Circumfix

A circumfix (abbreviated CIRC) or confix is an affix which has two parts, one placed at the start of a word, and the other at the end. Circumfixes contrast with prefixes, attached to the beginnings of words; suffixes, attached at the end; and infixes, inserted in the middle. Circumfixes are common in Malay and Georgian.

⟩Angle brackets⟨ are used to mark off circumfixes.

The circumfix is probably most widely known from the German past participle, which is ge⟩...⟨t for regular verbs. The verb spielen, for example, has the participle gespielt. Dutch has a similar system (spelen → gespeeld in this case). In Dutch, the circumfix ge⟩...⟨te can be used to form certain collective nouns (berg (mountain) → gebergte (mountain range)).

In Japanese, some linguists consider o⟩...⟨ni naru and o⟩...⟨suru to be honorific circumfixes; for example yomu...→ o⟩yomi⟨ni naru (respectful), o⟩yomi⟨suru (humble).

Malay has eight circumfixes:

For example, the circumfix ke⟩...⟨an can be added to the root adil "fair/just" to form keadilan "fairness/justice".

In most North African and some Levantine varieties of Arabic, verbs are negated by placing the circumfix ma⟩...⟨š around the verb together with all its prefixes and suffixed direct- and indirect-object pronouns. For example, Egyptian bitgibuhum-laha "you bring them to her" is negated as ma⟩bitgibuhum-lahā⟨š "you don't bring them to her".

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