ex-

Pronunciation

• Classical: [ɛks]^[1]
• Ecclesiastical: [eks]^[1]

Forms

ex- (also ē-, ef-, ec-)^[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *eks (“out”), inherited from Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs (“out”), the preposition ex used as a preverb.^[3][1][2] Before voiced consonants Latin has ⟨ē-⟩, from ⟨*egz-⟩, and before ⟨f⟩ ⟨ec-⟩, usually assimilated to ⟨ef-⟩.^[3]

Cognate with the preverbs Oscan eh- and Umbrian ehe-, Old Irish ess- and Ancient Greek ἐξ (ex, “out of”).^[3]

Semantic evolution

In compounds it means “out” or “away”, “throughout”, “thoroughly”, the achievement of an aim (as in expugnō and exōrō), and “up”; with nouns it can also be privative, as in exsanguis “bloodless”.^[2][1]

Meanings

Prefix

1. Out, away.^[2][1]
2. Throughout, to the end.^[2][1]
3. (intensive) Thoroughly.^[2][1]
4. Denoting achievement of an aim.^[2][1]
5. Up.^[2][1]
6. (privative) Without, deprived of.^[2][1]

Word family

• exeō
• exclūdō
• exclāmō
• ēveniō
• exōrō
• exstruō
• exanimō
• exaggerō
• exacuō
• ēmittō
• epōtō

Usage notes

ex- stands before vowels and before c, q, p, s and t; an s is sometimes absorbed (exilium, expecto), and the x is dropped in escendo and epoto.^[2] ē- is normal before g, b, r, l, n, m and consonantal i and u; before f the usual form is eff-, with ecf- and sometimes exf-.^[2][3]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill