What term describes an element placed at the beginning of a word to adjust or qualify its meaning?

• A. Suffix
• B. Prefix
• C. Infix
• D. Circumfix

Answer: (B)

Prefix is the term for an element placed at the beginning of a word to adjust its meaning. By attaching a prefix to a base word, you can change whether the word means negation, repetition, or a time reference, among other nuances. For example, un- added to happy creates unhappy, signaling negation; re- added to do yields redo, indicating repetition or again; pre- added to view gives preview, indicating before. This is different from a suffix, which attaches at the end of a word to modify meaning or function, an infix, which inserts inside the word, or a circumfix, which surrounds the word with pieces on both ends. Prefixes are common in many languages and provide a flexible way to expand vocabulary without changing the core word.