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there were particles used as prefixes which were never used as prepositions. We should become familiar with
the principal Latin prefixes and always take them into account in the spelling of English words. The principal
Latin prefixes are:
ab (abs)---from ad---to ante---before bi (bis)---twice circum (circu)---around con---with
contra(counter)---against de---down, from dis---apart, not ex---out of, away from extra---beyond in---in, into,
on; also not (another word) inter---between= non---not ob---in front of, in the way of per---through
post---after pre---before pro---for, forth re---back or again retro---backward se---aside semi---half sub---under
super---above, over trans---over, beyond ultra---beyond vice---instead of.
Of these prefixes, those ending in a single consonant are likely to change that consonant for euphony to the
consonant beginning the word to which the prefix is attached. Thus ad drops the d in ascend, becomes ac in
accord, af in affiliate, an in annex, ap in appropriate, at in attend; con becomes com in commotion, also in
compunction and compress, cor in correspond, col in collect, co in co-equal; dis becomes dif in differ; ex
becomes e in eject, ec in eccentric, ef in effect; in becomes il in illuminate, im in import, ir in irreconcilable;
ob becomes op in oppress, oc in occasion, of in offend; and sub becomes suc in succeed, sup in support, suf in
suffix, sug in suggest, sus in sustain. The final consonant is changed to a consonant that can be easily
pronounced before the consonant with which the following syllable begins. Following the rule that the root
must be changed as little as possible, it is always the prefix, not the root, which is compelled to yield to the
demands of euphony.
A little reflection upon the derivation of words will thus often give us a key to the spelling. For instance,
suppose we are in doubt whether irredeemable has two r's or only one: we now that redeem is a root, and
therefore the ir must be a prefix, and the two r's are accounted for,--- indeed are necessary in order to prevent
our losing sight of the derivation and meaning of the word. In the same way, we can never be in doubt as to
the two m's in commotion, commencement, etc.
We have already noted the tendency of y to become i in the middle of a word. The exceptional cases are
chiefly derivatives from the Greek, and a study of the Greek prefixes will often give us a hint in regard to the
spelling of words containing y. These prefixes, given here in full for convenience, are:
CHAPTER II. 28
a (an)---without, not amphi---both, around ana---up, back, through= anti---against, opposite apo (ap)---from
cata---down
dia---through en (em)---in epi (ep)---upon hyper---over, excessive hypo---under= meta (met)---beyond,
change syn (sy, syl, sym)---with, together
In Greek words also we will find ph with the sound of f. We know that symmetrical, hypophosphite,
metaphysics, emphasis, etc., are Greek because of the key we find in the prefix, and we are thus prepared for
the y's and ph's. F does not exist in the Greek alphabet (except as ph) and so we shall never find it in words
derived from the Greek.
The English prefixes are not so often useful in determining peculiar spelling, but for completeness we give
them here:
a---at, in, on (ahead) be---to make, by (benumb) en (em)---in, on, to make (encircle, empower) for---not, from
(forbear) fore---before (forewarn) mis---wrong, wrongly (misstate) out---beyond (outbreak) over---above
(overruling) to---the, this (to-night) un---not, opposite act (unable, undeceive) under---beneath (undermine)
with---against, from (withstand)
CHAPTER III. 29
CHAPTER III.
WORD-BUILDING---RULES AND APPLICATIONS.
There are a few rules and applications of the principles of word-formation which may be found fully treated in
the chapter on "Orthography" at the beginning of the dictionary, but which we present here very briefly,
together with a summary of principles already discussed.
Rule 1. F, l, and s at the end of a monosyllable after a single vowel are commonly doubled. The exceptions
are the cases in which s forms the plural or possessive case of a noun, or third person singular of the verb, and
the following words: clef, if, of, pal, sol, as, gas, has, was, yes, gris, his, is, thus, us. L is not doubled at the
end of words of more than one syllable, as parallel, willful, etc.
Rule 2. No other consonants thus situated are doubled. Exceptions: ebb, add, odd, egg, inn, bunn, err, burr,
purr, butt, fizz, fuzz, buzz, and a few very uncommon words, for which see the chapter in the dictionary above
referred to.
Rule 3. A consonant standing at the end of a word immediately after a diphthong or double vowel is never
doubled. The word guess is only an apparent exception, since u does not form a combination with e but
merely makes the g hard.
Rule 4. Monosyllables ending in the sound of ic represented by c usually take k after the c, as in back, knock,
etc. Exceptions: talc, zinc, roc, arc, and a few very uncommon words. Words of more than one syllable
ending in ic or iac do not take k after the c (except derrick), as for example elegiac, cubic, music, etc. If the c
is preceded by any other vowel than i or ia, k is added to the c, as in barrack, hammock, wedlock. Exceptions:
almanac, havoc, and a very few uncommon words.
Rule 5. To preserve the hard sound of c when a syllable is added which begins with e, i, or y, k is placed after
final c, as in trafficking, zincky, colicky.
Rule 6. X and h are never doubled, v and j seldom. G with the soft sound cannot be doubled, because then the
first g would be made hard. Example: mag'ic. Q always appears with u following it, and here u has the value
of the consonant w and in no way combines or is counted with the vowel which may follow it. For instance
squatting is written as if squat contained but one vowel.
Rule 7. In simple derivatives a single final consonant following a single vowel in a syllable that receives an
accent is doubled when another syllable beginning with a vowel is added.
Rule 8. When accent comes on a syllable standing next to the last, it has a tendency to lengthen the vowel; but
on syllables farther from the end, the tendency is to shorten the vowel without doubling the consonant. For
example, na'tion (a long), but na'tional (a short); gram'mar, but grammat'ical.
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