Prefix · many / multiple
Signals many or multiple: polygon, polyglot, polymer, polymath, polyphony.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
Poly- comes from Greek "polys" (many, much) and signals plurality or multiplicity: polygon = a figure with many angles and sides; polyglot = a person who speaks many languages; polymer = a molecule made of many repeated units; polymath = a person with knowledge in many fields; polyphony = music with many simultaneous voices. Spanish equivalent: "poli-."
In chemistry, poly- signals molecules with many units: polymer = a polymer (plastics, nylon, and DNA are all polymers); polyester = a fibre of many ester units; polyethylene = the most common plastic. In linguistics: polysemy = a word with many meanings. In society: polygamy = marriage with multiple spouses. The prefix is remarkably versatile across disciplines.
Attaches to nouns and adjectives. Spanish equivalent is "poli-":
Pronunciation: /ˈpɒli/. Spanish uses "poli-" (polígono, polímero, políglota). Only the spelling of the prefix differs; the meaning is the same.
poly-/ˈpɒli/
Tap the button to hear how the prefix sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
A polygon can be regular (all sides and angles equal, like a regular hexagon) or irregular (varying sides and angles). A scalene triangle is a polygon. The term only requires a closed flat shape with straight line segments.
"Polymer" covers far more than plastic. DNA is a polymer of nucleotides; proteins are polymers of amino acids; silk and wool are natural polymers. Plastics (polyethylene, nylon, PVC) are just the most visible category of synthetic polymers.
A trick to remember it
Poly- = "poli-" in Spanish: polygon = polígono, polymer = polímero, polyglot = políglota, polymath = polímata. Only the spelling changes. Remember: poly- = MANY (more than two). If it's exactly two, use bi- or di-; three = tri-; many = poly-.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"A ___ is someone who speaks several languages with a high degree of proficiency and fluency."
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
Which of the following is a NATURAL polymer rather than a synthetic one?
The prefix poly- signals many or multiple: polygon, polyglot, polymer, polymath, polyphony. In Spanish it usually maps to poli-.
The prefix poly- is pronounced /ˈpɒli/. For example, "polygon".
"gon" becomes "polygon". It is a typical example of the poly- prefix.
un-, re-, pre-, dis-, over-, in-... every beginning you need to unlock thousands of English words at once.