Affix

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæf.ɪks/

Definitions

1. A morphological element that associates with a base word to transform its meaning
2. A linguistic unit added to a root word to modify its meaning or function
3. An element that combines with a root to alter or extend the meaning of the word

Etymology: "Affix" entered English as a borrowing from Latin "affixus," the past participle of "affigere," meaning "to fasten to." That verb is built from "ad-," "to," and "figere," "to fix or fasten," so the word has always carried the sense of pinning something onto something else. The modern English noun and verb grew from that single physical image of attachment. The surface shape "af-" plus "fix" looks like a prefix and a familiar English verb, but that is coincidence in the modern sense. The "af-" is simply Latin "ad-" altered by assimilation, where the final consonant changes to match the sound that follows it, so "ad-" plus "f" became "af-." The English "fix" and the "fix" in "affix" share the Latin root "figere," so the resemblance is a true relationship, though the English word is not a combination of two English parts.

Synonyms: attach, fasten, secure, append, join

Antonyms: detach, remove, unfasten, loosen