Go back
The word 'prefix'

The word 'prefix'

General

Vote Up
Vote Down

Why is the word 'prefix' prefixed with 'pre' when word 'pre' means before or prior to and doesn't actually apply to the definition word 'prefix' itself?

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by mikelom
Why is the word 'prefix' prefixed with 'pre' when word 'pre' means before or prior to and doesn't actually apply to the definition word 'prefix' itself?
I think it was named like that to prompt dickheads to ask questions.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Pullhard
I think it was named like that to prompt dickheads to ask questions.
maybe the thread was alead to see whick 'dickhead' would respond to it!

1 edit
Vote Up
Vote Down
Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Freddie2004
that was wierd
the latter, the former or both?

Vote Up
Vote Down

just go jump off a bridge, all of you. (With the possible exception of Freddie)

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by mikelom
the latter, the former or both?
My post. Just ignore my experimentation.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Freddie2004
My post. Just ignore my experimentation.
He he, this has happened to me, too. You have to be careful with your new skills. 😉

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by angie88
just go jump off a bridge, all of you. (With the possible exception of Freddie)
Well surely a thread is a lead to any form of conversation as defined by rhp. It doesn't have to contain any ethic for digestion, so why respond with an initial crude, down right insulting and non-leading response even if the thread was meaningless, I ask you?

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by mikelom
Why is the word 'prefix' prefixed with 'pre' when word 'pre' means before or prior to and doesn't actually apply to the definition word 'prefix' itself?
Think about the time before the word 'prefix' came out, that would
have been the preprefix time.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by mikelom
Why is the word 'prefix' prefixed with 'pre' when word 'pre' means before or prior to and doesn't actually apply to the definition word 'prefix' itself?
I'm surprised no one has posted the actual answer to this yet. How can you say that 'pre' in this case doesn't actually apply to the definition of the word prefix?

prefix, from prae "before" + figere "to fix", "to fix before"... sounds like the definition to me.

Compare suffix, from sub- "under" + figere "to fix", "to fix under"...

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by Suzianne
I'm surprised no one has posted the actual answer to this yet. How can you say that 'pre' in this case doesn't actually apply to the definition of the word prefix?

prefix, from prae "before" + figere "to fix", "to fix before"... sounds like the definition to me.

Compare suffix, from sub- "under" + figere "to fix", "to fix under"...
Wasn't a prefix an order in the Roman army?

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by shavixmir
Wasn't a prefix an order in the Roman army?
No, but may have been in the Roman legions.

Vote Up
Vote Down

Originally posted by shavixmir
Wasn't a prefix an order in the Roman army?
You're thinking of the Praetorian Guard...

but at least you're thinking...