Compound verbs in English consisting of Latin prefix and Latin verb
Some compound verbs in English consist of two morphemes: a Latin prefix and a Latin verb.
| Table of contents |
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2 Spelling 3 Latin verbs 4 Latin prefixes 5 Some examples 6 See also |
The boundary between the prefix and verb is mostly unclear to English speakers unfamiliar with linguistics and Latin. For example, for a long time, "descend" (de- + scend) was thought to be made of des- and cend, hence it was also spelled dis- and dys-.
Due to assimilation, the roots of some of the English verbs listed here are difficult to recognize. For example, ad- + ludo ("play") results in allude rather than *adlude. On the other hand, once a learner knows the rule they are less likely to make spelling mistakes: That the word aggressive is spelt with gg is due to the fact that it derives from ad + gredior, with -dg-, as it is more difficult to pronounce, having been turned into the easier -gg- (so that *agressive must be considered wrong).
Morpheme boundary
Spelling
Latin verbs
Latin prefixes
Some examples
| fero | mitto | pono | premo | scribo | volvo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a(b)- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ad- | --- | admit admission |
--- | --- | ascribe | --- |
| con- | confer conference |
commit commission |
compose composition |
compress compression |
conscribe conscription |
convoluted |
| de- | defer deference |
--- | depose deposition |
depress depression |
describe description |
devolve devolution |
| e(x)- | --- | emit emission |
expose exposition |
express expression |
--- | evolve evolution |
| in- | infer inference |
--- | impose | impress impression |
inscribe inscription |
involve involvement |
| inter- | interfere interference |
intermittent | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| iuxta- | --- | --- | juxtapose juxtaposition |
--- | --- | --- |
| ob- | offer | omit omission |
oppose opposition |
oppress oppression |
--- | --- |
| prae- | prefer preference |
--- | --- | --- | prescribe prescription |
--- |
| pro- | --- | --- | propose proposal |
--- | proscription | --- |
| re- | refer relate |
remit remission |
repose | repress repression |
--- | revolve revolver, revolution |
| se- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| sub- | suffer | submit submission |
suppose supposition |
suppress suppression |
subscribe subscription |
--- |
| trans- | transfer translate |
transmit transmission |
transpose | --- | transcribe transcription |
--- |
