The conversation between human and AI assistant.
Why do we have unused prefixes in some words, like Pneumatic?
That makes sense. Is there a specific reason why we keep these unused prefixes instead of just dropping them over time?
It's mainly because the spelling and form of a word can often give us clues about its etymology and meaning. By keeping the unused prefix in the word, we are able to preserve some of its history and connections to other languages or root words. Additionally, changing the spelling or form of a word can sometimes create confusion and make it harder to recognize or understand.