[*] 267. Many syntactic compounds are formed by prefixing a Particle to some other part of speech. [*] a. Prepositions are often prefixed to Verbs. In these compounds the prepositions retain their original adverbial sense:—
- ā, ab , AWAY: ā-mittere, to send away.
- ad, TO, TOWARDS: af-ferre ( ad-ferō ), to bring.
- ante , BEFORE: ante-ferre, to prefer; ante-cellere, to excel.
- circum , AROUND: circum-mūnīre, to fortify completely.
- com-, con- ( cum ), TOGETHER or FORCIBLY: cōn-ferre, to bring together; collocāre, to set firm.
- dē , DOWN, UTTERLY: dē-spicere, despise; dē-struere, destroy.
- ē, ex, OUT: ef-ferre ( ec-ferō ), to carry forth, uplift.
- in (with verbs), IN, ON, AGAINST: īn-ferre, to bear against.
- inter , BETWEEN, TO PIECES: inter-rumpere, to interrupt.
- ob , TOWARDS, TO MEET: of-ferre, to offer; ob-venīre, to meet.
- sub , UNDER, UP FROM UNDER: sub-struere, to build beneath; sub-dūcere, to lead up
- super, UPON, OVER AND ABOVE: super-fluere, to overflow.
[*] Note 1.--In such compounds, however, the prepositions sometimes have their crdinary force as prepositions, especially ad , in, circum , trāns , and govern the case of a noun: as, trānsīre flūmen, to cross a river (see § 388. b).
[*] Note 2.--Short a of the root is weakened to i before one consonant, to e before two: as, faciō , cōnficiō , cōnfectus; iaciō, ēiciō , ēiectus . But long a is retained: as, perāctus .
[*] b. VERBS are also compounded with the following inseparable particles, which do not appear as prepositions in Latin:—- amb- (am-, an-), AROUND: amb-īre, to go about (cf. ἀμφί, about).
- dis-, dī-, ASUNDER, APART: dis-cēdere, to depart (cf. duo, two); dī-vidĕre, to divide.
- por-, FORWARD: por-tendere, to hold forth, predict (cf. porrō, forth).
- red-, re-, BACK, AGAIN: red-īre, to return; re-clūdere, to open (from claudō, shut); re-ficere, to repair (make again).
- sēd-, sē-, APART: sē-cernō, to separate; cf. sēd-itiō, a going apart, secession ( eō , īre, to go).
- per-fuga, deserter; cf. per-fugiō.
- trā-dux, vine-branch; cf. trā-dūcō ( trāns-dūcō ).
- ad-vena, stranger; cf. ad-veniō.
- con-iux ( con-iūnx ), spouse; cf. con-iungō.
- in-dex, pointer out; cf. in-dīcō.
- prae-ses, guardian; cf. prae-sideō.
- com-bibō, boon companion; cf. com-bibō, -ĕre.
- Of these, per- (less commonly
prae-), very;
sub-, somewhat;
in-, not, ar regular,
and are very freely prefixed to adjectives:—
per-māgnus, very large. in-nocuus, harmless. per-paucī, very few. in-imīcus, unfriendly. sub-rūsticus, rather clownish. īn-sānus, insane. sub-fuscus, darkish. īn-fīnītus, boundless. prae-longus, very long. im-pūrus, impure. [*] Note.-- Per and sub , in these senses, are also prefixed to verbs: as, per-terreō, terrify; sub-rīdeō, smile. In īgnōscō, pardon, in- appears to be the negative prefix.
- The negative in- sometimes appears in combination with an adjective that does not occur alone:—