prefixn.

Brit.

/ˈpriːfɪks/, U.S.

/ˈpriˌfɪks/

Forms: 1600s–1800s praefix, 1600s– prefixe, 1700s prefix.

Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin praefixum.

Etymology: < post-classical Latin praefixum (see quot. a1613 at sense 1a; use as noun of neuter of classical Latin praefixus , past participle of praefīgere to attach to the end: see prefix v.), after prefix v. (see sense 6 at that entry). Compare French préfixe, adjective and noun (1681 with reference to Hebrew, 1808 with reference to other languages).With prefix language n. at Compounds compare earlier suffix language n. at suffix n. Compounds 2. With prefix-pronominal adj. at Compounds compare suffix-pronominal adj. at suffix n. Compounds 2.

a. Grammar. An element placed at the beginning of a word or stem to adjust or modify its meaning, or (in certain languages) as an inflection. In some technical contexts applied only to inseparable particles, but more loosely including initial combining forms and sometimes prepositions and adverbs as the first elements of compounds.English prefixes inherited from Primitive Germanic seem all to have originally been distinct words, and many have been reduced to one or two syllables, and sometimes to a single letter, as be- in before, over- in overween, a- in arise, y- in yclept, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [noun] > affix > prefix

preposition1565

prefix1646

inchoationa1661

preformant1731

preformative1799

inseparable preposition1820

a1613 E. Brerewood Enq. Langs. & Relig. (1614) ix. 63 Those adherents of words, which they call præfixa, and suffixa.]

1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica iii. xxiv. 170 The Greek word Bous, which is a prefixe of augmentation to many words in that language.

1764 T. Harmer Observ. Passages Script. xiii. vi. 257 The prefix Lamed should in that case have been joined to the word Lips.

1851 J. C. Bryant Zulu Lang. in Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 2 388 (note) What we call the prefix in the Zulu is not something extraneous to the word and placed before it, but a part of the word itself.

1888 H. Sweet Hist. Eng. Sounds (new ed.) 105 [In O.E.] substantives corresponding to verbs with separable prefixes take the stress on the particle.

1901 F. Brinkley Oriental Series: Japan I. iii. 53 The head of the clan then came to be distinguished by the prefix O (great or senior); as O-mi (the senior honourable person), O-muraji (the great master of the multitude), and so on.

1949 Archivum Linguisticum 1 7 Let us suppose that we have a set of distinct prepositions each identical with a perfectivising prefix.

1991 L. Sante Low Life End-note 381 American speakers..asserted their claim on the language by adding extra parts to words and making free with prefixes and suffixes.

b. An adjective used (esp. habitually in a particular context) to describe or distinguish something; an epithet.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > adjective > [noun] > epithet

epitheton1570

epithet1588

prefix1830

1830 C. M. Sedgewick Clarence ii. iii. 68 Gertrude..well knew that the prefix of ‘poor’ is, in common parlance, equivalent to deceased.

1844 Times 12 Sept. 4/1 We have inserted the prefix because from long habit and repeated combination, Mr O'Connell, we are sure, could no more avoid making this prefix to the mention of the Whigs than he could fly; and ‘base, bloody, and brutal’, goes..naturally with Whig.

1903 R. Lydekker Mostly Mammals 287 No objection can be taken to the prefix ‘musk’..yet the English title ‘ox’ is in the highest degree misleading.

1972 Guardian 21 Jan. 9/4 The muffin..had to take on the prefix ‘English’ to avoid getting mixed up with a quite different type of small hot bread also known in America as a muffin.

2003 J. Moore Ex Files 93 Just as Adam was wondering whether Jean ever referred to her son's first love without the prefix ‘poor’, a slightly built girl dolly-stepped her way into the room.

†2. The action or an act of prefixing something; an instance of prefixation. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [noun] > affix > prefix > use or addition of

prothesis1616

prefixion1676

prefix1793

prefixture1824

prefixation1889

1793 T. Beddoes Observ. Nature Demonstrative Evid. 7 (note) By a prefix of the letter N, of which the primary sense is not known, is signifies to have, to possess.

1839 Times 22 July 5/5 It being then proposed to render the evidence a little accessible by the prefix of something like a digested table of contents.

1871 H. J. Roby Gram. Latin Lang. I. Pref. 18 A language..in which, like English,..the adjective great requires, in order to gain the same meaning as magni, the prefix of the definite article, or the addition of the word men.

a. A title used before a person's name, as Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Dr, Sir, Rev., Lord, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] > title prefixed to a name

title1534

prefixture1790

prefix1830

1830 C. M. Sedgwick Clarence II. vi. 93 What were these trifles weighed against the name of Morley, with the cabalistic prefix of Judge, Governor, Secretary, or President?

1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iv. xiv. 278 Mr. Wegg expressly insisted that there should be no prefix to the Golden Dustman's name.

a1902 S. Butler Way of All Flesh (1903) iii. 10 Mr Pontifex always put the prefix ‘master’ or ‘miss’ before the names of his grandchildren.

2002 R. Murphy Kick (2003) 49 To prevent them becoming ‘familiar’, our mother insisted that they use a prefix, Master or Miss, before our names.

b. A word placed at the beginning of the registered name of a pedigree animal, to indicate where it was bred.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] > addition to a dog's name

affix1891

prefix1893

1893 Kennel Club Rules 2 A name which has been duly registered..cannot be again accepted for registration of a dog of the same breed, without the addition of a distinguishing number, prefix or affix.

1961 C. H. D. Todd Pop. Whippet 139 I remember some lovely dogs that sailed under the Poppy prefix.

1976 C. Cooper Newfoundland i. 31 New names were coming to join those of established breeders, among them Lt-Col. Reid-Kerr with his Gleborchd prefix.

2005 Farmers Guardian (Nexis) 24 June 30 Over two generations of the Prichard family the noted prefix has made its mark across not just one breed but four—involving sheep, cattle and ponies.

4. A distinguishing sequence of symbols placed at the beginning of a coded message, data item, product code, etc.

ΚΠ

1876 W. H. Preece & J. Sivewright Telegraphy 282 Every message is indicated by a prefix, which is the first signal always sent.

1961 H. D. Leeds & G. M. Weinberg Computer Programming Fund. v. 151 Bits 0, 1, and 2 (often called the prefix of the word) and bits 18 to 20 (called the tag) specify the operation.

1982 Giant Bk. Electronics Projects i. 8 There are many manufacturers of this device who use prefixes other than MC.

1992 Amer. Libraries Mar. 194/2 (advt.) When patrons ask for publisher information, just enter the ISBN prefix or a publisher name.

Compounds

prefix language n. a language which uses prefixes as a means of inflection.

ΚΠ

1881 W. D. Whitney Mixt. in Lang. 15 A prefix-language and a suffix-language—as, for example, a South African and a Hamitic tongue—might mingle in a manner seen to be impracticable in the case of two Indo-European dialects.

1939 Philos. Sci. 6 363 Prefix languages are usually also characterized by a post-position of the possessive genitive.

1990 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 55 1561/1 Axiomatic approach to prefix languages.

prefix-pronominal adj. designating a language or group of languages having prefixal pronouns.

ΚΠ

1862 W. H. I. Bleek Compar. Gram. S. Afr. Langs.: Pt. I 2 The chief characteristics of this class of inter-tropical languages [i.e. Bâ-ntu] is that the pronouns are originally borrowed from the derivative prefixes of the nouns, whilst in that class of languages to which the Hottentot..belong, the pronouns are originally borrowed from the derivative suffixes of the nouns. The former class is, on this account, called the Prefix-pronominal Languages.

1905 W. H. Tooke in W. Flint & J. D. F. Gilchrist Science in S. Afr. 81 The Bantu tongue is an agglutinative polysyllabic, prefix-pronominal language of which the most salient features are the noun classes and the concord.

1996 M. Chapman S. Afr. Lit. i. 32 A theory of the origins of language according to which ‘prefix-pronomial’ languages, such as Zulu, were regarded as organically incapable of grasping poetically the constitution of things.

2003 D. Chidester in J. K. Olupona Beyond Primitivism iii. 78 In South Africa, Bleek's ‘African researches’ suggested a global classification of both language and religion into two general families, the sex-denoting languages, which included the ‘Hottentots’, but also the Semitic and the Aryan, and the prefix-pronominal languages, which included the ‘Bantu’, Negro, and Polynesian.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

† prefixadj.

Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French prefix.

Etymology: < Middle French prefix (c1341; French préfix ) < classical Latin praefixus fixed on the end, tipped, in post-classical Latin also determined beforehand (5th cent.), use as adjective of past participle of praefīgere to attach to the end (see prefix v.). Compare Spanish prefijo (1528), Italian prefisso (14th cent.). Compare earlier prefix v.

Obsolete. rare.

Fixed beforehand; = prefixed adj.¹ 1.In quot. used as postmodifier.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > intention > planning > [adjective] > arranged

besteda1350

tailyedc1485

prefixc1500

limited1517

pointed1523

prefixed?c1525

directed1727

pre-arranged1830

c1500 Melusine (1895) 336 Yf within a terme prefix none came there to be hermyte, he of the nerest Celle gooyng vpward muste entre into that other Celle so exempted.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online December 2021).

prefixv.

Brit.

/priːˈfɪks/, U.S.

/priˈfɪks/ (esp. in branch II.)Brit.

/ˈpriːfɪks/, U.S.

/ˈpriˌfɪks/

Forms: late Middle English–1500s prefyxe, late Middle English–1600s prefixe, 1500s prafix (Scottish), 1500s prefexssit (Scottish, past participle), 1500s–1600s prefyx, 1500s– prefix, 1600s praefixe, 1600s–1700s praefix, 1800s– pre-fix.

Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: French prefixer ; Latin praefixus ; pre- prefix, fix v.

Etymology: Originally < (i) Middle French prefixer to fix in advance, predetermine (1367, chiefly in legal use; French préfixer ), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin praefixus, past participle of praefīgere to attach to the end, to tip, in post-classical Latin also to determine beforehand (4th cent.) < prae- pre- prefix + fīgere fix v. In later use (especially in sense 3) also directly < pre- prefix + fix v. Compare Middle French prefichier to fix in advance, put in front (c1370), Middle French, French †prefiger to fix in advance (1373), †prefire to fix in advance (1381); also Old Occitan prefigir, Catalan †prefigir (1435), prefixar (1857), Spanish †prefigir (1423), prefijar (1672), Italian prefiggere (1528), prefissare (a1874).

I. With reference to time.

1. transitive. Now chiefly in form pre-fix. To fix, appoint, or determine beforehand.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > intention > planning > plan [verb (transitive)] > arrange > in advance

prefix1415

pre-arrange1791

pre-appoint1866

the mind > will > intention > planning > plan [verb (transitive)] > arrange > appoint a time or place beforehand

prefix1415

prefine1545

tryst1586

sort1592

settle1596

1415 in W. Hudson Rec. City of Norwich (1906) I. 95 Prefixed [Form of Choosing Mayor of Norwich 78 He of þe forsaide two þat hath moste voice be þe forsaide serch & scrutyne schall be perfixed].

a1422 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 445 (MED) Thei schul kepe her diuine seruise..and..the aldirman and þe maistres..schul ordeyne and prefixe a day.

?a1475 (?a1425) in tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1882) VIII. App. 465 (MED) The bischop, beynge in the towne of Gravenynge, was commaundede to avoide from hit by the kynge of Fraunce by a certeyn tyme prefixede.

a1525 Coventry Leet Bk. 225 What man of the same craft that is warned in resonabull tyme..to com to ony dyner..and he wil-not come at his our that he is prefixed or lymeted..he shall pay..a lb. of wax.

1598 R. Barckley Disc. Felicitie of Man v. 444 About the ende of the time by him prefixed, both the Pope and the king dyed.

1607 J. Norden Surueyors Dialogue iii. 116 You prefixe too short a time farre: for Oakes are slow of growth.

1653 A. Collins Divine Songs & Meditacions 83 Wait till God do manifest his grace, For thy deliverance, prefix no day.

1738 Hist. View Court of Exchequer x. 147 The first Thing is to prefix him [sc. the sheriff] a day to account.

1770 Amherst Records (1884) 50/1 Voted That the Select Men be a Com'tee to Lay out and prefix sufficient boundaries to the Burying Yard.

1800 C. B. Brown Arthur Mervyn II. iii. 23 In the time prefixed I returned.

1876 G. Meredith Beauchamp's Career III. vi. 89 The brilliant Renée,..his pupil, he might say, of whom he had foretold that she must come to such a pass, at the same time prefixing his fidelity.

1883 R. W. Dixon Mano i. i. 3 As the fatal hour prefixed drew near.

1946 Cullman (Alabama) Banner 5 Sept. 7/6 No dealer or distributor is allowed to charge more than the present price shown on the ticket or tag pre-fixed by the manufacturer.

1977 Daily Tel. 23 Feb. 32/3 Would-be exporters can ‘pre-fix’ the subsidy at the present level by arrangement with the European Commission in Brussels.

2005 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Mar. 218/1 Surely anyone clever enough to pre-fix a vote would make sure..that the discrepancies and obstructions were more evenly distributed.

†2.

a. transitive. To make up (one's mind) beforehand; to decide, resolve on. Also with infinitive or clause as object. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > resolve or decide upon [verb (transitive)]

to take (in early use (i-)nim) to redeeOE

redeOE

to take (in early use (i-)nim) redeOE

to bring to stallc1275

rewardc1380

perfix1415

determ1423

concludec1430

prefix?1523

resolve1523

affix1524

devise1548

pitch?1567

purpose1574

to resolve with oneself1578

to set down1582

settle1596

determinea1616

decision1877

predetermine1884

?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. lvi This text may gyue the a corage to prefixe thy mynde to make there thy purchace.

1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 166 When he had prefixed & appoynted to take a certain castle & fortresse.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cxciiij^v This therfore dyd he pretende to bee the cause of a newe trouble and disturbaunce of the weale publicke whan he had prefixed it long before.

1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie iii. xii. 124 The order that I prefix to my selfe in treating of these Beasts.

1652 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. Bentivoglio Hist. Relations Flanders 109 As all Pylots prefix the haven for their end..so all war hath peace for its end.

b. transitive (in passive). To be determined or have decided to do something. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > will > decision > be resolved or decided [verb (passive)]

appointc1374

seta1400

prefix1560

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cci He..was prefixed to haue expressed Dauid his Psalter in Frenche metre.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. ccx^v The enemies are fully prefixed to retourne to the sege of the castel.

a. transitive. Photography. To fix (an image) beforehand.

ΚΠ

1893 [implied in: Photogr. Ann. 290 The troublesome and risky pre-fixing acid clearing bath is not necessary. (at prefixing adj.)].

b. transitive. Biology. To fix with the first of two consecutively used fixatives.

ΘΚΠ

the world > life > biology > laboratory analysis > processes > [verb (transitive)] > fixation

fix1878

postosmicate1933

postfix1955

prefix1961

1961 Devel. Biol. 3 534 The embryos were prefixed immediately after removal from the incubator by dousing them in ovo with ice-cold fixing fluid.

1971 Nature 29 Oct. 622/2 Even when the final suspension was prefixed by adding osmium tetroxide, damaged liposomes were not seen.

1991 Cell & Tissue Res. 263 311 Freshly extracted teeth were prefixed in Karnovsky's fixative, decalcified in EDTA and subdivided into about 10 blocks each.

II. With reference to order and place.

4. transitive. To place or add (material) at the beginning of a book or other text.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > literature > a written composition > parts of a written composition > write parts of composition [verb (transitive)] > introduce or furnish with prologue

prefix1538

front1592

preface1603

preamble1628

perfixa1659

prologue1701

proema1716

prologize1779

premise1823

1538 Bible (Coverdale) (Paris) Ep. Ded. sig. ✠ij I dyd..directe an Epistle vnto the kynges most noble grace: trustinge, that the boke (wher vnto it was prefixed) shulde afterwarde haue bene aswell correcte, as other bokes be.

1551 T. Cranmer Answer S. Gardiner 1 Here before the beginnyng of your boke, you haue prefyxed a goodly title.

1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) Ded. Duke of Buckingham sig. Aiii^v I do now publish my Essays... I thought it therefore agreeable, to my Affection, and Obligation to your Grace, to prefix your Name before them.

1675 J. Ogilby Britannia Introd. We have concluded it necessary to præfix an Illustration.

1707 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1886) II. 25 Sends an ‘Encomiastic’ to be prefixed to Hudson's edition of Dionysius.

1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. ix. i. 304 I question not but the ingenious Author of the Spectator was principally induced to prefix Greek and Latin Mottos to every Paper.

1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. Pref. 23 These Discourses are prefixed to ten..volumes.

1833 C. F. Crusé tr. Eusebius Eccl. Hist. (ed. 2) vii. xxv. 298 The evangelist does not prefix his name.

1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 9 The legislator..will prefix preambles to his principal laws.

1907 Catholic Encycl. I. 595/2 The writer of the Apocalypse prefixes his name, John.

1987 Antiquaries Jrnl. 67 424 Reports of the other finds are prefixed by a summary of their significance.

†5. transitive. gen. To fix, fasten, or put in front. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > front > be in front of [verb (transitive)] > place in front (of)

foresetc825

to lay … beforec1000

again-puta1425

again-seta1425

preponea1513

prefer?1541

prepose?1541

prefix1604

prefacea1658

1604 R. Cawdrey Table Alphabet. Prefixed, set in the fore part.

1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor Prefixe, to fasten before.

1655 Faithful Scout No. 210. 1668 The Nose..is now again carved out, and very curiously prefixed on the face.

1805 ‘E. de Acton’ Nuns of Desert I. 157 He produced a pistol, and prefixed the muzzle to his breast.

1898 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) B. 190 85 The skin and musculature of the arm of Man are somewhat prefixed as compared with Macacus.

6. transitive. Chiefly Grammar. To place (a word or element) before a word, esp. in combination with it; to use or take as a prefix.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > use morphemes [verb (transitive)] > add as prefix or suffix

prefix1605

suffix1778

postfix1823

preplace1905

1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 104 All which in Latine old Evidences have had De præfixed.

1671 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) Syllabical Augment, is an augmentation which is made in Greek verbs, by prefixing ἐ (and thereby adding one syllable).

1749 J. Mason Ess. Power & Harmony Prosaic Numbers 71 The Concurrence many Genitives with their Sign of prefixed, should be avoided as an inelegance.

1793 T. Beddoes Observ. Nature Demonstrative Evid. 145 Except as to the sound of a language, it is indifferent whether these modifying words are prefixed or suffixed.

1845 J. Stoddart Gram. in Encycl. Metrop. (1847) I. 69/1 In English, we generally prefix the relative Article to the names of our rivers, but seldom to those of our mountains.

1876 T. L. Papillon Man. Compar. Philol. (1877) 162 Language seems originally to have employed..the augment—in Sanskrit a, in Greek ε..prefixed to aorist, imperfect, and pluperfect tenses in both these languages.

1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 434 The Dutch word zee (sea, lake) would have to be prefixed to distinguish the animal from the ordinary cow.

1949 Archivum Linguisticum 1 176 Imperfectives, if not iterative, become perfective by prefixing a preposition.

1994 Computers & Humanities 28 107/2 Beethoven..desired the assai originally prefixed to the allegro to be omitted.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

n.1646

adj.c1500

v.1415

单词	prefix
释义	prefixn. Brit. /ˈpriːfɪks/, U.S. /ˈpriˌfɪks/ Forms: 1600s–1800s praefix, 1600s– prefixe, 1700s prefix. Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymon: Latin praefixum. Etymology: < post-classical Latin praefixum (see quot. a1613 at sense 1a; use as noun of neuter of classical Latin praefixus , past participle of praefīgere to attach to the end: see prefix v.), after prefix v. (see sense 6 at that entry). Compare French préfixe, adjective and noun (1681 with reference to Hebrew, 1808 with reference to other languages).With prefix language n. at Compounds compare earlier suffix language n. at suffix n. Compounds 2. With prefix-pronominal adj. at Compounds compare suffix-pronominal adj. at suffix n. Compounds 2. 1. a. Grammar. An element placed at the beginning of a word or stem to adjust or modify its meaning, or (in certain languages) as an inflection. In some technical contexts applied only to inseparable particles, but more loosely including initial combining forms and sometimes prepositions and adverbs as the first elements of compounds.English prefixes inherited from Primitive Germanic seem all to have originally been distinct words, and many have been reduced to one or two syllables, and sometimes to a single letter, as be- in before, over- in overween, a- in arise, y- in yclept, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [noun] > affix > prefix preposition1565 prefix1646 inchoationa1661 preformant1731 preformative1799 inseparable preposition1820 a1613 E. Brerewood Enq. Langs. & Relig. (1614) ix. 63 Those adherents of words, which they call præfixa, and suffixa.] 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica iii. xxiv. 170 The Greek word Bous, which is a prefixe of augmentation to many words in that language. View more context for this quotation 1764 T. Harmer Observ. Passages Script. xiii. vi. 257 The prefix Lamed should in that case have been joined to the word Lips. 1851 J. C. Bryant Zulu Lang. in Jrnl. Amer. Oriental Soc. 2 388 (note) What we call the prefix in the Zulu is not something extraneous to the word and placed before it, but a part of the word itself. 1888 H. Sweet Hist. Eng. Sounds (new ed.) 105 [In O.E.] substantives corresponding to verbs with separable prefixes take the stress on the particle. 1901 F. Brinkley Oriental Series: Japan I. iii. 53 The head of the clan then came to be distinguished by the prefix O (great or senior); as O-mi (the senior honourable person), O-muraji (the great master of the multitude), and so on. 1949 Archivum Linguisticum 1 7 Let us suppose that we have a set of distinct prepositions each identical with a perfectivising prefix. 1991 L. Sante Low Life End-note 381 American speakers..asserted their claim on the language by adding extra parts to words and making free with prefixes and suffixes. b. An adjective used (esp. habitually in a particular context) to describe or distinguish something; an epithet. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > a part of speech > adjective > [noun] > epithet epitheton1570 epithet1588 prefix1830 1830 C. M. Sedgewick Clarence ii. iii. 68 Gertrude..well knew that the prefix of ‘poor’ is, in common parlance, equivalent to deceased. 1844 Times 12 Sept. 4/1 We have inserted the prefix because from long habit and repeated combination, Mr O'Connell, we are sure, could no more avoid making this prefix to the mention of the Whigs than he could fly; and ‘base, bloody, and brutal’, goes..naturally with Whig. 1903 R. Lydekker Mostly Mammals 287 No objection can be taken to the prefix ‘musk’..yet the English title ‘ox’ is in the highest degree misleading. 1972 Guardian 21 Jan. 9/4 The muffin..had to take on the prefix ‘English’ to avoid getting mixed up with a quite different type of small hot bread also known in America as a muffin. 2003 J. Moore Ex Files 93 Just as Adam was wondering whether Jean ever referred to her son's first love without the prefix ‘poor’, a slightly built girl dolly-stepped her way into the room. †2. The action or an act of prefixing something; an instance of prefixation. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > [noun] > affix > prefix > use or addition of prothesis1616 prefixion1676 prefix1793 prefixture1824 prefixation1889 1793 T. Beddoes Observ. Nature Demonstrative Evid. 7 (note) By a prefix of the letter N, of which the primary sense is not known, is signifies to have, to possess. 1839 Times 22 July 5/5 It being then proposed to render the evidence a little accessible by the prefix of something like a digested table of contents. 1871 H. J. Roby Gram. Latin Lang. I. Pref. 18 A language..in which, like English,..the adjective great requires, in order to gain the same meaning as magni, the prefix of the definite article, or the addition of the word men. 3. a. A title used before a person's name, as Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Dr, Sir, Rev., Lord, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] > title prefixed to a name title1534 prefixture1790 prefix1830 1830 C. M. Sedgwick Clarence II. vi. 93 What were these trifles weighed against the name of Morley, with the cabalistic prefix of Judge, Governor, Secretary, or President? 1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend II. iv. xiv. 278 Mr. Wegg expressly insisted that there should be no prefix to the Golden Dustman's name. a1902 S. Butler Way of All Flesh (1903) iii. 10 Mr Pontifex always put the prefix ‘master’ or ‘miss’ before the names of his grandchildren. 2002 R. Murphy Kick (2003) 49 To prevent them becoming ‘familiar’, our mother insisted that they use a prefix, Master or Miss, before our names. b. A word placed at the beginning of the registered name of a pedigree animal, to indicate where it was bred. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > naming > name or appellation > [noun] > addition to a dog's name affix1891 prefix1893 1893 Kennel Club Rules 2 A name which has been duly registered..cannot be again accepted for registration of a dog of the same breed, without the addition of a distinguishing number, prefix or affix. 1961 C. H. D. Todd Pop. Whippet 139 I remember some lovely dogs that sailed under the Poppy prefix. 1976 C. Cooper Newfoundland i. 31 New names were coming to join those of established breeders, among them Lt-Col. Reid-Kerr with his Gleborchd prefix. 2005 Farmers Guardian (Nexis) 24 June 30 Over two generations of the Prichard family the noted prefix has made its mark across not just one breed but four—involving sheep, cattle and ponies. 4. A distinguishing sequence of symbols placed at the beginning of a coded message, data item, product code, etc. ΚΠ 1876 W. H. Preece & J. Sivewright Telegraphy 282 Every message is indicated by a prefix, which is the first signal always sent. 1961 H. D. Leeds & G. M. Weinberg Computer Programming Fund. v. 151 Bits 0, 1, and 2 (often called the prefix of the word) and bits 18 to 20 (called the tag) specify the operation. 1982 Giant Bk. Electronics Projects i. 8 There are many manufacturers of this device who use prefixes other than MC. 1992 Amer. Libraries Mar. 194/2 (advt.) When patrons ask for publisher information, just enter the ISBN prefix or a publisher name. Compounds prefix language n. a language which uses prefixes as a means of inflection. ΚΠ 1881 W. D. Whitney Mixt. in Lang. 15 A prefix-language and a suffix-language—as, for example, a South African and a Hamitic tongue—might mingle in a manner seen to be impracticable in the case of two Indo-European dialects. 1939 Philos. Sci. 6 363 Prefix languages are usually also characterized by a post-position of the possessive genitive. 1990 Jrnl. Symbolic Logic 55 1561/1 Axiomatic approach to prefix languages. prefix-pronominal adj. designating a language or group of languages having prefixal pronouns. ΚΠ 1862 W. H. I. Bleek Compar. Gram. S. Afr. Langs.: Pt. I 2 The chief characteristics of this class of inter-tropical languages [i.e. Bâ-ntu] is that the pronouns are originally borrowed from the derivative prefixes of the nouns, whilst in that class of languages to which the Hottentot..belong, the pronouns are originally borrowed from the derivative suffixes of the nouns. The former class is, on this account, called the Prefix-pronominal Languages. 1905 W. H. Tooke in W. Flint & J. D. F. Gilchrist Science in S. Afr. 81 The Bantu tongue is an agglutinative polysyllabic, prefix-pronominal language of which the most salient features are the noun classes and the concord. 1996 M. Chapman S. Afr. Lit. i. 32 A theory of the origins of language according to which ‘prefix-pronomial’ languages, such as Zulu, were regarded as organically incapable of grasping poetically the constitution of things. 2003 D. Chidester in J. K. Olupona Beyond Primitivism iii. 78 In South Africa, Bleek's ‘African researches’ suggested a global classification of both language and religion into two general families, the sex-denoting languages, which included the ‘Hottentots’, but also the Semitic and the Aryan, and the prefix-pronominal languages, which included the ‘Bantu’, Negro, and Polynesian. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). † prefixadj. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymon: French prefix. Etymology: < Middle French prefix (c1341; French préfix ) < classical Latin praefixus fixed on the end, tipped, in post-classical Latin also determined beforehand (5th cent.), use as adjective of past participle of praefīgere to attach to the end (see prefix v.). Compare Spanish prefijo (1528), Italian prefisso (14th cent.). Compare earlier prefix v. Obsolete. rare. Fixed beforehand; = prefixed adj.¹ 1.In quot. used as postmodifier. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > intention > planning > [adjective] > arranged besteda1350 tailyedc1485 prefixc1500 limited1517 pointed1523 prefixed?c1525 directed1727 pre-arranged1830 c1500 Melusine (1895) 336 Yf within a terme prefix none came there to be hermyte, he of the nerest Celle gooyng vpward muste entre into that other Celle so exempted. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online December 2021). prefixv. Brit. /priːˈfɪks/, U.S. /priˈfɪks/ (esp. in branch II.)Brit. /ˈpriːfɪks/, U.S. /ˈpriˌfɪks/ Forms: late Middle English–1500s prefyxe, late Middle English–1600s prefixe, 1500s prafix (Scottish), 1500s prefexssit (Scottish, past participle), 1500s–1600s prefyx, 1500s– prefix, 1600s praefixe, 1600s–1700s praefix, 1800s– pre-fix. Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Partly formed within English, by derivation. Etymons: French prefixer ; Latin praefixus ; pre- prefix, fix v. Etymology: Originally < (i) Middle French prefixer to fix in advance, predetermine (1367, chiefly in legal use; French préfixer ), and its etymon (ii) classical Latin praefixus, past participle of praefīgere to attach to the end, to tip, in post-classical Latin also to determine beforehand (4th cent.) < prae- pre- prefix + fīgere fix v. In later use (especially in sense 3) also directly < pre- prefix + fix v. Compare Middle French prefichier to fix in advance, put in front (c1370), Middle French, French †prefiger to fix in advance (1373), †prefire to fix in advance (1381); also Old Occitan prefigir, Catalan †prefigir (1435), prefixar (1857), Spanish †prefigir (1423), prefijar (1672), Italian prefiggere (1528), prefissare (a1874). I. With reference to time. 1. transitive. Now chiefly in form pre-fix. To fix, appoint, or determine beforehand. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > intention > planning > plan [verb (transitive)] > arrange > in advance prefix1415 pre-arrange1791 pre-appoint1866 the mind > will > intention > planning > plan [verb (transitive)] > arrange > appoint a time or place beforehand prefix1415 prefine1545 tryst1586 sort1592 settle1596 1415 in W. Hudson Rec. City of Norwich (1906) I. 95 Prefixed [Form of Choosing Mayor of Norwich 78 He of þe forsaide two þat hath moste voice be þe forsaide serch & scrutyne schall be perfixed]. a1422 in J. T. Smith & L. T. Smith Eng. Gilds (1870) 445 (MED) Thei schul kepe her diuine seruise..and..the aldirman and þe maistres..schul ordeyne and prefixe a day. ?a1475 (?a1425) in tr. R. Higden Polychron. (Harl. 2261) (1882) VIII. App. 465 (MED) The bischop, beynge in the towne of Gravenynge, was commaundede to avoide from hit by the kynge of Fraunce by a certeyn tyme prefixede. a1525 Coventry Leet Bk. 225 What man of the same craft that is warned in resonabull tyme..to com to ony dyner..and he wil-not come at his our that he is prefixed or lymeted..he shall pay..a lb. of wax. 1598 R. Barckley Disc. Felicitie of Man v. 444 About the ende of the time by him prefixed, both the Pope and the king dyed. 1607 J. Norden Surueyors Dialogue iii. 116 You prefixe too short a time farre: for Oakes are slow of growth. 1653 A. Collins Divine Songs & Meditacions 83 Wait till God do manifest his grace, For thy deliverance, prefix no day. 1738 Hist. View Court of Exchequer x. 147 The first Thing is to prefix him [sc. the sheriff] a day to account. 1770 Amherst Records (1884) 50/1 Voted That the Select Men be a Com'tee to Lay out and prefix sufficient boundaries to the Burying Yard. 1800 C. B. Brown Arthur Mervyn II. iii. 23 In the time prefixed I returned. 1876 G. Meredith Beauchamp's Career III. vi. 89 The brilliant Renée,..his pupil, he might say, of whom he had foretold that she must come to such a pass, at the same time prefixing his fidelity. 1883 R. W. Dixon Mano i. i. 3 As the fatal hour prefixed drew near. 1946 Cullman (Alabama) Banner 5 Sept. 7/6 No dealer or distributor is allowed to charge more than the present price shown on the ticket or tag pre-fixed by the manufacturer. 1977 Daily Tel. 23 Feb. 32/3 Would-be exporters can ‘pre-fix’ the subsidy at the present level by arrangement with the European Commission in Brussels. 2005 Vanity Fair (N.Y.) Mar. 218/1 Surely anyone clever enough to pre-fix a vote would make sure..that the discrepancies and obstructions were more evenly distributed. †2. a. transitive. To make up (one's mind) beforehand; to decide, resolve on. Also with infinitive or clause as object. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > resolve or decide upon [verb (transitive)] to take (in early use (i-)nim) to redeeOE redeOE to take (in early use (i-)nim) redeOE to bring to stallc1275 rewardc1380 perfix1415 determ1423 concludec1430 prefix?1523 resolve1523 affix1524 devise1548 pitch?1567 purpose1574 to resolve with oneself1578 to set down1582 settle1596 determinea1616 decision1877 predetermine1884 ?1523 J. Fitzherbert Bk. Husbandry f. lvi This text may gyue the a corage to prefixe thy mynde to make there thy purchace. 1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 166 When he had prefixed & appoynted to take a certain castle & fortresse. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cxciiij^v This therfore dyd he pretende to bee the cause of a newe trouble and disturbaunce of the weale publicke whan he had prefixed it long before. 1610 J. Guillim Display of Heraldrie iii. xii. 124 The order that I prefix to my selfe in treating of these Beasts. 1652 Earl of Monmouth tr. G. Bentivoglio Hist. Relations Flanders 109 As all Pylots prefix the haven for their end..so all war hath peace for its end. b. transitive (in passive). To be determined or have decided to do something. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > will > decision > be resolved or decided [verb (passive)] appointc1374 seta1400 prefix1560 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cci He..was prefixed to haue expressed Dauid his Psalter in Frenche metre. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. ccx^v The enemies are fully prefixed to retourne to the sege of the castel. 3. a. transitive. Photography. To fix (an image) beforehand. ΚΠ 1893 [implied in: Photogr. Ann. 290 The troublesome and risky pre-fixing acid clearing bath is not necessary. (at prefixing adj.)]. b. transitive. Biology. To fix with the first of two consecutively used fixatives. ΘΚΠ the world > life > biology > laboratory analysis > processes > [verb (transitive)] > fixation fix1878 postosmicate1933 postfix1955 prefix1961 1961 Devel. Biol. 3 534 The embryos were prefixed immediately after removal from the incubator by dousing them in ovo with ice-cold fixing fluid. 1971 Nature 29 Oct. 622/2 Even when the final suspension was prefixed by adding osmium tetroxide, damaged liposomes were not seen. 1991 Cell & Tissue Res. 263 311 Freshly extracted teeth were prefixed in Karnovsky's fixative, decalcified in EDTA and subdivided into about 10 blocks each. II. With reference to order and place. 4. transitive. To place or add (material) at the beginning of a book or other text. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > literature > a written composition > parts of a written composition > write parts of composition [verb (transitive)] > introduce or furnish with prologue prefix1538 front1592 preface1603 preamble1628 perfixa1659 prologue1701 proema1716 prologize1779 premise1823 1538 Bible (Coverdale) (Paris) Ep. Ded. sig. ✠ij I dyd..directe an Epistle vnto the kynges most noble grace: trustinge, that the boke (wher vnto it was prefixed) shulde afterwarde haue bene aswell correcte, as other bokes be. 1551 T. Cranmer Answer S. Gardiner 1 Here before the beginnyng of your boke, you haue prefyxed a goodly title. 1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) Ded. Duke of Buckingham sig. Aiii^v I do now publish my Essays... I thought it therefore agreeable, to my Affection, and Obligation to your Grace, to prefix your Name before them. 1675 J. Ogilby Britannia Introd. We have concluded it necessary to præfix an Illustration. 1707 T. Hearne Remarks & Coll. (1886) II. 25 Sends an ‘Encomiastic’ to be prefixed to Hudson's edition of Dionysius. 1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. ix. i. 304 I question not but the ingenious Author of the Spectator was principally induced to prefix Greek and Latin Mottos to every Paper. View more context for this quotation 1782 J. Priestley Hist. Corruptions Christianity I. Pref. 23 These Discourses are prefixed to ten..volumes. 1833 C. F. Crusé tr. Eusebius Eccl. Hist. (ed. 2) vii. xxv. 298 The evangelist does not prefix his name. 1875 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) V. 9 The legislator..will prefix preambles to his principal laws. 1907 Catholic Encycl. I. 595/2 The writer of the Apocalypse prefixes his name, John. 1987 Antiquaries Jrnl. 67 424 Reports of the other finds are prefixed by a summary of their significance. †5. transitive. gen. To fix, fasten, or put in front. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > front > be in front of [verb (transitive)] > place in front (of) foresetc825 to lay … beforec1000 again-puta1425 again-seta1425 preponea1513 prefer?1541 prepose?1541 prefix1604 prefacea1658 1604 R. Cawdrey Table Alphabet. Prefixed, set in the fore part. 1616 J. Bullokar Eng. Expositor Prefixe, to fasten before. 1655 Faithful Scout No. 210. 1668 The Nose..is now again carved out, and very curiously prefixed on the face. 1805 ‘E. de Acton’ Nuns of Desert I. 157 He produced a pistol, and prefixed the muzzle to his breast. 1898 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) B. 190 85 The skin and musculature of the arm of Man are somewhat prefixed as compared with Macacus. 6. transitive. Chiefly Grammar. To place (a word or element) before a word, esp. in combination with it; to use or take as a prefix. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > linguistics > study of grammar > morphology > morpheme > use morphemes [verb (transitive)] > add as prefix or suffix prefix1605 suffix1778 postfix1823 preplace1905 1605 W. Camden Remaines i. 104 All which in Latine old Evidences have had De præfixed. 1671 E. Phillips New World of Words (new ed.) Syllabical Augment, is an augmentation which is made in Greek verbs, by prefixing ἐ (and thereby adding one syllable). 1749 J. Mason Ess. Power & Harmony Prosaic Numbers 71 The Concurrence many Genitives with their Sign of prefixed, should be avoided as an inelegance. 1793 T. Beddoes Observ. Nature Demonstrative Evid. 145 Except as to the sound of a language, it is indifferent whether these modifying words are prefixed or suffixed. 1845 J. Stoddart Gram. in Encycl. Metrop. (1847) I. 69/1 In English, we generally prefix the relative Article to the names of our rivers, but seldom to those of our mountains. 1876 T. L. Papillon Man. Compar. Philol. (1877) 162 Language seems originally to have employed..the augment—in Sanskrit a, in Greek ε..prefixed to aorist, imperfect, and pluperfect tenses in both these languages. 1913 C. Pettman Africanderisms 434 The Dutch word zee (sea, lake) would have to be prefixed to distinguish the animal from the ordinary cow. 1949 Archivum Linguisticum 1 176 Imperfectives, if not iterative, become perfective by prefixing a preposition. 1994 Computers & Humanities 28 107/2 Beethoven..desired the assai originally prefixed to the allegro to be omitted. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1646adj.c1500v.1415
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