Final answer:
A word that means 'to join again' is 'rejoin.' Word families often combine different prefixes and suffixes to create new meanings, and understanding these combinations helps with grasping the complexities of English language structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
In exploring the concept of word families, a student asked to make a word that means "to join again." The word that encapsulates this definition is rejoin, which literally means to join once more or to become part of again. This is derived from the prefix 're-' indicating repetition, and the base word 'join.' Just as the meaning of 'parent' has evolved beyond biological connections to include those who have the responsibility of a child's upbringing, words within a family can expand or shift in meaning to adapt to social changes.
Similarly, the words 'mother' and 'father' have stretched beyond the traditional roles of caregiver and breadwinner to represent various family dynamics.
Word formation in English often involves combining stems with prefixes and suffixes to create new meanings. For instance, when looking at stem words and suffixes, identifying spelling patterns such as the letter 'y' representing the long 'e' sounds as in 'galleries' or 'studies' can help students understand phonetics and morphology within the language.
Additionally, recognizing assimilation in words that contain double 'r' after prefixes like 'ad-', 'com-', or 'in-' further aids in unpacking the intricacies of English spelling and pronunciation.