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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

prefix en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (US) audio
  • /pɹɛˈfɪks/
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈpɹiːfɪks/

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin praefīxum, from Latin praefīxus, past participle of praefīgō (“to (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “to fix on the (end, extremity)”) (from prae- (“before”) + fīgō (“to fix”, “to fasten”, “to affix”)), equivalent to pre- + -fix. Doublet of the archaic synonym prefixum.

Meanings

  1. Something placed before another ▸ A morpheme added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning, for example as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure, re- in reheat, etc.
    • The chosen prefixes won the vote in part because they start with the only two letters left in the alphabet that are not already used in measurement. The b for “bronto” is already used for bytes and h for “hella” is used for hecto, the prefix for 100. 2022 November 18, Ian Sample, “Earth weighs in at six ronnagrams as new prefixes picked for big and small”, in The Guardian:
  2. Something placed before another ▸ A set of digits placed before a telephone number, to indicate where the number is based, what type of phone number it is (landline, mobile, toll-free, premium rate etc.)
    • in the UK, a number with an 0800 prefix is a toll-free number.
    • Add the prefix +34 to dial a Spanish number from abroad
  3. Something placed before another ▸ A title added to a person's name, such as Mr. or Dr.
  4. Something placed before another ▸ An initial segment of a string of characters.
    • The string "abra" is both a prefix and a suffix of the string "abracadabra".

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
præfix alternative, obsolete lexicographic
prefixes Number=Plur lexicographic
prefixe alternative, for the verb, obsolete lexicographic

Antonyms

suffix

Deriveds

prefixness · prefixlike · prefix tree (Expressions) · null prefix (Expressions) · SI prefix (Expressions) · separable prefix (Expressions) · zero prefix (Expressions) · metric prefix (Expressions) · prefix coding (Expressions) · international call prefix (Expressions) · prefix code (Expressions) · prefixoid · prefixive · pseudoprefix · prefix notation (Expressions) · prefixless · prefixal · prefixhood · prefixing · ship prefix (Expressions) · ~ness

Hypernyms

affix · morpheme

Synonyms

forefix · prefixum

Translations (122)

nn førestaving (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · et prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · id awalan (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · vi tiền tố (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ps مختاړی (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ja 接頭辞 (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · la praeverbium (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · la praefīxum (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · de Vorsilbe (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fr préfixe (computing: initial segment of a string of characters) · ka თავსართი (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · lv priedēklis (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · lo ຄຳນຳໜ້າ (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nn førelekk (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · uz prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · gd ro-leasachan (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · tl unlapi (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fo forskoyti (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ps سرينه (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nn prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fi titteli (title added to a person's name) · rue пре́фикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · cmn 前綴 /前缀 (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · vo foyümot (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ta முன்னொட்டு (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ms awalan (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fi prefiksi (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fr titre (title added to a person's name) · tg префикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · it prefisso (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · es prefijo (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · pdt Väasilb (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · af titel (title added to a person's name) · el πρόθημα (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ga réimír (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · bg префи́кс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nb prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nl voorvoegsel (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nn forled (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sh prédmetak (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · de Präfix (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · es prefijo (telecommunications: set of digits placed before a telephone number) · az ön şəkilçi (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · az prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · hy նախածանց (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sw kiambishi awali (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · kk префикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · eo antaŭvortero (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · af kode (telecommunications: set of digits placed before a telephone number) · tr ön ek (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · uk при́росток (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · hi उपसर्ग (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · uk пре́фікс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ru приста́вка (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ur سابِقَہ (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · hu előtag (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · af prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · tr önek (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · my ရှေ့ဆက် (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nn førefeste (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fi suuntanumero (telecommunications: set of digits placed before a telephone number) · ko 접두어 (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · is forskeyti (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · tg пешванд (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · pl przedrostek (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · tk prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · mk префикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · cs předpona (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ru пре́фикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · be прыста́ўка (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sh прѐфикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · af prefiks (computing: initial segment of a string of characters) · da præfiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ml ഉപസർഗം (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sk predpona (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · eo antaŭafikso (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ko 접두사 (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sl prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sq parashtesë (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ar بَادِئَة (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nb forstavelse (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · kmr pêşgir (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · pl prefiks (computing: initial segment of a string of characters) · nn forstaving (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · lt priešdėlis (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ckb پێشگِر (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sh пре́дметак (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ks گۄڈٕ لۆگ (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · az önlük (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ka პრეფიქსი (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · cmn 詞頭 /词头 (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · bn উপসর্গ (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · be прэ́фікс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ar سَابِقَة (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · mi pīmua (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sh prèfiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · pl prefiks (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · eo prefikso (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · cy rhagddodiad (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fa-ira پیشْوَنْد (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · lki پێشوەن (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · uk приста́вка (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sa उपसर्ग (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · bg предста́вка (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ky префикс (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · br rakger (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · mn угтвар (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · mn ᠤᠭᠲᠤᠪᠤᠷᠢ (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fi etuliite (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · km បុព្វបទ (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · th อุปสรรค (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · mk претставка (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · sv förstavelse (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ja 接頭語 (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · bg титла (title added to a person's name) · sl predpona (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · he תְּחִלִּית (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · af voorvoegsel (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · mi kūmua (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · fr préfixe (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · nb forstaving (morpheme at the beginning of a word) · ug ئالدى قوشۇمچە (morpheme at the beginning of a word)

prefix en · VERB · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /pɹɛˈfɪks/
  • /pɹiːˈfɪks/
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈpɹiːfɪks/

Etymology

From Middle English prefixen, from Middle French prefixer, from Latin praefīxus, past participle of praefīgō (“to (fix, fasten, set up) in front”, “to fix on the (end, extremity)”) (from prae- (“before”) + fīgō (“to fix”, “to fasten”, “to affix”)), equivalent to pre- + -fix.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To determine beforehand; to set in advance.
    • It is important to realize that pregivenness or prefixing is a kind of anteriority that does its work in the present; subjects and meanings in part emerge in enuciative co-constitutive moments. 2002, Thomas R. West, Signs of Struggle, page 23:
    • But the danger was, that a man can hardly prefix any certaine limits unto his desire[…]. 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 40, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book I, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
    • They duly arrived at the prefixed hour.
  2. (transitive) To put or fix before, or at the beginning of something; to place at the start.
    • You must prefix the number with the area code.
    • His requests for money were usually prefixed by an apology.
    • For the classical ranks, he says, were taken from the nomenclature of the family system (indeed, they are kinship terms as well as political ones), and this arrangement was confused and inelegant. But the Taiping terms are all prefixed with 'T’ien' [translating 天 (Tiān)]—the capital is T’ien-ching [translating 天京 (Tiānjīng)], soldiers are T’ien-ping [translating 天兵], officials are T’ien-kuan [translating 天官]—for the T’ien-wang’s [translating 天王 (Tiānwáng)] authority derives from the T’ien-fu [translating 天父 (Tiānfù)]. 1964, Joseph R. Levenson, “Taipings Storm the Confucian Heaven”, in Confucian China and Its Modern Fate, volume 2, University of California Press, →OCLC, page 104:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
prefixe alternative, for the verb, obsolete lexicographic
prefixes Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
prefixed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
prefixed Tense=Past lexicographic
prefixing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
præfix alternative, obsolete lexicographic

Deriveds

unprefixed · prefixed · prefixer · auto~ · prefixation · prefixable

Relateds

pre- · prepend · coverb · fix · prefixion

Translations (15)

el προτάσσω (set or appoint beforehand) · it prefissare (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · eo prefiksi (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · de präfigieren (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · de voranstellen (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · el προτάσσω (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · nl voorvoegen (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · nl arrangeren (set or appoint beforehand) · de mit einem Präfix versehen (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · it prefissare (set or appoint beforehand) · nl op voorhand vastleggen (set or appoint beforehand) · es prefijar (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · nl regelen (set or appoint beforehand) · fr préfixer (put or fix before, or at the beginning of) · fr préfixer (set or appoint beforehand)