What does transfix mean?

Definitions for transfix
trænsˈfɪkstrans·fix

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word transfix.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. fascinate, transfix, grip, spellbindverb

    to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe

    "The snake charmer fascinates the cobra"

  2. transfix, impale, empale, spikeverb

    pierce with a sharp stake or point

    "impale a shrimp on a skewer"

Wiktionary

  1. transfixnoun

    A discontinuous affix, which occurs at more than one position in a word, typical of Semitic languages.

  2. transfixverb

    To render motionless, by arousing terror, amazement or awe.

  3. transfixverb

    To pierce with a sharp pointed weapon.

  4. transfixverb

    To fix or impale.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To Transfixverb

    To pierce through.

    Etymology: transfixus, Lat.

    Amongst these mighty men were women mix’d;
    The bold Semiramis, whose sides transfix’d

    With son’s own blade, her soul reproaches spoke. Fa. Qu.

    With linked thunderbolts
    Transfix us to the bottom of this gulph. John Milton, P. Lost.

    Diana’s dart
    In an unhappy chace transfix’d her heart. John Dryden, Homer.

    Nor good Eurytion envy’d him the prize,
    Though he transfix’d the pigeon in the skies. Dryden.

    Till fate shall with a single dart
    Transfix the pair it cannot part. Elijah Fenton.

Wikipedia

  1. Transfix

    In linguistic morphology, a transfix is a discontinuous affix which is inserted into a word root, as in root-and-pattern systems of morphology, like those of many Semitic languages. A discontinuous affix is an affix whose phonetic components are not sequential within a word, and instead, are spread out between or around the phones that comprise the root. The word root is often an abstract series of three consonants, though single consonant, biliteral, and quadriliteral roots do exist. An example of a triconsonantal root would be ḍ–r–b (ض ر ب) in Arabic, which can be inflected to create forms such as ḍaraba 'he beat' and yaḍribu 'he beats'. While triconsonantal roots are widely considered to be the most common state, some linguists posit that biliteral roots may in fact be the default, though at least one scholar is skeptical of the legitimacy of these claims.Transfixes are placed into these roots in assigned positions, dictated by templates which are tied to the specific meaning of a given inflection or derivation. The transfixes in the examples above are –a–a–a and ya––i–u. Transfixes are different from prefixes, suffixes, and infixes in that a complete transfix is the entire structure which is placed into a root. A transfix is not a combination of prefixes, suffixes, and infixes, but its own unique structure which is split through a word. Similarly, another difference transfixes hold from other affixes is that the individual components of the transfix are meaningless on their own. If we look again at ḍaraba, the components of the –a–a–a transfix do not encode any meaning individually. Only together do they create the tense meaning. The following are examples of verb inflection in Maltese, noun derivation in Arabic, and noun pluralization in Hausa, all three of which are Afro-Asiatic languages. The Maltese example efficiently demonstrates the broad nature of transfixes and how they can be inserted into a root. The Arabic example shows the ways in which a great variety of different nouns and verbs can be derived from a single root through the use of transfixes. The Hausa example demonstrates the presence of transfixation in non-Semitic languages, though the phenomenon does not seem to be attested outside the Afro-Asiatic family.

ChatGPT

  1. transfix

    Transfix is a verb which means to cause someone to be motionless with horror, wonder, or astonishment, or to pierce something with a sharp implement or weapon.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Transfixverb

    to pierce through, as with a pointed weapon; to impale; as, to transfix one with a dart

Wikidata

  1. Transfix

    In linguistic morphology, a transfix is a discontinuous affix which is inserted into a word root, as in root-and-pattern systems of morphology, like those of many Semitic languages. A discontinuous affix is an affix whose phonetic components are not sequential within a word, and instead, are spread out between or around the phones that comprise the root. The word root is often an abstract series of three consonants, though single consonant, biliteral, and quadriliteral roots do exist. An example of a triconsonantal root would be “d-r-b” in Arabic, which can be inflected to create forms such as daraba “to beat” and idribunna “beat them.” While triconsonantal roots are widely considered to be the most common state, some linguists posit that biliteral roots may in fact be the default, though at least one scholar is skeptical of the legitimacy of these claims. Transfixes are placed into these roots in assigned positions, dictated by templates which are tied to the specific meaning of a given inflection or derivation. The transfixes in the examples above are “a-a-a” and “i-i-unna.” Transfixes are different than prefixes, suffixes, and infixes in that a complete transfix is the entire structure which is placed into a root. A transfix is not a combination of prefixes, suffixes, and infixes, but its own unique structure which is split through a word. Similarly, another difference transfixes hold from other affixes is that the individual components of the transfix are meaningless on their own. If we look again at daraba, the components of the “a-a-a” affix do not encode any meaning unilaterally. Only together do they create the infinitive meaning.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Transfix

    trans-fiks′, v.t. to pierce through.—n. Transfis′sion, cross-section.—adj. Transfixed′.—n. Transfix′ion.

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of transfix in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of transfix in Pythagorean Numerology is: 3


Translations for transfix

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

  • طعن أو نفذ أو فعل شيئا فوراArabic
  • καρφώνω, καθηλώνω, διατρυπώ, ανασκολοπίζωGreek
  • lävistääFinnish
  • トランスフィックスJapanese
  • пронзатьRussian

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"transfix." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/transfix>.

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