Here is a list of words that I and some friends believe are useful (and fun) even though each is missing its prefix. Criteria for inclusion is that a word not be an established or commonly used term, that it is the root of, or part of, another word, and that it is somewhat obvious once pointed out. These criteria are somewhat subjective. Therefore, ultimately, I get to decide if a word is included or not. Please e-mail any suggestions you have for the list to me at busselle@wsu.edu. So far thanks go out to Ann, Mike, Patty, Heather, Guy, Sarah, Newell, Dawn, Margaret and Tabitha, Jan, Robert, Chris, Juliet, Adam...

I’ve recently learned that these are called “back formations.” More can be found about these here. So, we don’t need a name for them anymore. Thank you, Juliet.

Here’s our list of back formation words.

go defeated – This is a variation on going undefeated. Adam said, “We beat Portland State. It may be our only win, but at least we won’t defeated this year.” Technically, I think it’s a back formation.

sertation - from dissertation; a short, unresearched, generally uninformed writing whose quality is exceedingly suspect.  Usage:  "That memorandum written by President Bush was just the latest of his many sertations."

stinct – Not extinct yet. Somewhat synonymous with endangered. Are unicorns stinct or extinct?

punity – knowing there will be repercussions, as in, “acting with punity.”

dulate – from undulate; to move without discernible tempo or changes in direction. Usage: “Other dancers watched John dulate mindlessly across the floor, apparently unconscious of the beat.”

picable – from despicable; admirable or enviable. Usage: “In a most picable display, the firefighter bounded up the tree, fearlessly plucking the hapless kitty from its perch.”

pute – from dispute; 1) an interaction in which there is virtually no disagreement or conflict. 2) accept without challenge or debate. Usage: “So unanimous were their views, the discussion quickly dissolved into a pute, leaving few with anything to offer.” Usage: “You’re so persuasive. Everything you say makes me want to pute.”

gruntled – from disgruntled; an individual’s state of happiness or positive valance. Usage: “How are you today?” “Well, I finished that paper and have a date tonight...I’m gruntled. Thank you for asking.”

sheveled – from disheveled; a state of being well organized, in control, or well groomed. Usage: “ My, is that a new suit? You’re looking rather sheveled today!”

peccable – from impeccable; flawed, containing errors, possessing imperfections. Usage: “The professor found my paper peccable.”

capitate – from decapitate; to keep or not loose one’s head. Usage: “Let’s try to remain capitated here.”

cliner – from recliner; 1) a straight-backed chair. 2) One who cannot relax or be unguarded. Usage: “There will be a lot of us in the living room. You better bring some cliners from the dining room.” “He won’t be any fun at the party. He’s a real cliner.”

crepit – from decrepit; a state of being well-maintained or like new. Usage: “I just bought a car that was owned by a little, old man who only drove it to church on Sundays. Boy, it’s crepit.”

lusional – from delusional; clear in thinking or well fixed in the agreed upon reality. Usage: “I’m impressed with your problem solving ability and lusional thinking. You’re hired!”

iterate – from reiterate; to tell. Usage: “I know this is new to you. Please let me iterate.”

rehended / hended – from apprehended; to release. Usage: “Mike fishes, but only catch-and-rehend.”

flapped/fappable – from unflappable; the quality of always remaining clam. Usage: “I thought I was unflappable. But Ann’s argument has me quite flapped.”

ept – from inept; able or with an ability. Usage: “When it comes to design issues, Mary Beth is as ept as anyone.”

sert – from insert; to remove from a holder or slot. Usage: “Sert that pencil from your nose right now young man!”

embowel – from disembowel; to leave internally intact or to return to an original internal state. Usage: “Say what you will about the Huns, at least they left their victims emboweled.” “We better embowel Dad’s sock drawer or he’ll suspect we’ve stolen some change.”

ranged -- from deranged; sane, normal, unaffected. Usage: “Yesterday seemed surreal to me, but today I feel ranged.” or “Now that she’s on her medication, she seems more ranged.”

vincible – from invincible; able to loose or vulnerable to defeat. Usage: “Oh yes, the Spartans have weaknesses. They’re a little vincible this year.”

licious – from delicious; of poor culinary quality. Usage: “The pasta is rubbery and the sauce is bland. This is the most licious spaghetti I’ve eaten in years?”

sidious – from insidious; abrupt and obvious. We need a example sentence.

plussed – from nonplussed; unsurprised, clear-minded, and certain how to react.
Usage:  “I was plussed by the reply.”

whelmed - from overwhelmed; able to cope, in intellectual control of the material or information at hand.

Usage: “I’m whelmed by the material and will have the project completed before I leave.”

Usage: “I was expecting an engagement ring. The nice sweater he gave me left me...well...whelmed.”

homeowork – from homeostais and homework; the point where a student is completely caught up on all their homework, and is therefore mentally stable. “I achieved homeowork. Wanna go to a movie?” (This is might be a sniglet.)

vert – from pervert; extremely normal person, sexually speaking. "You said you wanted to date me for two years, then get engaged and you don't want any sex until we're married and then only in the missionary position? What are you, some kind of vert or something?"

Dundant – from Redundant; not necessarily original, insightful or blatantly obvious, but still not repetitive. “The snow is pretty this time of year.”

fuscate* – from obfuscate

* indicates the word is somewhat controversial...with me.