affix

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin affixus, perfect passive participle of affigere (from ad- + figere), equivalent to ad- +‎ fix.

Pronunciation

• (noun) IPA^(key): /ˈæf.ɪks/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• (verb) IPA^(key): /əˈfɪks/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪks

Noun

affix (plural affixes)

1. That which is affixed; an appendage.

   Synonyms: addition, supplement; see also Thesaurus:adjunct

2. (linguistic morphology) A bound morpheme added to the word’s stem's end.

   Synonym: adfix

   Hyponyms: suffix, postfix

3. (linguistic morphology, broadly) A bound morpheme added to a word’s stem; a prefix, suffix, etc.

   Synonym: afformative

   Antonym: nonaffix

   Hyponyms: prefix, suffix, infix, circumfix, suprafix

4. (mathematics) The complex number ${\displaystyle a+bi}$ associated with the point in the Gauss plane with coordinates ${\displaystyle (a,b)}$.
5. (decorative art) Any small feature, as a figure, a flower, or the like, added for ornament to a vessel or other utensil, to an architectural feature.

Coordinate terms

• (types of affixes): adfix, ambifix, circumfix, confix, disfix, duplifix, infix, interfix, libfix, postfix, prefix, prefixoid, simulfix, suffix, suffixoid, suprafix, transfix
• clitic

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

affix (third-person singular simple present affixes, present participle affixing, simple past and past participle affixed)

1. (transitive) To attach.

   Synonyms: join, put together, unite; see also Thesaurus:join

   to affix a stigma to a person

   to affix ridicule or blame to somebody

   • 1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. , London: Samuel Smith, , →OCLC:

     Should they [caterpillars] affix them to the leaves of a plant improper for their food […]

2. (transitive) To subjoin, annex, or add at the close or end; to append to.

   to affix a syllable to a word

   to affix a seal to an instrument

   to affix one's name to a writing

3. (transitive) To fix or fasten figuratively; with on or upon.

   eyes affixed upon the ground

   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, An Hymn of Heavenly Beauty:

     Look thou no further, but affix thine eye/On that bright, shiny, round, still moving mass,/The house of blessed gods, which men call sky,/All sow'd with glist'ring stars more thick than grass...

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• affix on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin affixum. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑ.fɪks/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: af‧fix

Noun

affix n (plural affixen, diminutive affixje n)

1. Affix (linguistics and mathematics)

Descendants

• → Indonesian: afiks

Swedish

Noun

affix n

1. an affix

Declension