English negative affixes

The Aim To find out which affixes may be considered as negative To look for their meaning in different dictionaries and add them with examples To see how these affixes are realized in different contexts, what function they perform To find out how affixes can be divided into classes and the place of negative affixes in these classifications To find out which affixes are used with stems of different parts of speech and what parts of speech they form together

Affix is a letter or group of letters added to the beginning or end of a word to change its meaning.

Types of affixes

Longman Dictionary of English Language a-:(showing an opposite of something) not; without: amoral (not moral). a-:(showing an opposite of something) not; without: amoral (not moral). anti-: 1) apposed to; against: antinuclear (apposing the use of atomic weapons and power), 2) opposite of: an anticlimax (= an unexciting ending of the expected climax). anti-: 1) apposed to; against: antinuclear (apposing the use of atomic weapons and power), 2) opposite of: an anticlimax (= an unexciting ending of the expected climax). contra-: (opposite ) plants is contradiction to animals. contra-: (opposite ) plants is contradiction to animals. de-: (showing an opposite) a depopulated area (which all or most of the population has left). de-: (showing an opposite) a depopulated area (which all or most of the population has left). dis-: (showing and opposite) I disapprove (= do not approve) dis-: (showing and opposite) I disapprove (= do not approve) ill-: illogical (not logical), im-: immobilize. in-: (showing a negative, an opposite, or a lack) not: insensible. ir-: irregular (not regular). ill-: illogical (not logical), im-: immobilize. in-: (showing a negative, an opposite, or a lack) not: insensible. ir-: irregular (not regular). mal-: bad or badly: a malformed (= wrongly shaped) limb mal-: bad or badly: a malformed (= wrongly shaped) limb mis-: 1) bad or badly: misfortune; 2) wrong or wrongly: a miscalculation; 3) (showing an opposite or the lack of smth) I mistrust (= do not trust) him. mis-: 1) bad or badly: misfortune; 2) wrong or wrongly: a miscalculation; 3) (showing an opposite or the lack of smth) I mistrust (= do not trust) him. non-: (showing a negative) a non-smoker (= someone who does not smoke) non-: (showing a negative) a non-smoker (= someone who does not smoke) un-: 1) without a ---: a childless couple (= who have no children); 2) that never ---s or can not be ---ed: helpless (= can not be helped). un-: 1) without a ---: a childless couple (= who have no children); 2) that never ---s or can not be ---ed: helpless (= can not be helped).

Oxford Advanced Lerners Dictionary a-: not, without: amoral (= not moral): atheists. a-: not, without: amoral (= not moral): atheists. anti-:1) apposed to; against: anti-tank weapons 2) the opposite of: anti- hero. anti-:1) apposed to; against: anti-tank weapons 2) the opposite of: anti- hero. contra-: against, opposite: contraflow. contra-: against, opposite: contraflow. de-: the opposite of: decentralization. de-: the opposite of: decentralization. dis-: not; the opposite of: dishonest. dis-: not; the opposite of: dishonest. in-: (also il-,im-,ir-): not, the opposite of: infinite. in-: (also il-,im-,ir-): not, the opposite of: infinite. mal-: bad or badly, not correct or correctly: malpractice. mal-: bad or badly, not correct or correctly: malpractice. mis-: bad or wrong, badly or wrongly mis-: bad or wrong, badly or wrongly non-: not: nonsense. non-: not: nonsense. un-: 1) not, the opposite of: unable, 2)(in verbs that describe the opposite of a process): unlock. un-: 1) not, the opposite of: unable, 2)(in verbs that describe the opposite of a process): unlock. less-: 1) without: treeless, 2) not doing, not affected by: tireless. less-: 1) without: treeless, 2) not doing, not affected by: tireless.

The specification of affixes

Classification of affixes Like: anti- non- dis- less- Like: dis- un- in- Like: dis- de- mis- Like: un- anti- re- non-

Functions of negative affixes To create antonyms of the derivatives Bringing the negation to the sentence

All the negative affixes in context bring the negation into a sentence, and viewed independently, some of them perform the antonymic function. Un-, dis- and de- are the most popular negative affixes, according to the present examples the most frequent are un- and in-. Negative affixes are rarely attached to verbs. For the purpose of negation verbs are more often preceded by a particle not and the analytical form is used.