Category-changing English prefixes

 Following up on last week's discussion, I asked Google AI for a list of these prefixes, which I summarize here (unfortunately the books where I could look for truly comprehensive lists of words formed thereby are in storage...I mark the examples that I find dubious in various ways with [?])

en-/em-:   A] __V]  enable, enrich, embitter, enlarge

                N] __ V]: encase, entomb, enshrine, engulf, enslave, embody, embalm[?], encourage, enthrone, endanger

(Many more cases where the base exists as both V and N, calling for more detailed analysis: encode, enlist, entitle, entrap, enchain, encircle, empower, enfold, entrap…)

- all seem to take -ment (except embalm), probably -able if it makes sense

 This is by far the most productive 

 

de-: N] __ V]: debone, debug, declaw, delouse, dethrone, defrock, de-ice, defrost, deplane[?], decamp[?]

 - apparently 'dethronement' and 'decampment' exist; the rest don't seem happy with -ment

- I think -able is pretty good 

 

un-: N] __ V]: unearth, unveil, unfrock, unhorse[?], unnerve[?]     

- not sure this is real: the bases do exist as verbs in the dictionary, but they seem incredibly rare, so I guess this could have been synchronically reanalyzed as denominal

 -ment doesn't seem to work with these

'unhorseable' sounds laughable, but the rest seem OK with -able 

 

 a-:  N/V?] __ A]: afire, ablaze, aglow + other gl- formations, aboil, aflutter, awhirl, astir, abuzz, awash, asleep, afloat, adrift, afoot, askew

(not sure how many different meanings might be involved here or if this is synchronically live)

- nothing can suffix to these as far as I can see 

 

    Carson