Final answer:
The prefix 'con-' generally means 'together' or 'with', and can assimilate to 'cor-' in some words; 'demo-' means 'people', as in 'democracy'. Assimilation affects how prefixes merge with word stems, influencing word meaning.
Step-by-step explanation:
The prefix con- is a variant of com-, which typically means 'together' or 'with'. When this prefix is added to a stem that starts with certain letters, such as 'r', it can assimilate to forms like cor-. For example, con- + 'relation' becomes 'correlation', showing assimilation. The prefix demo- comes from Greek origin, meaning 'people', as seen in words like 'democracy' (rule by the people).
Understanding the significance of these prefixes can help students decode meanings of new words and enhance their vocabulary.
Consequently, recognizing the changes due to assimilation is essential when analyzing words and their structures.