on ; as along, 

 alongside, aback, ahead, abed. In this sense it is used in con- 

 nection with present participles, as, a hunting ; that is, in or at 

 hunting. Tho form occurs in our common version of the Scrip- 

 tures, in John xxi. 3, being a relic of the^language in its older 

 state, such as in part it is now found in colloquial diction. The 

 phrase may bo exemplified, and its meaning shown by com- 

 paring together the renderings of different versions of this 

 passage: 



Common Version. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing 1 . 

 JViclif (1380). Symount Petir seith to hem, I go to fische. 

 Tyndale (1534). Simon Peter say da vuto them, I goo a fysshinge. 

 Oranmer (1539). Simon Peter sayeth vnto ttumi, I will go a fisshinge. 

 Geneva. (1557). Simon Peter sayd vnto them, I go a fysshing. 

 Jtheima (1582). Simou Peter saith to them, I goo to fish. 

 Authorised (1611). Siiuou Peter saith vato them, I goe a fishing. 



Not only aro those instances curious as exhibiting varieties of 

 spelling, but they seem to show how thoroughly a part of the 

 language is this prefix in the sense now illustrated. Yet is the 

 usage disallowed, and by some regarded as a vulgarism. I 



that the healthful sympathies of the people will do 

 to rentoro the original idiom* of tho English tongue. 

 A, of Saxoi: also used a* an intensive. An intensive 



(in, on, and tcndi- ' i that which increases the force of 



a word, expanding, an it wore, it* essential power. A, as an 

 intensive, I* of frequent use, and in exemplified in these word*, 

 ashamed, afraid (old form afearod), arise, amain (a and mogoa, 

 to be able} maebt, power, in tho German; compare the T ^*f- 

 magnua, great). Thus Drydon 



"She Mid i her brimful ey*s that ready stood. 

 And only wanted will to w*ep a flood, 

 Rslnssod their wat'ry store, and pounxl amain. 

 Like cloud*, low-hung, a sober show'r of rain.** 



A, of Latin oriyin, meaning from, is found in the forms a, at, 

 abt e.g., abatement (French, abattrc, to beat d*jwn), a beating 

 from or down; ab\, .<, /is>r<), a shortening; 



abstraction (Latin, trohu, / draw), a drawing frum, at away. 



" But man the alatraci 

 Of all perfection which the workmanship 

 Of Heaven bath modelled, in himself contains 

 Passions of several qualities." .Ford. 



A, of Greek origin, found chiefly in scientific words, has a 

 negative or primitive forco; that it, it reverse* the "**""g. or 

 denies what is implied in tho term, as acephalous (Greek, 

 Kftj>a\7j, pronounced k -f-a-le, head), wit tout heads a term applied 

 in anatomy to the young of any animal born, from original 

 defect of organisation, inthout a head. To avoid an hiatus 

 (Latin, hiatus, yaping), a becomes an before a vowel ; as anarchy, 

 the absence of government ; government in Greek being ofxit 

 pronounced ar'-koy. 



Ad, of Latin origin, to, passes into the forms ac, of, ag, al, an, 

 ap, ar, as, at that is, the terminating consonant of the prefix 

 is, for the sake of ease in pronunciation, changed into the initial 

 (Latin, initium, beginning) consonant of the noun ; e.g. : 



Ad. " An adjournment is no more than a continuance of the 



from one day to another, as the word (Jour, French, day) itself 

 signifies." Blackxtone. 



Ac. "The greatness of sins is by extension and accumulation." 

 Jeremy Taylor. 



Af. " Tis most true 



That musing meditation most n/fects 

 The pensive secrecy of desert-cell 

 Far from the cheerful haunts of men and herds." JlHttm. 



Ag. " Corporations aggregate consist of many persons united together 

 into one society, and are kept up by a perpetual succession of 

 members, so as to continue for erer." fttacfetoM. 



Al. "Then by libel (libellus, a little book), or by articles drawn oat in 

 a formal allegation, set forth the complainant's ground of com- 

 plaint." Blaclutanc. 



An. " This god-like act 



Annuls thy doom." JfiUon. 



Ap. " God desires that in his church, knowledge and piety, peaee sad 

 charity, and good order should grow and flourish ; to which 

 purposes he hath appointed teachers to instruct and governors 

 to watch over his people." Barrow. 



Ar. " Arrogant is he that thinketh he hath those beauties hi him that 

 he hath not." Chaucer. 



.! .,-. " Are you discontent 



With laws to which you gave your own absent ?" Pop*. 



.-If. " The most wise God hath so attempered the blood and bodies of 

 fishes, that a small degree of heat is sufficient to preserve ther* 

 due consistency and motion, and to maintain life." Bay. 



Amb, of Latin or rather Greek origin, found in the Greek 



a/j.<f>i (pronounced am'-fi), around, and in the Latin ambo, oott, 



signifies on both sides, as ambidextrous (Latin, dexter, the right 



literally, having a right hand on both sides; that is, one 



who uses his left hand equally well with the right. 



" Should I that am a man of law 

 Make use of soch a subtile claw, 



London or in Exeter ; 

 And bo of both tides, as you were. 

 People would count me then, I fear, 

 A knavish ambodexter. Brom*. 



Ami is found in the form of amph, as amphithtatrt, a theatre 

 of two sides or circus ; amphibious, double-lived, that is, living 

 on land and in v. . 



Ana, of Greek origin, up, back, as in ottoefcrvmsm (Greek, 

 , pronounced krou'-oe, time), an error in date by which an 



