The prefixes "sopra" and "sovra"

| Tue, 10/12/2010 - 10:45

Words by Pat Eggleton

Prefixes and suffixes, as we have seen, are often a clue to meaning.

Today we are looking at the prefixes sopra- and sovra- which denote a surplus of something:

La sovrappopolazione – overpopulation
La sovraffollamento – overcrowding
Sovraffaticato / a – overtired

Soprannaturale – supernatural
Il soprannome – nickname [ie., an extra name]

And a person who is absent-minded is “soprappensiero”, ie., he has too many thoughts going round in his head!