ffix is a significant syllable or syllables placed after and joined
with a word to modify its meaning: as, safeLY = in a safe _manner_; movABLE
= that may be moved; navIGATION = _act_ of sailing.

The word _affix_ signifies either a prefix or a suffix; and the verb _to
affix_ means to join a prefix or a suffix to a root-word.

EXERCISE.

Tell whether the following words are primitive or derivative, and also
whether simple or compound:--

1 grace
2 sign
3 design
4 midshipman
5 wash
6 sea
7 workman
8 love
9 lovely
10 white
11 childhood
12 kingdom
13 rub
14 music
15 musician
16 music-teacher
17 footstep
18 glad
19 redness
20 school
21 fire
22 watch-key
23 give
24 forget
25 iron
26 hardihood
27 young
28 right
29 ploughman
30 day-star
31 large
32 truthful
33 manliness
34 milkmaid
35 gentleman
36 sailor
37 steamboat
38 wooden
39 rich
40 hilly
41 coachman
42 warm
43 sign-post
44 greenish
45 friend
46 friendly
47 reform
48 whalebone
49 quiet
50 quietude
51 gardener
52 form
53 formal
54 classmate
55 trust
56 trustworthy
57 penknife
58 brightness
59 grammarian
60 unfetter

IV.--RULES OF SPELLING USED IN FORMING DERIVATIVE WORDS.

Rule 1.--_Final "e" followed by a Vowel._

Final _e_ of a primitive word is dropped on taking a suffix beginning with
a vowel: as, blame + able = blamable; guide + ance = guidance; come + ing =
coming; force + ible = forcible; obscure + ity = obscurity.

EXCEPTION 1.--Words ending in _ge_ or _ce_ usually retain the _e_
before a suffix beginning with _a_ or _o_, for the reason that _c_ and
_g_ would have the hard sound if the _e_ were dropped: as, peace + able
= peaceable; change + able = changeable; courage + ous = courageous.

EXCEPTION 2.--Words ending in _oe_ retain the _e_ to preserve the sound
of the root: as, shoe + ing = shoeing; hoe + ing = hoeing. The _e_ is
retained in a few words to prevent their being confounded with similar
words: as, singe + ing = singeing (to prevent its being confounded with
singing).

Rule II.--_Final "e" followed by a Consonant._

Final _e_ of a primitive word is retained on taking a suffix beginning with
a consonant: as, pale + ness = paleness; large + ly = largely.

EXCEPTION 1.--When the