PREFIXES

In English, “prefix” means letter or group of letters that placed in front of a word to change its meaning. In Bahasa Indonesia we may call it “imbuhan depan”. Here are some of them that you may want to know.

1.    anglo-

= anything relating to England

example: anglophile (anyone who loves anything relating to England)

2.    counter-

= opposing/ as reaction to something

example: counter-attack

3.    de-

= take something away

example: deforestation (when the trees in area are cut down)

4.    Euro-

= relating to Europe

example: Europop

5.    ill-

= in a way that is bad/ not suitable

example: ill-prepared (prepared terrribly),

               an ill-judged remark (remark that is not judged suitably)

6.    mega (informal)

= extremely

example: megarich (super rich)

= one million

example: oneMB

7.    milli

= a thousandth

example: millisecond

8.    neo-

= new

example: neo-fascist

9.    omni-

=everywhere/ everything

example: omnipresent, omniscient

10. out-

= more/ than better than

example: to outgrow, to outnumber,

                to outdo someone (showing you are better than someone)

11. photo-

= connected with/ produced by light

example: photosensitive, photosynthesis

12. pseudo-

= false

example: a pseudonym (a false name used esp. by a writer)

                a pseudo-academic

13. retro-

= looking at/ copying the past

example: retrograde, retrospective

14. under-

= not enough

example: undercooked potatoes, underprivileged children

= below

example: underpass

Source: Cambridge Advanced Learner Dictionary 3