Prefix
/ˈpriː.fɪks/noun
A word element added to the beginning of another word to change its meaning.
Did you know?The word comes from Latin, where prae- means “before” and figere means “to fasten,” so a prefix is literally a thing fastened in front.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
praefixus
“fastened in front; attached beforehand”
Late Latin
Latin
praefixum
“something fixed in front”
14th Century
Middle English
prefixen
“to place or attach in front”
16th Century
English
prefix
“a thing placed before another”
Modern English
English
prefix
“a word element added to the beginning of another word to modify meaning”