un-

English: un-

Scots: un-

From Old English un-, from Proto-West Germanic *un-, from Proto-Germanic *un-, from Proto-Indo-European *n̥-.

un- + frendly → unfrendly (“unfriendly”)


step-

English: step-

Scots: step-, stap-

From Old English stēop- (“deprived of a relative, step-”, prefix), from Proto-West Germanic *steupa-, from Proto-Germanic *steupa- (“orphaned, step-”).
The short vowel is due to regular shortening of long vowels before consonant clusters in Early Middle English. All of the words that stēop- was prefixed to in Old English were consonant-initial, so shortening occurred exceptionlessly.

inh

stip- (alternative)
styp- (alternative)
ste- (alternative)
steppe- (alternative)
stappe- (alternative)
steop- (alternative)

step- (related through the marriage of a parent)


bi-

English: be-

Scots: be-

Inherited from Old English be-, from Proto-West Germanic *bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-, from *bi-; compare by-.
The pronunciation /bi-/ (instead of expected /bə-/) is probably due to the influence of the preposition by.

be- (alternative)
by- (alternative)
b- (alternative)

A prefix forming transitive verbs from any content word, often denoting completion or thoroughness.

A prefix forming prepositions, often denoting adjacency, position, or relation.


de-

English: de-

Borrowed from Old French de-, from a combination of Latin de- and dis-.

Forms words denoting negativity, reversal or removal; dis-, de-.

Intensifies words with a negative connotation; dis-, de-.


dis-

q

obsolete <i class="Latn mention" lang="en">des-</i>

English: dis- (obsolete des-)

Borrowed from Old French des- and its source Latin dis-.

Forms words denoting reversal or removal; dis-, de-.


en-

English: en- (in-)

Borrowed from Old French en-, from Latin in-.

Forms words, usually verbs, meaning "in", "on", or "around"; en-.


for-

English: for-

Scots: for-

From Old English for-, from Proto-West Germanic *fra-, from Proto-Germanic *fra-, from Proto-Indo-European *pro-.
The Old English prefix was reinforced by Proto-West Germanic *furi-, from Proto-Germanic *furi-; In Middle English, this prefix is further reinforced by Old French for-, from Latin foris.

far- (alternative)
fer- (alternative)
vor- (alternative)
ver- (alternative)

Forms verbs meaning "far", "out" or with an intensive sense; for-.

Forms verbs denoting a failure or error; for-.

(no longer productive) Forms nouns with varying sense.


ex-

ef- + flouren → efflouren


y-

English: y-, a-, i- (obsolete)

Yola: ee-

From Old English ġe- (perfective and associative prefix), from unstressed Proto-Germanic *ga-, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm (“with”). Cognate with Old Frisian e-, Central Franconian je-, Old Saxon gi-, Dutch ge-, Old High German ga- (German ge-), Old Norse g-, Gothic 𐌲𐌰- (ga-). See also ker-.

der

alternative form of þe due to typographic variation:

Added to verbs as a perfective prefix or intensifier.

Used to form nouns of association similar to English co-.

In contrast

ȝe- / y- is pronounced /jə/, /i/, consistent with the Old English pronunciation of ge- as /je/; it is usually dropped in Modern English except in archaisms (though note enough)

the standalone Middle English definite article ye is pronounced

and is effectively an alternative spelling of þe

Used with past participle conjugations to form past participles.


con-

English: con-

Scots: con-

Borrowed from Old French con- and Latin con-.


to-

English: to-

From to (“in the direction of”), from Old English tō.

toe- (alternative)
tou- (alternative)
ta- (alternative)
te- (alternative)
tu- (alternative)
tuo- (alternative)
two- (alternative)
tow- (alternative)

Affixed to verbs and verb inflections to impart a sense of motion, directionality and/or extension.

Affixed to adjectives, adverbs and prepositions to impart a sense of approach, extension and/or proximity.

(rare) Affixed to nouns to impart a sense of motion, directionality and/or extension.


to-

English: to-

From Old English tō-, te- (“apart, asunder”).

Appended to verbs and nouns to impart a sense of separation and/or departure.

Appended to verbs and nouns to intensify or emphasise the meaning.


of-

English: off-

Scots: aff-, af-

From Old English of-, af-, and Old Norse af-.

offe- (alternative)
ove- (alternative)
hove- (alternative)
ho- (alternative)
o- (alternative)
af- (alternative)
ave- (alternative)


sur-

English: sur-

Borrowed from Old French sur-, from Latin super-. Compare over-.

ser- (alternative)
sewr- (alternative)
sor- (alternative)
sour- (alternative)
sure- (alternative)
syr- (alternative)


and-

From Old English and-, ond- (“against, back”), from Proto-West Germanic *anda-, from Proto-Germanic *and-, *anda-, *andi- (“across, opposite, against, away”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énti (“across, forth”).
Cognate with Dutch ont-, German ant-, ent-, emp-, Icelandic and-, Gothic 𐌰𐌽𐌳- (and-), Latin ante (“before”), Ancient Greek ἀντί (antí, “against”).


vor-

(chiefly Southern or Kent) alternative form of for-


cyne-

(Early Middle English) alternative form of kine-


eth-

ethe- (alternative)
eþ- (alternative)
eð- (alternative)


forth-

English: forth-

From Old English forþ-, from Proto-Germanic *furþą (“forth”). More at forth.


by-

English: by-, be-

Scots: by-, be-

Inherited from Old English bī-, from bī (Middle English by); compare bi-.

A prefix forming nouns, often denoting adjacency, position, or relation.; near, around


yester-

English: yester-

From Old English ġeostran-, from Proto-Germanic *gistr-.

yister- (alternative)
ȝustir- (alternative)
yistyr- (alternative)
yuster- (alternative)
yestir- (alternative)


ȝe-

(Early Middle English) alternative form of y-, a common Middle English prefix


at-

English: at-

Emphatic prefix meaning intensely or excessively


kine-

(English: kindom)

(Scots: kinrick)

Inherited from Old English cyne-, from Proto-West Germanic *kuni-, from Proto-Germanic *kuniz (“race”).

coin- (alternative)
ken- (alternative)
kene- (alternative)
kin- (alternative)
kym- (alternative)
kyne- (alternative)
cune- (alternative Early-Middle-English)
cyne- (alternative Early-Middle-English)


ful-

English: full-; (fulfil, fulfill)

Inherited from Old English ful-, full-, from Proto-West Germanic *fulla-, from *full (“full”, see ful).

ffol- (alternative)
fol- (alternative)
full- (alternative)
vol- (alternative)

(largely unproductive) full, fully, perfectly


th-

the (written with elision before a vowel)


yond-

a prefix meaning beyond; across; through; over; ultra-


b-

(in certain words) alternative form of bi-


steppe-

(Late Middle English) alternative form of step-


mys-

English: mis-

Scots: mis-

From Old English mis-, from Proto-West Germanic *missa-, from Proto-Germanic *missa-. Reinforced by Old French mes-, ultimately from the same Proto-Germanic source.
While forms in -y- are definitely partly attributable to a desire to avoid the confusion of minims, they may have been encouraged by association with words such as mysterie.


tofore-

tofor- (alternative)
toforen- (alternative)
toforn- (alternative)
toforne- (alternative)
toffre- (alternative)
tovore- (alternative)
tovoren- (alternative)