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Prefixes


      A prefix is followed by a hyphenette (a half-length hyphen) only if:
               1. The designated meaning of the prefix plus the meaning of the root word equals the meaning of the combination.
               2. The meaning of prefix + root word must be unambiguously clear.

      The meaning of the prefix is only that meaning which is listed below.

      Advantages of hyphenated fixed-meaning prefixes:
                The hyphenette isolates the root word, for easy recognition.
                Clarifies ambiguities.  E.g. “replace” (substitute) and “re-place” (move to a different place) have different meanings.
                Eliminates hundreds of vocabulary words no longer needed to memorize.
                Encourages usage of prefixes when creating new words.

      For distinctions between un- , non- , dis-, and de-, see below.  Left column is Alike English; right column is Sound Spell Same (pure Peoplese).


Prefix (AE)
WHEN MEANING EXAMPLES
Prefix (SSS)
 above-  above
 above۔ground  abov-
after- after, post
after۔graduation, after۔colonial  after۔
 anti-
 against, opposed to
 anti-slavery  antī-
arch- most important arch-duke, arch-enemy  arq-
 astro-
 outer space
 astro-space, astro-travel-or
 astrō-
 auto-  by it's own actions
 auto-pilot, auto-repeat
 oto-
 beneath-  beneath  beneath-ground  benēθ-
 both-
 both
 both-cultural
 bōθ-
centi- 1/100 centi-meter  senti-
co- joint, joinly co-author  cō-
counter- counter to, in response to counter-attack, counter-claim
 kownter-
 de-
 remove (something you didn't put there)
 de-salt, de-forest, de-mystify, de-flea
 dē-
deka- 10 deka-meter  deka-
dis- reverse a previous action
dis-connect, dis-embark, dis-invite
 dis-
 eco-
 ecological
 eco-tourism, eco-friendly, eco-house
 ekō-
 ee-  electronic  ee-mail, ee-processor [English "computer"]
 ē-
 electro-
 electric
 electro-magnetic
 elektrō-
ex- former ex-boss, ex-wife  eks-
 exo-  outside, outer, exterior
 exo-planet (outside Earth's solor system)
 eksō-
 giga-  one-billion
 giga-
 giga-
 grand-
 one generation younger
 grand-daughter, grand-father
 grand-
 greatgrand-
 two generations younger
 greatgrand-son, greatgrand-mother
 greatgrand-
half- one-half
half-liter, half-circle
 haf-
 hyper-
 excessively
 hyper-active, hyper-sensitive
 hīper-
 inner-
 farther inward than outer
 inner-shirt, inner-skirt
 iner-
intra- within intra-national  intra- 
kilo- 1,000 kilo-gram, kilo-meter  kilō-
 less
 reduce
 less-spend (spend less), less-emphasize
 les-
macro- from a large perspective macro-economics  makrō-
mass- a huge number mass-production, mass-migration  mas-
mega- gigantic mega-peninsula  mega-
micro- very small
micro-credit  mīkrō-
 mega-
 gigantic
 mega-peninsula, mega-corporation
 mega-
 million
 one million
 million-byte, million-watt
 milyon-
mid- mid (approximate) mid-afternoon, mid-aged  mid-
mili- 1/1000 milli-liter, milli-gram  mili-
mini- relatively tiny mini-skirt  mini-
mis- incorrect
mis-direction, mis-spell  mis-
multi- many mutli-national, multi-colored  multi-
 nano-
 one-billionth
 nano-meter, nano-volt
 nanō-
 net-
 remaining after deductions
 net-worth, net-profit, net-happiness
 net-
 neuro-
 related to nerves
 neuro-psychology
 nūro-
non- not, lack of, absence of, not in that category non-combatant, non-arrival  non-
 out-
 better than a competitor
 out-perform, out-run
 owt-
 outer-
 farther outward than inner
 outer-garment, outer-layer
 owter-
 over-
 tverb + oo much
 over-eat (eat too much), over-cautious
 ōver-
part- part, partly (not wholly) part-way  part-
pre- before pre-pay  part-
 pro-  in favor of  (opposite of "anti-")
 pro-war  prō-
 pseudo-  not genuine despite of appearances
 pseudo-science
 sūdō-
quarter- one-quarter (approximate) quarter-moon  kwarter-
quasi- partly but not wholly resembling quasi-democratic  kwasē-
re- again re-enter, re-do  rē-
self- self self-defense, self-critical, self-biography  self-
sub- at a lower location in a hierarchy sub-category  sub-
super- (converts modifier into superlative) super-enviable, super-rich
 sūper-
supra-  transcending supra-natural  sūpra-
 tera-
 one trillion
 bera-byte
 tera-
trans-  across trans-continental  trans-
 twice-
 twice
 twice-week-y, twice-clockhour
 twīs-
 two-
 two
 two-part, two-system, two-face
 twū-
ultra-  excessive beyond common norms ultra-sensitive  ultra-
un-  opposite of un-fair, un-legal
 un-
under-  verb + not enough
under-eat, under-pay-t, under-achieve
 under-
uni-  one, single uni-culture  yūni-


Multiple prefixes
            If more than one prefix is needed to clarify a word, link the prefixes with hyphnettes. 
            Example:  non-re-produce-able

Distinction between prefixes “non-” and “un-”
 
            Non- is neutral, un- is negative.  "Non-" means "not" or "without", while "un'-" means :"opposite of".  "A laborer has a non-professional job; a lawyer shouting at a client elicits un-professional behavior.  So:  non-combatant (e.g. a nurse on a battlefield), non-starter (not able to start), non-restrictive (without restrictions), non-legal (absence of any legal jurisdiction).  But:  un-clean (dirty), un-gentlemanly (rude), un-fair (biased), un-truthful (false), un-legal (prohibited by law).  The distinction allows nuance.  E.g., non-helpful (did not bother to help) versus un-helpful (a hindrance).  E.g. an un-conformist differs farther from normal behavior than a non-conformist; the former actively rebels, while the latter merely refuses to cooperate.

            Some words can take both prefixes, with slightly different meanings.  Examples
                    un-guarded implies should have been guarded but was not.  non-guarded, just not guarded.
                    un-flexible implies further resistance to change than non-flexible.
                    un-rational implies confused thinking, whereas non-rational implies not related to rationality.
                    un-mercifully suggests cruelty; non-mercifully implies lack of concern.
                    un-practical is not only non-practical but might have negative consequences.

Distinction between prefixes "un-", "non-", "dis-", and "de-".
            The Peoplese prefix "dis-" reverses the action of the root verb, so English "unbutton" is Peoplese "dis-button".  Similarly, "dis-latch", "dis-do", "dis-fasten"; "dis-cover" (remove a cover previously put in place), while unhyphenated "discover" means to find out something not previously known. Thus, “non-buttoned” (not yet buttoned) and “dis-buttoned” (after being buttoned, the reverse action) have different meanings.  The prefix "de-" removes something that was already there, e.g. the salt in saltwater; if a child sprinkled salt on an apple, he could dis-salt it by washing it.

Examples of word beginnings not followed by hyphenettes because of too many or confusing meanings:
            com, con, in, inter, over

Examples of words not hyphenated:
            “premature” means “doing some∙thing before its due time”, not “before mature”
            “recover” means return to former state; “re-cover” mean “cover again” (e.g. a pot on a stove)
            “renew” cannot mean  “again new” because “new” is a first-time situation.
            “repay”  means “pay back”, not “pay again”.
            “resolve” means "find a solution", "settle an argument"; "re-solve” would mean “solve again”, which doesn't make sense.  Something is solved or not.
            “ultra” when not meaning “excessive” is of course not hyphenated.  E.g. ultrasound, ultraviolet, ultramontane.
            Speakers and writers of literary Peoplese will use the above and similarly confusing words sparingly, if at all.


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