Dismantling WordsAs we saw with Cognates, many French words can be understood because they resemble English words. However, if you can’t figure out the meaning of a word from its resemblance to an English word, don't despair. Try taking it apart. Some words cannot be broken down into smaller elements: there's not much you can do with borne or lien. But a great number, in both English and French, are made up of two or more bits, each with its own meaning. There are two ways of making compound words. The first is called Composition, which involves putting two independently existing words together, often two nouns, or a verb and a noun:
The other method of making compound words is called Derivation. It involves adding prefixes or suffixes to words or word elements.
Fortunately, prefixes and suffixes are very similar, and often identical, in English and French.
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