affix

Definition of affix

Etymology

From Mediaeval Latin (1533) affixare, frequentative of Latin affigere (past participle affixus), from ad- + figere.

Pronunciation 1

• IPA: /'æfɪks/

Noun

affix (plural affixes)

1. That which is affixed; an appendage.
2. (linguistics) A bound morpheme added to a word's stem; formerly applied only to suffixes (also called postfixes), the term as now used comprises prefixes, suffixes, infixes, circumfixes, and suprafixes.
3. (mathematics) The complex number a + bi associated to the point in the Gauss Plane with coordinates (a,b).

Hyponyms

• (types of affixes): ambifix, circumfix, confix, infix, interfix, prefix, suffix, suprafix
• postfix

Pronunciation 2

• IPA: /ə'fɪks/
• Rhymes: -ɪks

Verb

to affix (third-person singular simple present affixes, present participle affixing, simple past and past participle affixed)

1. To attach.

Further reading

An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes. Affixation is, thus, the linguistic process speakers use to form new words (neologisms) by adding sounds (affixes) at the beginning (prefixation), the middle (infixation) or the end (suffixation) of words.