Suffixes
What are Suffixes?
Consider this sentence.
My friend has given me a book as a gift for my birthday.
In this sentence, the word ‘friend’ has been used as a noun to denote a person.
Consider this sentence:
My friendship with Clinton is growing like a banyan tree.
Here, the word ‘friendship’ has been used to mention the relationship between Clinton and me.
But the word friendship is a derivative of the word ‘friend’. Such a derivative is created by adding ‘ship’ at the end of the word.
The ‘ship’ is called Suffix.
The addition, which is added at the end of the word, is called ‘Suffix’.
Examples:
Man and manhood
Here, ‘hood’ is a suffix.
Free and freedom
Here, ‘dom’ is a suffix.
The origin of Suffixes is the languages of Latin, Greek and English itself.
The Suffixes can be categorized as follows:
1. Suffixes of Nouns of English origin
2. Suffixes of Adjectives of English origin
3. Suffixes of Verbs of English origin
4. Suffixes of Adverbs of English origin
5. Suffixes of Nouns of Latin origin
6. Suffixes of Adjectives of Latin origin
7. Suffixes of Verbs of Latin origin
8. Suffixes of Greek origin
1. Suffixes of Nouns of English origin:
i. Denoting the doer:
Er –Painter, baker
Ar – beggar
Or – sailor
Yer - lawyer
Ster – spinster, punster, songster
Ter – daughter, sister
Ther – father, mother, brother,
ii. Denoting state, action, condition, being, etc…
Dom – freedom, martyrdom, wisdom
Hood – manhood, childhood,
Head - godhead
Lock – wedlock,
Ledge - knowledge
Ness – darkness, boldness, goodness, sweetness
Red – hatred, kindred
Ship – friendship, hardship, lordship
Th – health, stealth, growth
iii. Denoting diminutives:
El – satchel, kernel,
Le - girdle, handle
En – maiden, kitten, chicken
Ie – dearie, birdie, lassie
Kin – lambkin, napkin
Let – leaflet
Ling – ducking, darling, stripling, weakling
Ock – hillock, bullock
2. Suffixes of Adjectives of English origin:
Ed – having
Examples: Gifted, talented, wretched, learned
En – made of
Examples: Wooden, golden, woolen, earthen
Ful – full of
Examples: Hopeful, fruitful, joyful
Ish – somewhat like
Examples: Boorish, reddish, girlish
Less – free from
Examples: Fearless, shameless, hopeless, senseless, boundless
Ly – like
Examples: Manly, godly, sprightly
Some – with the quality of
Examples: Wholesome, meddlesome, gladsome, quarrelsome
Y – with the quality of
Examples: Wealthy, healthy, windy, slimy, greedy, needy, thirsty, dirty
3. Suffixes of Verbs of English origin:
En – causative, forming transitive verbs
Examples: Weaken, sweeten, gladden, deaden, strengthen etc…
Se – to make
Examples: Rinse, cleanse
Er – intensive
Examples: Chatter, glitter, glimmer, fritter, flutter
4. Suffixes of Adverbs of English origin:
Ly – like
Examples: Boldly, wisely
Long – towards
Examples: Headlong, sidelong
Ward – turning to
Examples: Homeward, backward, upwards
Way – to wards
Examples: Straight a way, anyway, always
Wise – manner
Examples: Likewise, otherwise
5. Suffixes of Nouns of Latin origin:
i. Denoting chiefly the agents or doer of a thing
Ain – chieftain
An –artisan
En – citizen
On – surgeon
Ar – scholar
Er – preacher
Eer – engineer
Ier – financier
Ary – missionary
Ate – advocate
Ee – trustee
Ey – attorney
Y – Deputy
Or –emperor
Our –saviour
Eur –Amateur
Er – interpreter
ii. Denoting state, action or the result of an action
Age – bondage, marriage, breakage, leakage
Ance – abundance, brilliance, assistance, excellence, innocence
Cy – fancy, accuracy, lunacy, bankruptcy
Ion – action, option, union
Ice – service, cowardice
Ise – exercise
Ment – improvement, judgment, punishment
Mony – parsimony, matrimony, testimony
Tude – attitude, altitude, magnitude, servitude, fortitude
Ty – cruelty, frailty, credulity
Ure – pleasure, forfeiture, verdure
Y – Misery, victory
iii. Denoting Diminutives:
Cule (ule, cel, sel, el, le) – animalcule, globule, parcel, damsel, chapel, circle
Et – owlet, lancet, trumpet
Ette – cigarette, coquette
iv. Denoting places:
Ary (ery, ry) – dispensary, library, nunnery, treasury
Ter (tre) – cloister, theatre
6.Suffixes of Adjectives of Latin origin
Al – national, regal, mortal, fatal
An –human
Ane- humane, mundane
Ar – regular, familiar
Ary – customary, contrary, necessary, ordinary, honorary
Ate – fortunate, temperate, obstinate
Ble – feeble, Laughable
Able- Laughable
Ible – sensible
Esque – picturesque, grotesque
Id – humid, vivid, lucid
Ile – servile, fragile, juvenile
Ine – feminine, canine, feline, divine
Ive – active, attentive, sportive
Lent – corpulent, indolent, turbulent, virulent
Ose – verbose,
Ous – dangerous, onerous, copious
7. Suffixes of Verbs of Latin origin
Ate – assassinate, captivate, exterminate
Esce – acquiesce, effervesce
Fy – simplify, purify, fortify, sanctify, terrify
Ish – publish, nourish, punish, banish
8. Suffixes of Greek origin :
Ic – angelic, cynic, phonemic, phonetic,
Ique – unique
Ist – artist, chemist
Isk – asterisk, obelisk
Ism – patriotism, despotism, enthusiasm
Asm - enthusiasm
Ize – civilize, sympathize, criticize etc…
Sis – crisis, analysis, heresy, poesy
Sy - heresy, poesy
E – Catastrophe
Y – Monarchy, philosophy
There are few more Suffixes of French origin :
Ee – This suffix is added to nouns to denote the person who takes a passive share in an action.
Examples :Employee, payee, legatee, trustee, referee
Or, ar, er, eer, ier – denoting a person who performs a certain act or function
Examples: Emperor, scholar, officer, engineer, gondolier
Ist – denoting a person who follows a certain trade or pursuit
Examples: Chemist, theosophist, artist, nihilist
Ism – forming abstract noun
Example: Patriotism
Ize or ise – forming verbs from nouns and adjectives
Examples: Crystallize, moralize, baptize
The Etymology of innumerable words is in another page.
Go to the Advanced English Index to continue
