| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
|
8. Word Formation: Plurals, Possessives, Affixes, and Compounds
|
| § 22. hypo- |
| The prefix hypo- means “beneath, below, or under.” It can be traced back to the Greek prefix hupo-, from the word hupo, meaning “beneath, under.” A few English words, such as hypocrite, hypocrisy, and hypochondria, come from Greek words using hupo-. But most English words beginning with hypo- have been made up by scientists and physicians. Hypo- either means “below or under,” as in hypodermic, or “less than normal,” as in hypoglycemia. | 1 |
|
|
|
| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
|
|
