Compound verbs in English consisting of Latin prefix and Latin verb

Some compound verbs in English consist of two morphemes: a Latin prefix and a Latin verb.

Table of contents

1 Morpheme boundary
2 Spelling
3 Latin verbs
4 Latin prefixes
5 Some examples
6 See also

Morpheme boundary

The boundary between the prefix and verb is mostly unclear to English speakers unfamiliar with linguistics and Latin. For example, for a long time, "descend" (de- + scend) was thought to be made of des- and cend, hence it was also spelled dis- and dys-.

Spelling

Due to assimilation, the roots of some of the English verbs listed here are difficult to recognize. For example, ad- + ludo ("play") results in allude rather than *adlude. On the other hand, once a learner knows the rule they are less likely to make spelling mistakes: That the word aggressive is spelt with gg is due to the fact that it derives from ad + gredior, with -dg-, as it is more difficult to pronounce, having been turned into the easier -gg- (so that *agressive must be considered wrong).

Latin verbs

ago, egi, actus "do", "move"
cedo, cessi, cessurus "go"
cludo (claudo), clusi, clusus "close"
duco, duxi, ductus "pull", "lead"
facio, feci, factus "make", "do"
fero, ferre, tuli, latus "carry"
gradior (gredior) gressus "go", "pace"
iacio, ieci, iectus "throw"
ludo, lusi, lusus "play"
mergo, mersi, mersus "dip (in)", "sink"
mitto, misi, missus "send"
pono, posui, positus "put"
premo, pressi, pressus "press"
rumpo, rupi, ruptus "break"
scribo, scripsi, scriptum "write"
volvo, volvi, volutus "roll"

Latin prefixes

a(b)- "from"
ad- "towards", "in the direction of"
con- "together", "with"
de- "away from"
e(x)- "out of"
in- "in", "into"
inter- "between"
iuxta- "near", "close to"
ob- "towards"
prae- "before"
pro- "onward", "forward", "in favour of"
re- "again"
se- "away from"
sub- "beneath", "under"
trans- "beyond"

Some examples

fero mitto pono premo scribo volvo
a(b)- --- --- --- --- --- ---
ad- --- admit
admission --- --- ascribe ---
con- confer
conference commit
commission compose
composition compress
compression conscribe
conscription convoluted
de- defer
deference --- depose
deposition depress
depression describe
description devolve
devolution
e(x)- --- emit
emission expose
exposition express
expression --- evolve
evolution
in- infer
inference --- impose impress
impression inscribe
inscription involve
involvement
inter- interfere
interference intermittent --- --- --- ---
iuxta- --- --- juxtapose
juxtaposition --- --- ---
ob- offer omit
omission oppose
opposition oppress
oppression --- ---
prae- prefer
preference --- --- --- prescribe
prescription ---
pro- --- --- propose
proposal --- proscription ---
re- refer
relate remit
remission repose repress
repression --- revolve
revolver, revolution
se- --- --- --- --- --- ---
sub- suffer submit
submission suppose
supposition suppress
suppression subscribe
subscription ---
trans- transfer
translate transmit
transmission transpose --- transcribe
transcription ---