FIRST PART AN INSEPARABLE PREFIX
[*] 885. Several prefixes occur only in composition:
1.
α᾽(
ν)- (
ἀν- before a vowel,
ἀ- before a consonant;
alpha privative) with a negative force like Lat.
in-, Eng.
un- (or
-less):
ἀν-άξιος unworthy (=
οὐκ ἄξιος),
ἀν-όμοιος unlike,
ἀν-ώδυνος anodyne (
ὀδύνη pain, cp.
887),
ἄ-νους silly,
ἄ-τι_μος unhonoured,
ἄ-θεος godless,
γάμος ἄγαμος marriage that is no marriage.
ἀ- is also found before words once beginning with digamma or sigma:
ἀ-ηδής unpleasant (
ϝηδύς),
ἀ-όρα_τος unseen (
ϝοράω),
ἄ-οπλος without shields (
σοπλον), and, by contraction with the following vowel,
ἄ_κων (
ἀ-ϝέκων unwilling). But
ἀν- often appears:
ἀν-έλπιστος (and
ἄ-ελπτος)
unhoped for (
ϝελπίς),
ἄν-οπλος without shield.
a. ἀ-, ἀν- (for
ṇ, 35 b) represent weak forms of I. E.
ne ‘not.’
2.
ἡμι- half (Lat.
sēmi-):
ἡμι-κύκλιος semi-circular (
κύκλος),
ἡμι-όλιος half as much again (
ὅλος whole),
ἡμι-θνής half-dead.
3.
δυσ- (opposed to
εὖ well)
ill,
un-,
mis-, denoting something
difficult,
bad, or
unfortunate, as
δυσ-τυχής unfortunate,
δυσ-χερής hard to manage,
δυσδαίμων of ill fortune (contrast
εὐ-τυχής, εὐ-χερής, εὐ-δαίμων),
δυσ-άρεστος ill-pleased,
Δύσ-παρις ill-starred Paris.
4.
ἀ- (or
ἁ-)
copulative denotes
union,
likeness (cp. Lat.
con-);
ἀ-κόλουθος attendant,
agreeing with (
κέλευθος path: i.e. going on the same road),
ἀ-τάλαντος of the same weight,
ἅ-πα_ς all together. A variation of
ἀ-copulative is
ἀ- intensive: ἀ-τενής stretched (
τείνω stretch),
ἄ-πεδος level (
πέδον ground).
a. ἀ- copulative stands for
σα- (from
ςṃ 20, 35 c), and is connected with
ἅμα, ὁμοῦ, and
ὁμο- together.
5.
νη- (poetic) with the force of a negative (cp. Lat.
nē):
νή-ποινος unavenged (
ποινή punishment),
νη-πενθής freeing from pain and sorrow (
πένθος). In some cases
νη- may be derived from
ν (
not) and the
η of the second part, as
ν-ῆστις not eating (poetic
ἔδ-ω, cp.
887).
6.
ἀρι-, ἐρι- (poetic) with intensive force (cp.
ἄρι-στος best),
ἀρι-πρεπής very distinguished (
πρέπω),
ἐρί-τι_μος precious.
7.
ἀγα- (poetic) intensive (cp.
ἄγαν very):
ἀγά-στονος loud wailing (
στένω groan).
8.
ζα-, δα- (poetic) intensive (for
δ[ιγλιδε]α ῀ δια- very,
116):
ζα-μενής very courageous (
μένος courage),
δά-σκιος thick-shaded (
σκιά_).