Prefix · upon / over / after
Signals upon, over, or after: epidemic, epilogue, epicenter, epidermis, episode.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Epi- comes from Greek "epi" (upon, over, in addition to, after) and signals a superior position, addition, or point of origin: epidemic = a disease that falls "upon" the people (epi = upon + demos = people); epicenter = the point on the surface directly above the seismic focus; epidermis = the layer upon the dermis (the outer layer of skin); epilogue = a text that comes "after" or "upon" the main body of a work.
In literature: epilogue = the final section coming after the main body of the text; epigraph = a quotation or inscription at the start of a work; episode = "what comes upon or in addition to" the main plot. In biology: epigenetics = the study of gene expression changes "above" the genes (without altering DNA). In geography: epicenter = the point on the Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.
Attaches to scientific, literary, and technical nouns. Identical in Spanish and English:
Pronunciation: /ˈepi/. Identical in Spanish and English.
epi-/ˈepi/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"Epidemic" (epi- = upon + demos = people) = a disease spreading within a specific region or community. "Pandemic" (pan- = all + demos = people) = a disease spreading globally. COVID-19 was first an epidemic (Wuhan, China), then declared a pandemic when it spread worldwide. Geographic reach is the defining distinction.
The "conclusion" is part of the main body of a text, wrapping up the argument. The "epilogue" is an additional section that comes AFTER the formal conclusion, often telling the reader what happens to characters after the story ends, or offering an author's final thoughts. A text can have a conclusion without having an epilogue.
A trick to remember it
Epi- = "upon" or "over": epidemic = falling upon the people, epicenter = the point over the seismic focus, epidermis = the layer upon the dermis, epilogue = text after/over the main work. Identical in Spanish and English. Key distinction: epidemic (a region) vs pandemic (the whole world).
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"The author added an ___ set ten years after the final chapter, revealing what became of each character."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is the key difference between "epidemic" and "pandemic"?
The prefix epi- signals upon, over, or after: epidemic, epilogue, epicenter, epidermis, episode. In Spanish it usually maps to epi-.
The prefix epi- is pronounced /ˈepi/. For example, "epidemic".
"demic" becomes "epidemic". It is a typical example of the epi- prefix.
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