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    mis-
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    mis ( /mɪs/) is a non-cohering category-neutral native prefix and verbal particle found in verbs like misbruiken to abuse (cf. gebruiken to use) and misgrijpen to miss one's hold (cf. grijpen to grab), in nouns such as misbruik abuse, misverstand misunderstanding and miskraam miscarriage and in adjectives like mismoedig dejected, depressed and mistroostig dispirited. The meaning is negative, often more specifically wrongly or unsuccessful(ly). In nouns the stress is on the prefix, in adjectives it is on the base, and in verbs it is on the base when mis- functions as a prefix and on mis- when it functions as a particle.

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    [+]General information

    mis /mɪs/ is originally an adjective and/or adverb, related to the verb missen to miss (WNT). It combines mainly with verbs (cf. Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie (1995), Haeseryn 1997, Booij 2002: 116), sometimes behaving as a particle in separable complex verbs (e.g. in missnijden to cut wrongly: je hoeft niet bang te zijn dat die chirurg mis zal snijden you don't need to fear that that surgeon will cut wrong), other times as a prefix (e.g. in misbruiken to abuse: je hoeft niet bang te zijn dat die chirurg je zal misbruiken you don't need to fear that that surgeon will abuse you; Haeseryn 1997, Smessaert 2013:74, 77). Bases are usually simplex native verbs, nominal and adjectival mis- formations usually have a verbal origin.

    [+]mis as verbal particle

    mis as verbal particle usually takes simplex native verbs as basis. The result is a separable complex verb, e.g. mislopen walk the wrong way (< lopen walk) as in nu lopen we mis now we walk wrong now we're taking the wrong way. Occasionally the argument structure of the verb can change: simplex lopen walk is intransitive, only allowing for measure phrases (loopt ze drie kilometer, tien minuten, of een hele marathon? does she run three kilometers, ten minutes, or a whole marathon) (there is no direct equivalent for English I'll walk you home with lopen). The mis- formation mislopen, however, can take a human direct object as in ik ben je misgelopen (I planned to meet you) but I missed you.

    The semantic contribution of the particle is badly, wrongly.

    If mis functions as a particle, it carries stress: zorg dat je niet misloopt [zɔrχ dɑt jə nit ˈmɪs.lopt] care that you not wrong-walk see that you don't take the wrong way.

    [+]mis as verbal prefix

    mis as verbal prefix usually takes simplex native verbs as well, e.g. misleiden to mislead < leiden to lead. New forms are extremely rare. Verbs prefixed with mis- lack the ge- prefix in the past participle: misleid rather than *misgeleid. A verb such as mishandelen to ill-treat, to batter is probably not derived from simplex handelen to act but rather from prefixed behandelen to treat via affix substitution(Smessaert 2013: 99). Verbs with the prefix mis- are usually transitive, irrespective of the transitive properties of the base verb, but in the rare cases that mis- is attached to an ergative verb, the result is ergative as well (e.g. mislukken to fail) (Haas 1993: 139). Various mis- verbs are obligatorily reflexive, e.g. misrekenen to miscalculate: ik moet me misrekend hebben I must me miscalculated have I must have made a calculation error.

    If mis functions as a prefix, stress is on the base: ik ben mishandeld [ɪk bεn mɪs.ˈhɑn.delt] I am mistreated I have been ill-treated.

    extra

    Prefixal mis- is more popular in Belgium than in the Netherlands (ANS). Certain verbs with mis- are defective: miszeggen (< zeggen) occurs only as a past particle (ik heb toch niets miszegd? I have yet nothing mis-said I didn't say anything wrong, didn't I?).

    Occasionally, a form allows for use and analysis both as prefix and as a particle: misrijden (< rijden to travel) is ergative when it is a particle we zijn misgereden we are mis-driven we took the wrong way but reflexive when it is a prefix we hebben ons misreden we have us mis-driven we took the wrong way.

    [+]mis in nouns and adjectives

    Nouns such as misbaksel monster, misfire (cf. bakken to bake), misdaad crime (cf. daad deed and doen to do), misgreep mistake, blunder (cf. grijpen to grab), misinterpretatie misinterpretation, miskoop bad bargain (cf. kopen to buy), misbruik abuse and misvorming malformation are probably deverbal, but miskraam miscarriage is a genuine denominal mis- derivation according to ANS(Haeseryn 1997); Haas (1993: 147) is hesitant to propose an analysis. Mismanagement mismanagement may be a loan. In nouns with mis-, the stress is on the prefix.

    There is a small group of adjectives with mis- such as mismoedig dejected, depressed and mistroostig dispirited that are probably derived from nouns.

    [+]Phonological properties

    mis- is a non-cohering prefix, forming a prosodic domain that is separate from the base it attaches to. Syllabification respects the morphological boundary, so misoogst mis-harvest failure of the harvest is realized as [ˈmɪs.oχst] rather than [*ˈmɪ.soχst], notwithstanding the Maximal Onset Principle. The /s/ of mis- can assimilate in voice to a following voiced consonant, so in allegro speech a formation such as misdragen to misbehave can be pronounced like [ˈmɪz.dra.ɣən]. On the other hand, there are also cases where a voiced consonant following mis- becomes voiceless, e.g. misvatting misconception may be realized as [ˈmɪs.fɑ.tɪŋ].

    References
    • Booij, Geert2002The morphology of DutchOxfordOxford University Press
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Haeseryn, Walter, Romijn, Kirsten, Geerts, Guido, Rooij, Jaap de & Toorn, Maarten C. van den1997Algemene Nederlandse spraakkunstGroningenNijhoff
    • Haeseryn, Walter, Romijn, Kirsten, Geerts, Guido, Rooij, Jaap de & Toorn, Maarten C. van den1997Algemene Nederlandse spraakkunstGroningenNijhoff
    • Haeseryn, Walter, Romijn, Kirsten, Geerts, Guido, Rooij, Jaap de & Toorn, Maarten C. van den1997Algemene Nederlandse spraakkunstGroningenNijhoff
    • Instituut voor Nederlandse Lexicologie1995Het Woordenboek der Nederlandsche Taal (WNT)
    • Smessaert, Hans2013Basisbegrippen morfologieBasisbegrippen taalkundeLeuven/Den HaagACCO
    • Smessaert, Hans2013Basisbegrippen morfologieBasisbegrippen taalkundeLeuven/Den HaagACCO
    About this article
    Author(s): Ton van der Wouden
    Category: Dutch Morphology
    Keywords: prefixnegation
    Version: 1.0, December 2015
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Ton van der Wouden December 2015
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