Prefixes and Suffixes in Hebrew - Non Otiyot HaShimush

Non Otiyot HaShimush

These prefixes (Hebrew: תְּחִלִּית t'hilit) often come from loanwords from English (Latin, Greek, etc...) which are especially prevalent with technical and academic terms. Other prefixes are native to Hebrew (ex. rav). When the Hebrew prefix does not line up in similarity to the English, Greek, or Latin one that is because it is of Hebrew origin.

Prefix Origin Hebrew Meaning Examples
ex- Latin אֶקְס- eks former
  • אֶקְסְפּוֹזִיצְיָה ekspozitzya exposition
un-/non- English/ Latin אִי- i/נוֹן- non negation
  • אִי-אַלִּימוּת i-alimut non-violence
  • נוֹנְקוֹנְפוֹרְמִיזְם nonkonformizm nonconformism
in-/il-/im-/ir- Latin/ Biblical Hebrew אִי- i not, opposite of
  • אִירַצְיוֹנָלִי iratzyonali irrational
a- Greek אָ- a lacking in, lack of
  • אָפּוֹלִיטִי apoliti apolitical
  • אָ-מִינִי a-mini (means: a-sexual) asexual
pre- Latin פְּרֵה- pre/טְרוֹם- trom/קְדַם- kedam before
  • פְּרֵהִיסְטוֹרִי prehistori prehistoric
  • טְרוֹם-לֵדָתִי terom-ledati (means: pre-birth/pre-delivery (of a baby)) prenatal
  • קְדַם-סוֹקְרָטִית kedam-sokratit (means: Pre-Socratic) Pre-Socratic
pro- Greek פְּרוֹ- pro for, on the side of
  • פְּרוֹגְנוֹזָה prognoza prognosis
inter- Latin אִינְטֶר- inter/בֵּין- ben between, among
  • אִינְטֶרְנַצְיוֹנָל internatzyonal international
  • בֵּינְלְאֻמִּי benleumi (means: international) international
intra- Latin אִינְטְרָה- intra/תּוֹךְ- tokh/פְּנִים- pnim inside
  • אִינְטְרָנֶט intranet intranet
para- Greek פָּרָה- para beside, beyond
  • פָּרַפְּלֶג parapaleg
homo- English
 הוֹמוֹ- homo same
  • הוֹמוֹסֶקְסוּאָלִיּוּת homoseksualiyut homosexuality
hetero- English
 הֵטֵרוֹ- hetero, הֶטְרוֹ- hetro different
  • הֵטֵרוֹסֶקְסוּאָלִיּוּת heteroseksualiyut heterosexuality
di-/bi- Greek/English דּוּ- du two
  • דּוּ-תַּחְמֹצֶת du-tahmotzet (means: di-oxide) dioxide
  • דּוּ-לְשׁוֹנִי du-leshoni (means: bi-lingual) bilingual
geo- Greek גֵּאוֹ- geo relating to the earth or its surface
  • גֵּאוֹתֶרְמִי geotermi
retro- Latin רֶטְרוֹ- retro backwards
  • רֶטְרוֹאַקְטִיבִי retroaktivi retroactive
semi- Latin סֶמִי- semi half
  • סֶמִיטְרֵיְלֶר semitreiler semitrailer
hemi- Greek הֶמִי- hemi half
  • הֶמִיסְפֶרָה hemisfera hemisphere
electro- English אֶלֶקְטְרוֹ- elektro electric, electricity
  • אֶלֶקְטְרוֹאֶנְצֶפָלוֹגְרָף elektroentzfalograf electroencephalograph (EEG)
anti- Greek אַנְטִי- anti opposite
  • אַנְטִיכְּרִיסְט antikrist Antichrist
  • אַנְטִי-חֹמֶר anti-homer antimatter
infra- Latin אִינְפְרָה- infra below, beneath
  • אִינְפְרָה-אָדֹם infra-adom infrared
mono- English
 מוֹנוֹ- mono/חַד- had one, sole, only
  • מוֹנוֹלוֹג monolog monologue
  • חַד-לְשׁוֹנִי had-leshoni monolingual
uni- Latin חַד- had one
  • חַד-אוֹפַן had-ofan (lit. uni-wheel) unicycle
poly- Greek פּוֹלִי- poli many
  • פּוֹלִיגַמְיָה poligamya polygamy
multi- Latin מוּלְטִי- multi/רַב- rav many
  • מוּלְטִימֶדְיָה multimedya multimedia
  • רַב-לְשׁוֹנִי rav-leshoni multilingual
tele- Greek טֶלֶ- tele at a distance
  • טֶלֶסְקוֹפּ teleskop telescope
super- Latin סוּפֶּר- super/עַל- al/-עָל al over, above, more than, better
  • סוּפֶּרְנוֹבָה supernova supernova
  • עַל-טִבְעִי al-tivi supernatural
  • מַחְשֵׁב-עָל makhshav-al supercomputer
hyper- Greek הִיפֶּר- hiper extra specially, over, high
  • הִיפֶּרְאַקְטִיבִי hiperaktivi hyperactive
tri- Greek טְרִי- tri three
  • טְרִיאַתְלוֹן triatlon triathlon
re- Latin רֶ- re again, back
  • רֶאוֹרְגָּנִיזַצְיָה reorganizatzya reorganization
  • רֶה-אִרְגּוּן re-irgun reorganization
  • רֶבִיזְיָה revizya revision
sub- Latin תַּת- tat under, lower than, less than
  • תַּת-מוּדָע tat-muda subconscious
extra- Latin אֶקְסְטְרָ- ekstra/חוּץ- hutz outside
  • חוּץ-תָּאִי hutz-tai extracellular
  • אֶקְסְטְרָטֶרִיטוֹרְיָאלִי ekstrateritoryali extraterritorial
neo- Greek נֵאוֹ- neo new
  • נֵאוֹלוֹגִיזְם neologizm neologism
proto- Greek אָב- av first, original, father
  • אַבְטִיפּוּס avtipus prototype
socio- French סוֹצְיוֹ- sotzyo society, social, sociological
  • סוֹצְיוֹלִינְגְּוִיסְטִיקָה sotzyolingvistika sociolinguistics
hydro- Greek הִידְרוֹ- hidro relating to water, or using water
  • הִידְרוֹאֶלֶקְטְרִי hidroelektri hydroelectric
hypo- Greek הִיפּוֹ- hipo under or below something, low
  • הִיפּוֹגְלִיקֶמְיָה hipoglikemya hypoglycemia
iso- English
 אִיזוֹ- izo equal
  • אִיזוֹטוֹפּ izotop isotope
meta- Greek מֶטָ- meta after, along with, beyond, among
  • מֶטָבּוֹלִיזְם metabolizm metabolism
mega- English
 מֶגָה- mega very large, million
  • מֶגָהֶרְץ megahertz megahertz
micro- English
 מִיקְרוֹ- mikro minute size, 1/1,000,000
  • מִיקְרוֹסְקוֹפּ mikroskop microscope
trans- Latin טְרַנְס- trans across
  • טְרַנְסְאַטְלַנְטִי transatlanti transatlantic
idio- English
 אִידְיוֹ- idyo individual, personal, unique
  • אִידְיוֹמָטִי idyomati idiomatic
pyro- Greek פִּירוֹ- piro fire
  • פִּירוֹמֶטֶר pirometer pyrometer
  • פִּירוֹמָן piroman (means: pyro-maniac) pyromaniac
auto- Greek אוֹטוֹ- oto self
  • אוֹטוֹמָטִי otomati automatic

Read more about this topic:  Prefixes And Suffixes In Hebrew