Communicative English for Engineers and Professionals

3

Word Elements

In this unit

• Introduction

• Root/Base: The Core of a Word

• Affixes

  • Prefix: The Frontal Element

  • Suffix: The Tail to Modify Meaning

“Colours fade, temples crumble, empires fall, but wise words endure.”

 

–Edward Throndike

3.1 Introduction

A study of ‘Word Elements’ plays a significant role in the field of vocabulary building. It is practically intricate for us to remember the wide range of words just by cramming them. Knowledge of the elements of a word: root/base and affix, technically known as morphemes (from the Greek word ‘morphe’) would be a much better proposition to enrich the vocabulary of professionals including the engineers-in-making.

3.2 Roots/Base: The Core of a Word

A root is the basic part of a word that comprises ...