Affix
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An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a stem to form a 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.
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[edit] Positional categories of affixes
Affixes are divided into several categories, depending on their position with reference to the stem. Prefix and suffix are extremely common terms. Infix and circumfix are less so, as they are not important in European languages. The other terms are uncommon.
| Affix | Example | Schema | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prefix | undo | prefix-stem | Appears at the front of a stem |
| Suffix/Postfix | looking | stem-suffix | Appears at the rear of a stem |
| Infix | saxomaphone | st<infix>em | Appears within a stem — common in Borneo-Philippines languages |
| Circumfix | ascattered | circumfix>stem<circumfix | One portion appears at the front of a stem, and the other at the rear |
| Interfix | speedometer | stema-interfix-stemb | Links two stems together in a compound |
| Duplifix | teeny-weeny | stem~duplifix | Incorporates a reduplicated portion of a stem (may occur in front, at the rear, or within the stem) |
| Transfix | Maltese: kiteb "he wrote" (compare root ktb "write") |
s<transfix>te<transfix>m | A discontinuous affix that interleaves within a discontinuous stem |
| Simulfix | mouse → mice | Changes a segment of a stem | |
| Suprafix | produce (noun) produce (verb) |
Changes a suprasegmental phoneme of a stem | |
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