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sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

A student asked me if it's possible to add a prefix or suffix to any word in English. Thought fast. Well, no, for instance, "ugly." You cant say something is unugly. But, is there a rule? and can you in Spanish? ANY word? I know you can say refeo, or requetefeo, but really, ANY word? Help please, on both if possible.
Thanks

wildchild · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 519 Location: Puebla 2009 - 2010

you can't say "unugly"? Shocked

Well, you just did! Laughing

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

Very well, I can split a hair myself. It wouldn't be correct or standard English to use "unugly". humph.(' Embarassed

')

wildchild · Joined: 14 Nov 2005 Posts: 519 Location: Puebla 2009 - 2010

well, then, I guess you have your rule! Laughing

as for me, I say you can do it to any word, because you can, as you demonstrated above. Shocked

now, that doesn't mean it's gonna sound good to your ear.
as to a rule for that, well, that depends on you and your particular pathology Laughing

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

pathology? que no, guey.
This is a TOEFL class. It was a legit linguistic question from a serious and much beloved student, which does not differentiate her from her fellows. Just a grammar rule in English type question to help a student, ya know?

MO39 · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 1:24 am Post subject:

There are no definite rules in English regarding which words can legitimately add a prefix or suffix to make a new word. When teaching this tricky area, I always caution students to check in a dictionary to make sure that a word they've coined exists in the standard lexicon. Of course, this doesn't apply to creative writers who freely make use of "poetic license". Hope this helps, sweeney.

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

Thanks , mo, Just a weird uncomfortable moment in class. I'm not real solid on this, but I kind of think you can add a prefix or suffix to almost any adjective in Spanish, and that was why she asked the question...
By the way, what a great question, no? And it would behoove me, when I don't know the answer, to do some research, right?
I am pretty sensitive to my s's particular needs, and I just love their curiosity... sucks when I can't just give them an answer...

MO39 · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 2:44 am Post subject:

TheLongWayHome · Joined: 07 Jun 2006 Posts: 1016 Location: San Luis Piojosi

Just don't add a prefix to regardless. Wink

sweeney66 · Joined: 26 Mar 2008 Posts: 147 Location: "home"

Gee, Long Way, what makes you think I would do that? I'm not a US President!
As for my poetic license, it is as important to me as my passport, and is always up to date!

mapache · Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Villahermosa

Longway,

You mean there's not regardlessness?

mapache · Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 202 Location: Villahermosa

or disregardlessness?

kosherpickle · Joined: 24 Nov 2006 Posts: 93

undisregardlessnessitively

GueroPaz · Joined: 07 Sep 2007 Posts: 216 Location: Thailand or Mexico

Linda T. · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Posts: 49 Location: California

Irregardless of whether a word is legit or not to begin with . . . if enough people use it wrongly often enough . . . it will legitimize itself eventually by finding its way into the dictionary (Irregardless is already in mine, although it IS noted to be nonstandard English).

Seems to be the same with grammar rules. I was so stunned when I began to teach ESL to discover that the texts were teaching grammar structures I had always learned were incorrect (for example . . . they would teach that who and whom are interchangeable as direct objects and end sentences with prepositions more oftten than not).

Maybe that's the beauty of language, though. As with all living entities, it is continually changing and adapting to its environment. I just wish the same could be said for spelling (ware if enuf peeple spell a word the rong way, it becomes rite).