Which affix type surrounds a word by attaching both before and after?

• A. Interfixes
• B. Prefixes
• C. Circumfixes
• D. Suffixes

Answer: (C)

Attaching something to a word on both the front and the back describes a circumfix. This kind of affix has two parts that together surround the base morpheme, wrapping around it rather than sticking to just one side. A common example is in German, where ge- sits at the front and -et or -t appears at the end to form a participle like gearbeitet from arbeiten. Prefixes stay at the front, suffixes stay at the end, and interfixes insert inside or between parts, so they don’t surround the whole base. That wrapping around the word is what defines a circumfix.