The English prefix a- has two main functions:
a) Meaning "out, away" or giving an intensitive quality: Adeal "to deal out", adrive "to drive away", abusy "to busy", abuy "to atone for", abear "to bear or behave", ablow "to blow up", acraft "to devise", afeed "to feed", agrise"to be afraid", aguilt "to be in fault", arime "to count", abite "to bite to pieces", afasten "to make firm", ashame "to feel shame", aspring "to spring up", ablin "to cease", ashove "to shove off", astie 'to ascend", arear "to lift up", asend "to send forth", afand "to prove", afoul "to make foul" awend "to turn".
b) Giving the meaning "in", "on", or "at": Adays "at day", arood "on the cross", arow "in a row", aright "in rightness/rightly", agame "in jest", atwain "in two", awork "at work", awough "in crookedness, crookedly", agrief "in grief", ahigh "on high".
Alder comes from Early English ealra "of all." It is used with superlatives such as best, greatest, etc to give the meaning "best of all" "greatest of all".
Alderbest "best of all", aldergreatest "greatest of all", alderwisest "wisest of all", aldermost "most of all", alderleast "least of all", alderfairest "fairest of all", alderliefest "dearest of all", alderfirst "first of all", aldernext "next of all", alderlast "last of all", alderworst "worst of all".
Ed- is used as Latin re-, meaning "back" or "again", "in return": Ednew "restored", ednewend "restorer", edwend "to return", edwite "reproach", edken "to regenerate", edkenning "regeneration", edquick "restored to life", edchigh "to recall", edgin "to begin again", edchar "return", edquid "relation, narrative", edledge "to repeat", edhue "to reshape", edsight "a relooking", edyield "repayment", edyieldend "remunerator", edyoung "young again", edshaft "new creation", edgift "restitution", edlean "reward", edleanend "rewarder".
Eft- is used as latin re- as well, meaning "back" or "again": Eftcome "to return", eftakenned "born again", eftforgiveness "remission", eftflow "to flow back", eftboot "restoration to health", eftsoon "soon again", eftarise "to arise again", eftarist "resurrection".
El- gives the meaning "other" or "foreign": Else "otherwise" eltheed "foreign nation", eltheedy "foreign", elland "foreign land", ellandish "foreign", elrordy "of strange speech", elhued "changed in colour", eller "elsewhere".
Even- is used as Latin equi- or co- expressing equality and mutualness: Evenbliss "to rejoice equally", evencome "to come together", evensorrow "to commiserate", evenold "contemporary", evenkemp "fellow soldier", evenlearner "fellow student" evenchristian "fellow Christian", evenwright "fellow worker", evennight "equinox", evenworth "equivelant", evenholy "equally holy", evenhigh "equally high".
For- expresses a sense of negativeness or simply intensifies the meaning of a word: Forbode "prohibition", forhold "to forsake" forlead "to mislead" forlive "to degenerate", fordeem "to condemn", forsee "to neglect", forworth "to perish", forlet "to abandon", forthink "to repent", forlie "to commit adultry", forspend "to exhaust", forspeak "to speak amiss", forswie "to pass over in silence", forwarp "to throw away", forold "to grow old/to decay" forhave "to restrain" forgnaw "to eat up" forweird "destruction", forcouth "infamous" forhard "very hard", forweary "very weary", formany "very many", foroft "very often".
Full- expresses being or doing something very, fully or completly: Fulldo "to do fully", fullbeet "to amend fully", fullwork "to work fully", fulltimber "to build fully", fullgrow "to grow fully" fullgo "to accomplish" fullend "to end fully" fullbright "very bright" fullgood "very good", fullblithe "very happy", fullfair "very fair", fullweary "very weary", fullthungen "fullgrown".
From the Early English prefix ge- (pronounced "ye"). Used as latin co- meaning "with, together", or to intensify meaning. In verbs it is sometimes only used in the past participle form of the verb to indicate completion of an action. In words such as iwho, iwhere, etc, it gives the sense "each, every": Iwis "certainly", iwork "workmanship", ifere "companion" and as an adverb "together", imong "mixture", imoot "assembly", ikind "nature", ishaft "creation", ifay "a joining", ithank "thought; intention; gratitude", isith "companion", irord "voice", iwrit "a writing", ibead "prayer", ithring "crowd", itheed "language", ished "distinction", itale "number, reckoning", iwold "rule, control", ishie "pair of shoes", ithoft "comrade", idole "division", ichoose "to choose", iknow "to know", imean "common", ithewed "mannered", ibeaten "beaten", iclad "clad", iclept "called", ilike "alike", iwho "each one, everyone", iwhat "each thing", iwhether "both, either, each", iwhich "each", iwhence "from every quarter", iwhere "everywhere", iwhither "in every direction, everywither".
Imb- means "around" or "about": Imbgang "a going about", imbthink "to think about", imbshine "to shine around or upon", imbfare "a circuit", imbclip "to embrace", imblie "to lie around something", imbset "to set around", imbhow "consideration", imbspeak "to speak about", imbrun "a running around or circuit" (altered to ember in Ember Days).
O- expresses "ever, every, any": Owho "anyone", owhere "anywhere, wherever", owhen "whenever, any or every time", owhence "from any whence", owhither "in any direction", owhat "anything".
Added to words with the prefix i-/ y- (iwhere, iwho, etc.) o shows up as a or e: Aiwhere "everywhere", aiwither "in all directions", aiwhence "from all parts, everywhere", aiwho "each one, everyone", aiwhat "anything", aiwhose "altogether, in every way, entirely", aiwhich "each, every", ei(whe)ther "each of two, both"
Or- expresses the meaning "out" or "without":Ordeal "something dealt out, a trial", orsorrow "without sorrow", orworth "shame", ormeet "immense", orween "without hope", ormood "despondant", oreye "invisible", orthank "intelligence", orsoul "lifeless".
Sin- (sometimes spelt sen-) is used as latin semper meaning " always, ever, everlasting": Sinsorrow "endless sorrow", sindream "endless joy", sinnight "endless night", sinhere "immense army", sinship "marriage, wedlock", singrim "ever fierce", sincold "endless coldness" sengreen "(literally "evergreen") houseleek".
Through- means "through" or "very": Throughbreak "to break through", throughgo "to go through", throughsee "to see through", throughsting "to pierce through", throughcleanse "to cleanse thoroughly", throughstand "to stand through, to continue", throughshoot "to shoot through, pierce", throughdrive "to penetrate", throughstrong "very strong", throughshildy "very guilty", throughbitter "very bitter", throughbright "very bright", throughwise "very wise".
To- is used to mean "to" or "at" or "this": Toyear "this year", tocome "arrival", tospeech "speech to another", tohight "hope", toknow "to acknowledge".
In verbs, it is also used to mean seperation, splitting, destruction: Toburst "to burst apart", tobreak "to break in pieces", totear "to tear to pieces", toflow "to flow apart", towarp "to throw down", tohack "to hack to pieces", todeal "to divide", toblow "to blow in pieces", tobeat "to beat severely", towend "to overturn", tochine "to split open" torend "to rend apart" toshake "to shake in pieces".
Wan gives a sense of lacking, waning, or wanting: Wanton "illdisciplined", wanhope "despair", wanshape "deformity", wanspeed "poverty", wantruth "incredulity", wanspeedy "poor", wanwhole "unsound", wanhealth "weakness", wanhave "a poor person", wanhavel "needy", wanhavelness "want, hunger".
With means "against": Withspeak "to contradict", withwin "to fight against", withspurn "to hit against", withcleep "to call back", withset "to withstand", withsetness "opposition", withgo "to go against", withqueath "to speak against", withlead "to lead away", withchoose "to reject", withfight "to fight against", withfightend "adversary", withmete "to compare with or liken to", withmetingly "comparative", withsake "to forsake", withhave "to oppose or resist", withsay "to renounce".
Wither means "contrary" or "opposing", similar to latin contra: Withersake "adversary, apostate", withersaking "apostasy", witherquid "contradiction", witherdeed "hostile deed", withergame "contest", witherqueddle "contradicting", witherside "opposite side", witherqueddleness "contradiction", witherread "contrary, opposed", witherchar "to turn against", witherstand "to resist", withermood "contrary-minded", witherfight "hostile fight", witherstall "resistance", witherspeakend "a contradicter", witherwin "contest", withertrode "retreat", witherling "adversary", witherward "contrary", witherlean "requital".
Yond means "over" or "through": Yondwade "to know thoroughly", yondthink "to think over or through", yondlight "to illuminate", yondlightend "illuminater", yondshrithe "to pass through", yondsee "to examine", yondard "to inhabit", yondshine "to shine over or through", yondblow "to inspire", yondfare "to fare over or through", yondflow "to flow over or through".
-ber gives the meaning "bearing, having,, full of": Featherber "bearing feathers", atterber "bearing poison", manber "producing men", stenchber "bearing stench", fireber "fiery", hornber "bearing horns", tungleber "bearing stars", appleber "bearing apples", wholeber "wholesome", laughterber "laughter-bearing", wassomber "bearing fruit", quildber "deadly, destructive", lustber "desirable", woodber "bearing wood", chessilber "gravelly", lightber "bearing light", sleepber "soporific", weaponber "weaponbearing", wieber "warlike", grameber "bearing rage", qualmber "deadly".
-bore gives the meaning "bearer": Swordbore "swordbearer", weaponbore "weaponbearer", roodbore "crossbearer", wroughtbore "accuser", keybore "keybearer", ashbore "spearbearer", moundbore "protector", lightbore "lightbearer", candlebore "acolyte", readbore "counsellor", strailbore "archer", woothbore "poet".
-craft means "might, skill, art": Witchcraft "witch's art, magic", songcraft "art of singing", smithcraft "manual art", staffcraft "grammar", grammaticcraft "grammar", flitcraft "art of dispute", handcraft or handicraft (handy + craft) "manual art", balecraft "baleful craft", feathercraft "skill of feather-embroidery", moodcraft "intelligence", libcraft "skill of using drugs or charms", thillcraft "elocution, rhetoric", wiecraft "warcraft", shincraft "sorcery", gleecraft "music, minstrelsy", earthcraft "geometry", dwolecraft "occult art, magic", dreamcraft "art of music", shipcraft "ship building", metercraft "art of versifying", windcraft "embroidery", snittercraft "wisdom", swaycraft "musical art", rimecraft "arithmetic", towcraft "spinning", workcraft "mechanics", bleecraft "art of embroidery", leasecraft "false art", tunglecraft "astronomy", shopecraft "poetry", sundercraft "special power", nithcraft "malice", worldcraft "worldly skill", sarecraft "artifice".
a) Used to express the material something is made of: Milken "of milk", treen "of tree", hairen "of hair", goaten "of goat", siden "of silk", stonen "of stone", bonen "of bone" beechen "of beech", rosen "of roses", beanen "of beans", sheepen "of sheep" twinen "of twine", whalen "of whale", hornen "of horn", flinten "of flint", fellen "of skins", hazelen "of hazel", fleshen "of flesh", deeren "of animals", blooden "of blood", firen "of fire", liften "of air", tinen "of tin", tilen "of tile", steelen "of steel", harten "of hart", thornen "of thorn", rinden "of rind" pitchen "of pitch", coppern "of copper", wheaten "of wheat", pallen "of pall", tunglen "of stars", swinen "of swine", hounden "of hounds", purpuren "of purple", boxen "of boxwood", ryen "of rye", rushen "of rushes", ottern "of otter", flooden "of river", feathern "of feathers", holmen "of holmtree", clayen "of clay", quickbeamen "of aspen", fixen "of a fox", brocken "of badger's skin", wiretreen "of myrtle", beren "of barley", attern "of poison", oiltreen "of olivetree", linden "of limetree", whilen "of a while".
b) Used to form feminine nouns from nouns that usually refer to males: Gidden "goddess", minken "female monk, a nun", thinen "female thane", shilken "female servant", mennen "handmaid", thiften "handmaid", thuen "female slave".
The original present participial ending (equivelent to Modern English -ing as used in participles), used as a suffix, betokens a doer in respect to a particular deed: Fiend "hating one", friend "freeing one, loving one", tiend "accusing one, accuser" wiend "warring one, a warrior" healend "healing one, healer; Christ", bearend "bearing one", allwoldend "allruling one (God)", trimmend "strengthening one, a supporter", listend "listener", swallowend "whirlpool", aleesend "redeemer", beswikend "deceiver", havend "owner", tealend "reprover", metend "one who metes", deemend "judge" dealnimmend "participator" quellend "murderer", sellend "giver", sayend "sayer", wreakend "avenger", ednewend "restorer", ridend "rider", hatend "hating one, enemy", galend "enchanter".
Means "fastened, firm, strong": Steadfast "firm in place", doomfast "just" winfast "pleasant", bleadfast "glorious", siefast "glorious", truefast "loyal", errandfast "bound on an errand", earthfast "fixed in the earth", handfast "handfastened", soothfast "righteous", lifefast "living", hyefast "wise", housefast "having a house", lidfast "fastened by a lid", wifefast "bound to a wife, married", hearthfast "having a settled home" wisefast "wise", mainfast "vigorous", witfast "strong witted", wordfast "true to one's word", orefast "respected", howfast "prudent", lairfast "sick", givefast "gifted", metefast "moderate", readfast "resolute", thewfast "virtuous", shamefast "modest" (also to -faced in shamefaced).
-inchel indicates "little": Houseinchel "little house" stoneinchel "little stone" shipinchel "little ship" ropeinchel "little rope", coveinchel "little chamber", haftinchel "little slave", towninchel "little town", thueinchel "little servant", burthinchel "little burden", dookinchel "little bastard", lithinchel "little limb", boughinchel "little bough".
Equivalent to the latin suffix -able, and -ive: Bearingly "bearable", lovingly "loveable", sellingly "sellable", unafightingly "unfightable", unhealingly "unhealable", atiringly "exhaustable", awendingly "changeable", willingly "desirable", wishingly "desirable", unafillingly "unfillable", afandingly "proveable", beweepingly "lamentable", bighingly "flexible", dreezingly "perishable", aslakingly "remissive", unoverswithingly "unconquerable", fallingly "unstable", dealnimmingly "participial", unaleavingly "unallowable", stirringly "mobile", unbearingly "unbearable", fillingly "expletive" havingly "habile", todealingly "seperable", unbereavingly "unbereavable", yearningly "desirable", halsingly "entreatable", unleesingly "inextricable", brookingly "serviceable", followingly "that should be followed", broseningly "corruptible", unarimingly "innumerable", netheringly "deserving to be lowered", adreadingly "terrible", unfoulingly "incorruptible", towarpingly "destructable", yissingly "insatiable", herryingly "laudable", unawendingly "unchangeable", likingly "agreeable", swearingly "jurative", swimmingly "able to swim", throughwoningly "continuous", forhowingly "contemptible", unbroseningly "incorruptible", hispingly "abominable", untholingly "intolerable", unweeningly "incalculable", leadingly "ductile", toleesingly "destructive", reezingly "perishable", lodingly "excusable", unasayingly "unspeakable", unastirringly "immoveable", untiringly "undefatiguable", losingly "ready to lose", unforbowingly "unavoidable", freedingly "perceptable", unbighingly "inflexible", tweeingly "doubtful", gropingly "tangible", unendingly "infinitive, infinite", aseekingly "seekable", beweddingly "relating to marriage", unwoningly "uninhabitable", ungripingly "incomprehensible", untweeingly "indubitable", belodingly "apologetic", eldingly "dilatory", undertheedingly "subjunctive", tightingly "horatory", untellingly "indescribable", owningly "possessive', mistightingly "dehortative", atbraidingly "ablative", helpingly "helpable", huingly "metaphorical", unforrottingly "incorruptable", atewingly "indicative", beckoningly "indicative", bebiddingly "imperative", swayingly "vocal, vowel", chighingly "vocative", cleepingly "vocalic, vocative", namingly "nominative", aginningly "inchoative", ashearingly "disjunctive".
-kin means "a kin, kind, race, species, family": Mankin "mankind", wifekin "womankind", Anglekin "the English kin", Walkin "The Welsh kin" deerkin "species of animal", fowlkin "a race of birds", fishkin "species of fish", flykin "species of fly", seedkin "a kind of seed", bookkin "a kind of book", ernkin "a kin of eagles", reedkin "kind of reed", wheatkin "kind of wheat", neatenkin "kind of animals", fivelkin "race of seamonsters", treekin "species of tree", orfkin "cattle", peasekin "kind of pease", ravenkin "a kin of ravens", hawkkin "a kin of hawks", wilderkin "species of wild beasts", wormkin "species of snake", meatkin "kind of food", nadderkin "species of snake", entkin "the race of giants", weaponedkin "the male sex", werekin "mankind", gomekin "mankind", wortkin "species of plant", applekin "kind of apple".
-kind means "of this or that kind or origin": Athelkind "of noble birth", worldkind "worldly", godkind "divine", ghostkind "spiritual", heavenkind "heavenly", soulkind "of the soul", earthkind "earthly", farkind "from afar, foreignborn", angelkind "angelic", devilkind "of the devil", evilkind "evil".
Used to emphasize advancement: Beknowledge "to acknowledge", nighledge "to approach", summerledge "to become summery", winterledge "to become wintry", youngledge "to pass one's youth, to grow up", evenledge "to become evening", rightledge "to make right", meteledge "to moderate", loveledge "to praise", wistledge "to feast", couthledge "to make known", swathledge "to search out", loomledge "to frequent or to be frequent", foeledge "to be as a foe to", theedledge "to adhere to", evenledge "to be like or even, to imitate", dreeledge "to put in order", gainledge "to unite or join", thristledge "to dare", durstledge "to dare", wareledge "to warn", knordledge "to be diligent, to study", limpledge "to unite", fereledge "to associate with", edledge "to repeat", hueledge "to form", kirtenledge "to beautify", wonderledge "to make wonderful".
-lest gives the meaning "a lack or devoidness": Belieflest "lack of belief", sorrowlest "freedom from sorrow", recklest "carelessness", loaflest "lack of loaf", angetlest "lack of understanding", roomlest "lack of room", lorelest "lack of lore", hyelest "thoughtlessness", sleeplest "sleeplessness", yeamlest "carelessness", waylest "a trackless place", waterlest "lack of water", wifelest "lack of women", mindlest "mindlessness, madness", witlest "lack of wit", havenlest or havelest "poverty" witelest "freedom from punishment", lifelest "loss of life, death", mainlest "lack of strength".
-lock has a meaning toward "doing" or "giving": Wedlock "a pledging", reaflock "robbery", evenlock "evening sacrafice", bridelock "bridegift, bridal", brewlock "brewing", fightlock "fighting", liblock "use of a drug or charm" dwimmerlock "magic play", witelock "punishment", masslock "an offering at mass", quicklock "a living sacrafice", burnlock "a burnt offering", wroughtlock "accusation", bodelock "decree", heamedlock "coition", shinlock "magic", wordlock "speech", wifelock "cohabitation".
-low means "liar" or "breaker": Truelow "pledgebreaker", wedlow "violator of an agreement", wordlow "liar", oathlow "oathbreaker", theedlow "arch-liar", warlow "trothbreaker, traitor" (-low spelt as -lock in warlock).
-ly means "like" or "having the qualities of": Sheeply "of a sheep", herdly "pastoral", sealy "marine", wively "feminine", werely "masculine", lorely "educational", headly "capital", liftly "aerial", waterly "aquatic", stowly "local", childy "childish", thewly "customary, moral", summerly "of summer", harvestly "autumnal, of harvest", leethly "versified", shopely "poetic", bookly "of books, biblical", soothly "true", dreamly "joyous", herely "martial", winly "pleasant", churchly "ecclesiastical", bishoply "episcopal", minsterly "monastic", tidely "timely", lichhamely "bodily", deedly "active", monkly "monastic", floatly "nautical", downly "of a mountain", houndly "canine", giddenly "of a goddess", fierdly "martial", wiely "warlike", fieldly "rural", theedly "national", folkly "public", mightly "possible", ealy "of a river", unmightly "impossible", deadly "mortal", undeadly "immortal", mornly "matutinal", evenly "of the evening", sunly "solar", moonly "lunar", craftly "technical", flitcraftly "logical".
-meal indicates "by the measure of": Stoundmeal "moment by moment", bitmeal "bit by bit", dealmeal "part by part", sheafmeal "in bundles", throwmeal "at times", heapmeal "heap by heap", stitchmeal "little by little", flockmeal "flock by flock", limbmeal "limb by limb", wreadmeal "in companies", dropmeal "drop by drop", showermeal "shower by shower, stormily", sneadmeal "piece by piece", burthenmeal "a burden at a time", threatmeal "in swarms", acremeal "acre by acre", stepmeal "step by step", prickmeal "point by point", namemeal "name by name", poundmeal "pound by pound", weekmeal "week by week", yearmeal "year by year", knotmeal "'strictim' unthoroughly", sundermeal "seperately", footmeal "step by step", flitmeal "contentiously", thousandmeal "in thousands".
-mood means "-minded or spirited": Eathmood "humbleminded", sorrimood "sorrowful", highmood "highspirited", drearimood "dreary-mooded", angmood "sorrowful", thildmood "patient", hardmood "hardspirited", longmood "patient", gladmood "gladspirited", stithmood "resolute", blithemood "happy-spirited", onemood "unanimous", sweermood "sad", thanklemood "thoughtful", fastmood "firm in mind", tornmood "angry", littlemood "pusilanimous", overmood "proud, haughty", swithmood "stoutspirited", ormood "despondant", golemood "wanton", heavimood "oppressive".
-red means "a state or condition": Kindred "kinfolk", hatred "state of hate", lovered "state of love", beadred "prayer, intercession", housered "household", hieldred "fidelity", leedred "country", forethingred "intercession", huered "family", friendred "friendship", fiendred "emnity", gossipred "sponsorial obligation", herdred "custody, keeping", thingred "intercession", thoftred "fellowship", maithred "relationship", writred "written condition", manred "allegience, homage", thanered "service", ferered "companionship", folkred "people", mastenred "right of feeding swine in mast pastures", wortkindred "the vegetable world", truered "fidelity", worldred "condition of the world", witered "punishment", teenred "abuse or injury", wiered "state of war", brotherred "fellowship", couthred "familiarity", fellowred "fellowship", neighbourred "neighbourhood", holdred "loyal service", sibred "affinity", theedred "fellowship".
The possessive s (as in George's) is used to make adverbs and prepositions: Always "of all ways", needs "of necessity", eftsoons "soon again" adays or days "by day", anights or nights "by night", besides "furthermore", lifes "with life, alive", words "by word", deeds "by deed", unawares and unwares "in unawareness", sunderlipes "seperately, untharfs "without cause", alls "entirely", nalls "not at all, by no means", forthrights "without a break", sungangs "moving with the sun", westrights "due west", eastrights "due east", northrights "due north" southrights "due south", thanks "thankfully", daylongs "for a day", nightlongs "for a night", yearlongs "for a year", howgates "in what manner", somes "in some degree", rights "rightly, straightly", atrights "almost, nearly", anonrights "right at once", betimes "in good time", towards "in the direction", wills "willingly", unwills "unwillingly", selfwills "of one's own will"; also once (= ones) "at one time", else (=els) "otherwise".
A few words often have t following the s: Whiles or whilst "in the while, meanwhile", amids or amidst "in the middle of", tomids or tomidst "in the middle of", agains or against "in opposition to", togains or togainst "in opposition to", alongs or alongst "by the side or length of", amongs or amongst "in the midst of".
-spel gives the meaning "discourse, news, tidings": Gospel "good news", woespel "woeful discourse", rightspel "rightful discourse", soothspel "true discourse", oldspel "old saying", mornspel "morning news", liefspel "pleasant discourse", loathspel "loathsome discourse", fearspel "dreadful discourse", leasespel "false discourse", bookspel "tale in a book", balespel "baleful message", lorespel "educational discourse", nightspel "charm said at night", sorespel "sorrowful discourse", byspel "proverb, parable", forthspel "declaration", liespel "false discourse", gouthspel "tidings of war".
-staff or its plural -staves implies "a condition of": Orestaff "kindness", weirdstaff "decree of fate", wraughtstaff "accusation", sorrowstaff "sorrow", harmstaff "harm", fokenstaff "treachery", edwitestaff "reproach, disgrace", inwitstaff "wickedness", endstaff "end, conclusion".
-ware means "inhabitants, people": Earthware"inhabitants of earth", heavenware "inhabitants of heaven", upware "inhabitants of heaven", hellware "inhabitants of hell", marshware "inhabitants of marshes", Kentware "inhabitants of Kent", chesterware "citizens", evenchesterware "fellow citizens", churchware "congregation", boroughware "citizens", holiware "saints", leedenware "latin people, Romans", Romeware "inhabitants of Rome".