Morphemes in “prehistoric”
“prehistoric” has 3 morphemes: pre- + history + -ic.
pre
prefix
+
histor
root
+
ic
suffix
Spelling changes when the parts join: the boxes show the letters as written; the morphemes themselves are pre- + history + -ic.
Each morpheme explained
| Morpheme | Type | Free / bound | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| pre- | derivational prefix | bound | before |
| history (written histor) | free root | free | the aggregate of past events |
| -ic | derivational suffix | bound | relating to, having the nature of |
How the word is built
history → prehistory → prehistoric
Each step adds one affix to the word before it; the root “history” is where the chain starts.
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Segmentation derived from MorphyNet (Batsuren, Bella & Giunchiglia, 2021; CC BY-SA 3.0, built from Wiktionary), with hand-written affix glosses and root meanings from WordNet. Reviewed for classroom use; tell us if you spot an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many morphemes are in "prehistoric"?
"prehistoric" has three morphemes: pre- + history + -ic.
How do you break "prehistoric" into morphemes?
pre- + history + -ic. The root is "history"; pre- is a derivational prefix, -ic is a derivational suffix.
What is the root word of "prehistoric"?
The root of "prehistoric" is "history", built up as history → prehistory → prehistoric.
Is this morphology tool free?
Yes. The Fixie morphological analyzer is free with no signup and runs in your browser.