negative prefixes
De- is almost always used before a verb, or a word formed from that verb, and means to reverse the verb’s action, as in dehydrate or detoxify. (It has other meanings in addition to making a verb negative.)
Dis- can be used with verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs.It also has other meanings besides making words negative.
In-, non-, and un- are usually used for nouns, adjectives, or the adverbs formed from them, and they mean not _____. (In- is from Latin, non- from Old French, and un- from Old English. Non- also means lack of something.)
Mis- (often from Old English, or in some words from French) is used with verbs (and adjectives and adverbs made from them), as well as nouns. It means bad, wrong, or wrongly.
Note that sometimes one prefix is used for an adjective, and different ones are used for related nouns or verbs.
Examples:
unable, inability, (to) disable; unbalanced, imbalance, (to) unbalance; unstable, instability, (to) destabilize. To deactivate is to make something inactive.
Usually, however, the same prefix serves both adjective and noun: uncertain, uncertainty; unwilling, unwillingness; unfriendly, unfriendliness, inadequate, inadequacy, disloyal, disloyalty, etc.
More Examples and Explanations:
1. de- : deactivate, decode, decomission, decompose, deconstruct, decontaminate, decrease, deflate, deform, demythologize, derail.
Note that the prefix de- in Latin (and in words that originate in Latin) has other, contrary meanings as well as sometimes making words negative. (See List of Prefixes.) It is often used as an intensifier, meaning completely (as in demand), as well as meaning from, down, or away. When used with an English verb to make a new word, it works as a negative. (Debug, defrost, devalue.)
2. dis- : disaffected, disagree, disagreement, disagreeable, disbelief, dishonorable, disinfect, disloyal, distasteful, distrust.
(Tasteful refers to something that shows good taste or judgment. Things which are pleasant to the taste buds are ‘tasty.’
Dis- can be used with verbs, nouns, adjectives or adverbs.It also has other meanings besides making words negative.
In-, non-, and un- are usually used for nouns, adjectives, or the adverbs formed from them, and they mean not _____. (In- is from Latin, non- from Old French, and un- from Old English. Non- also means lack of something.)
Mis- (often from Old English, or in some words from French) is used with verbs (and adjectives and adverbs made from them), as well as nouns. It means bad, wrong, or wrongly.
Note that sometimes one prefix is used for an adjective, and different ones are used for related nouns or verbs.
Examples:
unable, inability, (to) disable; unbalanced, imbalance, (to) unbalance; unstable, instability, (to) destabilize. To deactivate is to make something inactive.
Usually, however, the same prefix serves both adjective and noun: uncertain, uncertainty; unwilling, unwillingness; unfriendly, unfriendliness, inadequate, inadequacy, disloyal, disloyalty, etc.
More Examples and Explanations:
1. de- : deactivate, decode, decomission, decompose, deconstruct, decontaminate, decrease, deflate, deform, demythologize, derail.
Note that the prefix de- in Latin (and in words that originate in Latin) has other, contrary meanings as well as sometimes making words negative. (See List of Prefixes.) It is often used as an intensifier, meaning completely (as in demand), as well as meaning from, down, or away. When used with an English verb to make a new word, it works as a negative. (Debug, defrost, devalue.)
2. dis- : disaffected, disagree, disagreement, disagreeable, disbelief, dishonorable, disinfect, disloyal, distasteful, distrust.
(Tasteful refers to something that shows good taste or judgment. Things which are pleasant to the taste buds are ‘tasty.’