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so adoc provided a good example, saying that за means closure. But more often than not the prefix за- relates to starting something -- зачать means to begin/conceive, and закурить means to light...

You have posed a good question, but one that is very difficult to answer. There are two points.

1. Roots with meaning.
2. Prefixes and suffixes.

The basic Slavic root is CVC(C)- where C is...