Page:Hand-book of Volapük (Sprauge, 1888).djvu/54



There are also prefix-syllables which never occur separately and are not contractions of other words. The following are the most important of these inseparable prefixes :

Ne-, negativ, or contrary; un-, in-, dis-, non-, -less; neflen , enemy (unfriend); nelab, want (opposit of lab , possession); det , right [hand]; nedet, left ; nedanik , ungrateful; nebin , non-existence.

Le- intensiv ; very, highly, chief, arch- ; legudik, very good ; legletik , very great; lebijop, archbishop ; lezif , large city ( glezif is metropolis). Gle- indicates the highest or most important of its kind.

Lu-, small, insignificant, bad or contemptible. This prefix is frequently used where in English we use different words. Beg, a request, lubegel , a beggar, mendicant ; lufat, a step-father; lak , a lake, lulak , a pond; sanel , a physician, lusanel , a quack; s&ouml;lel , a ruler, lus&ouml;lel , a tyrant ; vomik , feminin, luvomik, effeminate.

(See suflix -il for a list of augmentativs and diminutivs.)

Ge-, back, re- ; gep&uuml;k , reply ; gekip&ouml;n , to keep back.

Be- is said to strengthen the meaning of the radical; it frequently means to cause or confer the thing expressed by the radical.

Da- denotes the completion or an action or the attainment of an object.

SUFFIXES
Some suffixes are formed by cutting off the beginnings of nouns.

From mul, month, -ul as a termination for the names or months. There are two sets of names for the months: one derived from the numerals, the other from the Roman names, ---