I thought it would be helpful if my students understood what each NTF word means along with the meaning of the prefixes and suffixes. This vocabulary is included in their NTF lessons each month.Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #1
1. composer (com-pose-er) -- A person who creates music. (com- means with or together; pose means put; -er can mean a person or thing that does something)
2. discovery (dis-cover-y) -- To find something that was hidden. (dis- changes a word to its opposite meaning; cover can mean to hide something; -y means of or from)
3. encouragement (en-courage-ment) -- The act of inspiring someone with hope or confidence. (en- means in or make; courage means brave or confident; -ment means the act of)
4. hopeless (hope-less) -- Impossible, having no solution. (hope means to wish, expect or trust; -less means without)
5. impossible (im-possible) - Not able to happen, incapable of occurring. (im-changes the word to its opposite meaning; possible means capable of happening)
6. musician (music-ian) -- A person who makes music. (music means sounds that have rhythm, harmony and melody; -ian means a person who does something)
7. richest (rich-est) -- Having the most value. (rich means having high value; -est means the most)
8. unfriendly (un-friend-ly) -- Not kind or agreeable. (un- changes a word to its opposite meaning; friend means a person who is kind to another; -ly means resembling)Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #2
1. expensive (expense-ive) -- Not cheap, costs a great deal of money. (expense means something spent; -ive means related to)
2. governor (govern-or) -- an official elected or appointed to act as ruler, chief executive, or head of a political unit (govern means to control or direct; -or means a person or thing that does something)
3. impression (im-press-ion) -- Something made by pressing down, or an outward appearance, or portrayal of a person. (im- means into; press means to put pressure on; -ion is used to turn verbs into nouns)
4. independence (in-depend-ence) -- Freedom from control, support or influence by another. (in- can change the word to its opposite meaning; depend means to rely on; -ence means state or condition of)
5. submarine (sub-marine) -- An underwater vessel. (sub- means under; marine means relating to the sea)
6. transportation (trans-port-ation) -- The act of moving from one place to another. (trans- means across or through; port means bring or carry; -ation means an action or process)
7. unfinished (un-finish-ed) -- Not completed. (un- can change the word to its opposite meaning; finish means to complete; -ed means the word is in past tense form)Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #3
1. beautiful (beauty[i]-ful) -- Having qualities that are pleasing to the senses. [root word beauty (root word) means pleasing, attractive; the y is changed to i; -ful (suffix) means full of]
2. classify (class-ify) -- To arrange according to class or category. [class (root word) means a division based on quality, rank or grade; -ify (suffix) means to make or become]
3. community (com-[m]unity) -- An interacting group of various species living in the same area. [com- (prefix) means with or together; the m is doubled; unity (root word) means the state of being one]
4. communities (com-[m]unity[i]-es) -- Interacting groups of various species living in the same areas. [com- (prefix) means with or together; the m is doubled; unity (root word) means the state of being one; the y is changed to i; -es (suffix) changes the word community into its plural form]
5. electricity (electric-ity) -- A form of energy from nature or artificially produced. [electric- (root word) means of, relating to a form of energy; -ity (suffix) means the state or quality of]
6. happiness (happy[i]-ness) -- A state of joy, pleasure or satisfaction. [happy (root word) means to be joyful, elated or satisfied; the y is changed to i; -ness (suffix) means state or quality]
7. prettier (pretty[i]-er) -- To be more pleasing or attractive. [pretty (root word) means pleasing or attractive; the y is changed to i; -er (suffix) means more or greater]Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #4
1. continuous (continue-ous) -- Not stopping, without interruption. [continue (root word) means to go on without interrupting; the e is dropped; -ous (suffix) means "full of"]
2. conversation (converse-ation) -- oral communication between people; talking. [converse (root word) means to talk with others; the e is dropped; -ation (suffix) means "the result of" and is used to turn verbs into nouns]
3. forgotten (forgot[t]-en) -- to fail to remember; to not think of. [forgot (root word) means failed to remember; the t is doubled; -en (suffix) means "cause to be or have"]
4. nonliving (non-live-ing) -- not having life; dead. [non- (prefix) means the opposite of; live (root word) means to have life; the e is dropped; -ing (suffix) means "happening"]
5. swimming (swim[m]-ing) -- moving in water using limbs, fins and/or tail. [swim (root word) means to move in water using limbs, fins and/or tail; the m is doubled; -ing (suffix) means "happening"]
6. unpleasant (un-please-ant) -- not pleasurable or satisfying; offensive. [un- (prefix) means "the opposite of"; please (root word) means to give pleasure or satisfaction; the e is dropped; -ant (suffix) means "quality of"]
7. valuable (value-able) -- costing or bringing a high price. [value (root word) means monetary or material worth; the e is dropped; -able (suffix) means "worth or ability"]Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #5
1. dishonest (dis-honest) -- Not truthful; not worthy of trust or belief. [dis- (prefix) means "not; the opposite of"; honest (root word) means truthful; worthy of trust or belief]
2. illegal (il-legal) -- unlawful; prohibited by law. [il- (prefix) means "not; the opposite of"; legal (root word) means lawful; allowed by law]
3. irresponsible (ir-response-ible) -- not accountable for one's actions; unreliable. [ir- (prefix) means "not; the opposite of"; response (root word) means to act or answer in words or actions; the e in response is dropped; -ible (suffix) means "capable of"]
4. misunderstand (mis-understand) -- to take words or meanings in a wrong way; misinterpret. [mis- (prefix) means "not; the opposite of"; understand (root word) means to comprehend; to know]
5. performance (per-form-ance) -- a particular action such as acting in a musical or play before an audience. [per- (prefix) means "through, thoroughly, very"; form (root word) means to arrange in an order; -ance (suffix) means "the state or quality of"]
6. rearrange (re-arrange) -- to change the order of. [re- (prefix) means "again or back"; arrange (root word) means to put into order]
7. replacement (re-place-ment) -- a substitution or equivalent for something. [re- (prefix) means "again or back"; place (root word) means to put in a particular order; -ment (suffix) means "the state of being acted upon"]Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #6
1. deodorize (de-odor-ize) -- to remove an unpleasant scent. [de- (prefix) means "down or away"; odor (root word) means the property of a substance that activates the sense of smell; -ize (suffix) means "to make"]
2. different (differ-ent) -- not alike; not ordinary; unusual (adjective). [differ (root word) means to be unlike, dissimilar (verb); -ent (suffix) changes nouns and verbs to adjectives]
3. employee (employ-ee) -- a person working for another person or business for pay. [employ (root word) means to hire for a job; -ee (suffix) means "person who"]
4. international (inter-nation-al) -- of or pertaining to two or more nations or countries and their citizens. [inter- (prefix) means "between"; nation (root word) means a territory or country; -al (suffix) means "pertaining to"]
5. invasion (invade-sion) -- the act of entering as an enemy or harmful entity. [invade (root word) means to enter forcefully as an enemy; the letters d and e are dropped; -sion (suffix) means "the condition or state of being"]
6. prehistoric (pre-history-ic) -- the time or period prior to recorded history. [pre- (prefix) means "before"; history (root word) means the record of past events and times; the letter y is dropped; -ic (suffix) means "of, relating to"]
7. signature (sign-ature) -- a person's name written to identify him or her. [sign (root word) means to write down; -ature (suffix) means "the act, process or state of"]
Nifty Thrifty Fifty -- Month #71. antifreeze (anti-freeze) -- substance added to a solvent to lower its freezing point. [anti- (prefix) means "against"; freeze (root word) means to turn from water into ice]
2. forecast (fore-cast) -- to estimate in advance; to predict. [fore- (prefix) means "before; in front of"; cast (root word) means to throw; to direct]
3. midnight (mid-night) -- middle of the night, specifically 12 o'clock. [mid- (prefix) means "middle"; night (root word) means the period between sunset and sunrise]
4. overpower (over-power) -- to overcome using great force or strength; to overwhelm. [over- (prefix) means "more than, too much"; power (root word) means force, strength]
5. semifinal (semi-final) -- A match, competition, or examination that precedes the final one. [semi- (prefix) means "half"; final (root word) means occurring at the end]
6. supermarkets (super-market-s) -- a large store that sells food and household goods. [super- (prefix) means "really big"; market (root word) means a place where goods are for sale; -s (suffix) means "more than one"]
7. underweight (under-weight) -- weighing less than normal. [under- (prefix) means "below"; weight (root word) means the measure of the heaviness of an object]