Page 47 - Perfect English Grammar: The Indispensable Guide to Excellent Writing and Speaking
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do exist tend to be informal or profane. They are usually reserved for extreme
emphasis. Here are some of the tamer ones: absolutely + bloody = abso-
bloody-lutely (mildly offensive in the UK) absolutely + bleeding (a
euphemized form of bloody) = abso-bleeding-lutely (mildly offensive in
the UK) absolutely + blooming = abso-blooming-lutely absolutely +
fricking (euphemism of an offensive word) = abso-fricking-lutely
absolutely + posi(tive) = abso-posi-lutely fantastic + fricking = fan-fricking-
tastic guaranteed + damn = guaran-damn-teed
4.4.4 COMMON PREFIXES
Prefixes go before a word.
PREFIX MEANING EXAMPLE
ab- away, from absent, abnormal
anti- against antifreeze, anticlimax
de- opposite of destruct, devalue
dis- not, opposite of disagree, discover
en-, em- cause to enact, encode,
embrace
fore- before, in front of forecast, foretell
in-, im- in, into income, infield,
imprint
in-, im-, il-, ir- not injustice, immoral,
illegal, irrational
inter- between, among interact, interrupt
mid- middle midlife, midway
mis- wrongly misfire, misspell
non- not nonsense,
nonviolent
