§267. Syntactic Compounds

Many syntactic compounds are formed by prefixing a Particle to some other part of speech.

a. Prepositions are often prefixed to Verbs. In these compounds the prepositions retain their original adverbial sense:—

• ā, ab, AWAY: ā-mittere, to send away.
• ad, TO, TOWARDS: af-ferre ( ad-ferō), to bring.
• ante, BEFORE: ante-ferre, to prefer; ante-cellere, to excel.
• circum, AROUND: circum-mūnīre, to fortify completely.
• com-, con- ( cum), TOGETHER or FORCIBLY: cōn-ferre, to bring together; collocāre, to set firm.
• dē, DOWN, UTTERLY: dē-spicere, despise; dē-struere, destroy.
• ē, ex, OUT: ef-ferre ( ec-ferō), to carry forth, uplift.
• in (with verbs), IN, ON, AGAINST: īn-ferre, to bear against.
• inter, BETWEEN, TO PIECES: inter-rumpere, to interrupt.
• ob, TOWARDS, TO MEET: of-ferre, to offer; ob-venīre, to meet.
• sub, UNDER, UP FROM UNDER: sub-struere, to build beneath; sub-dūcere, to lead up
• super, UPON, OVER AND ABOVE: super-fluere, to overflow.

b. VERBS are also compounded with the following inseparable particles, which do not appear as prepositions in Latin:—

• amb- (am-, an-), AROUND: amb-īre, to go about (cf. ἀμφί, about).
• dis-, dī-, ASUNDER, APART: dis-cēdere, to depart (cf. duo, two); dī-vidĕre, to divide.
• por-, FORWARD: por-tendere, to hold forth, predict (cf. porrō, forth).
• red-, re-, BACK, AGAIN: red-īre, to return; re-clūdere, to open (from claudō, shut); re-ficere, to repair (make again).
• sēd-, sē-, APART: sē-cernō, to separate; cf. sēd-itiō, a going apart, secession ( eō, īre, to go).

c. Many Verbals are found compounded with a preposition, like the verbs to which they correspond:—

• per-fuga, deserter; cf. per-fugiō.
• trā-dux, vine-branch; cf. trā-dūcō ( trāns-dūcō).
• ad-vena, stranger; cf. ad-veniō.
• con-iux ( con-iūnx), spouse; cf. con-iungō.
• in-dex, pointer out; cf. in-dīcō.
• prae-ses, guardian; cf. prae-sideō.
• com-bibō, boon companion; cf. com-bibō, -ĕre.

d. An Adjective is sometimes modified by an adverbial prefix.

• Of these, per- (less commonly prae-), very; sub-, somewhat; in-, not, ar regular, and are very freely prefixed to adjectives:—

  per-māgnus, very large.	in-nocuus, harmless.
  per-paucī, very few.	in-imīcus, unfriendly.
  sub-rūsticus, rather clownish.	īn-sānus, insane.
  sub-fuscus, darkish.	īn-fīnītus, boundless.
  prae-longus, very long.	im-pūrus, impure.

• The negative in- sometimes appears in combination with an adjective that does not occur alone:—

  • in-ermis, unarmed (cf. arma, arms).
  • im-bellis, unwarlike (cf. bellum, war).
  • im-pūnis, without punishment (cf. poena, punishment).
  • in-teger, untouched, whole (cf. tangō, to touch, root TAG).
  • in-vītus, unwilling (probably from root seen in vī-s, thou wishest).

Part Second — Syntax