science

Interfix

Interfix is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Interfix rather than just read about it. In short: An interfix or linking element is a part of a word that is placed between two morphemes (such as two roots or a root and a suffix) and lacks a semantic meaning. Examples Formation of compound words In German, the interfix -s- has to be used between certain nouns in compound words, but not all, such as Arbeitszimmer ("workroom") as opposed to Schlafzimmer ("bedroom").

Key takeaways

Interfix belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Interfix to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Interfix from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An interfix or linking element is a part of a word that is placed between two morphemes (such as two roots or a root and a suffix) and lacks a semantic meaning.

Examples

Formation of compound words In German, the interfix -s- has to be used between certain nouns in compound words, but not all, such as Arbeitszimmer ("workroom") as opposed to Schlafzimmer ("bedroom"). This originates from the masculine and neuter genitive singular suffix -s. German has many other interfixes, for example -es-, -(e)n-, -er- and -e-. Not all of them originate from the genitive. Likewise, it is often stated that German interfixes originated from plural forms, when in fact German plural forms and linking forms developed parallel to each other and are only partly similar by coincidence. In Dutch, the interfix -e- (schwa) sometimes can be traced back to the original form of the first part ending in an -e that has been lost in the present day form: zielerust ("peace of mind") was derived in Middle Dutch from ziele ("soul") and rust ("rest, peace"), but modern Dutch has ziel for "soul". In other compounds the -e- stems from a case suffix: petekind ("godchild") from peet ("godfather") and kind ("child"). The very common interfixes -s- and -en- originally were genitive suffixes. The much less frequent -er- in compounds can be seen as the remnant of an original plural suffix: rundergehakt, "ground beef" from rund, plural runderen "bovine(s)". In English, when technical compound words are formed from non-technical roots, an -o- interfix is sometimes used, as o has come to be seen as a connecting vowel (speed-o-meter, mile-o-meter) by analogy to tacho-meter, odo-meter, compounds of which the first part comes from an Ancient Greek noun whose stem includes o. In Swedish, compound nouns are written as one word, and interfixes are very common. -s- is frequently used in this way, as in fabriksarbetare, which consists of fabrik ("factory") and arbetare ("worker"). Examples of other interfixes are -e-, as in when familj and far ("family" and "father") become familjefar, and -a-, when viking and by ("viking" and "village") become vikingaby. However, just like in Norwegian, not all compound words are written with an interfix. For example stenålder, which consists of sten ("stone") and ålder ("age"). Some words ending in a vowel lose the last letter. For example arbetarklass ("working class") consists of arbetare ("worker") and klass ("class"). Norwegian is closely related to Swedish and has a similar pattern, but uses interfixing somewhat more moderately. Examples: arbeid + rom = arbeidsrom ("workroom"), but fabrikk + arbeider = fabrikkarbeider and familie + far = familiefar. The most common interfix is -s-, but there are examples with -e-: barn + hage = barnehage ("kindergarten"), and bjørn + hi = bjørnehi ("bear hive" / "bear's nest"). In Serbo-Croatian, interfixes -o- and -e- are obligatory when forming a compound. For example, brod + gradilište = brodogradilište ("shipyard"), but kuća + pazitelj = kućepazitelj ("concierge"). Unless an interfix is added, the new-formed word is considered to be a word-joining, such as zimzelen (zima + zelen, "evergreen"). In Russian the most popular interfixes are letters -o- and -e- (Russian letters). For example: the word паровоз (пар-о-воз) — "parovoz" (par-o-voz) means "locomotive"; par means "steam" and voz means "cart".

See also Compound Linking and intrusive R Sandhi Thematic vowel

Notes

External links The dictionary definition of interfix at Wiktionary

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Interfix

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Interfix claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Interfix before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Interfix ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Interfix

In research: Interfix appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Interfix in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Interfix is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Affixes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Interfix outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Interfix in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Interfix means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Interfix out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Interfix in simple terms?

An interfix or linking element is a part of a word that is placed between two morphemes (such as two roots or a root and a suffix) and lacks a semantic meaning. Examples Formation of compound words In German, the interfix -s- has to be used between certain nouns in compound words, but not all, such…

Why does Interfix matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Interfix?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Interfix.