ab-
Portuguese, prefix/ˈa.bi/
ab- is spelled A-B (2 letters) and appears 3.7 times per million words in written Portuguese, the 15,037th most frequent Portuguese word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). Ab- is a Portuguese prefix meaning “ab- (expresses the idea of intensity, separation, opposition)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) defines it as “prefixo que significa afastamento”.
What does ab- mean in English?
prefix
- 1
ab- (expresses the idea of intensity, separation, opposition)
Source: English Wiktionary, Portuguese section, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
How Portuguese dictionaries define it
prefix: 1. prefixo que significa afastamento 2. o mesmo que a-
noun: 1. quinto mês do calendário religioso judaico, correspondente a parte de julho e de agosto no calendário gregoriano
The definition in the Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), in Portuguese.
Source: Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário), dump of September 1, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org.
How do you pronounce ab-?
- Brazil /ˈa.bi/
- Portugal /ɐb/
- Portugal [ɐβ]
Sources: English Wiktionary, Portuguese Wiktionary (Wikcionário) (dumps of September 2, 2026 and September 1, 2026); recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
How common is ab- in Portuguese?
ab- appears 3.7 times per million words in written Portuguese.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).