Suffix

This article is about the linguistic term. For other uses, see Suffix (disambiguation).
In grammar, a suffix (also postfix, ending) is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which
indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Particularly in the study of Semitic
languages, a prefix is called an afformative, as they can alter the form of the words to which they are fixed.

Suffixes can carry grammatical information (inflectional suffixes), or lexical information (derivational suffixes). An inflectional suffix is
sometimes called a desinence.[1]

Some examples from English:

Girls, where the suffix -s marks the plural.

He makes, where suffix -s marks the third person singular present tense.
It closed, where the suffix -ed marks the past tense.
Many synthetic languages—Czech, German, Finnish, Latin, Hungarian, Russian, etc.—use a large number of endings.

Suffixes used in English frequently have Greek, French or Latin origins.

Contents [hide]
1 Inflectional suffixes
2 Derivational suffixes
3 See also
4 References

[edit] Inflectional suffixes

Inflection changes grammatical properties of a word within its syntactic category. In the example:

The weather forecaster said it would clear today, but it hasn't cleared at all.
the suffix -ed inflects the root-word clear to indicate past tense.
Some inflectional suffixes in present day English:

-s third person singular present

-ed past tense
-ing progressive/continuous
-en past participle
-s plural
-en plural (irregular)
-er comparative
-est superlative
-n't negative[2]
[edit] Derivational suffixes
In the example:

"The weather forecaster said it would be clear today, but I can't see clearly at all"
the suffix -ly modifies the root-word clear from an adjective into an adverb. Derivation can also form a semantically distinct word within the
same syntactic category. In this example:

"The weather forecaster said it would be a clear day today, but I think it's more like clearish!"
the suffix -ish modifies the root-word clear, changing its meaning to "clear, but not very clear".

Some derivational suffixes in present day English:

-ize/-ise
-fy
-ly
-able/-ible
-ful
-ness
 Function or Characteristic Usage
Notes in this column refer to common functions of
these suffixes. However, these are generalizations
only, and you will find exceptions to many of
Suffix Meaning Examples them.
able, ible able, can do capable, agreeable, visible verb  adjective

-less ade result of action blockade, lemonade verb or noun  noun

-ism age act of, state of, collection salvage, storage, forage added to root words (often French) to form a noun
-ment of
-ist
al relating to sensual, gradual, manual, natural verb or noun  adjective
-al
-ish algia pain neuralgia noun
an, ian native of, pertaining to American, Martian, antediluvian noun  adjective
ance, ancy action, process, state assistance, allowance, defiance verb  noun
ant performing, agent assistant, servant verb  noun
ary, ery, ory relating to, quality, place dictionary, bravery, dormitory, aviary, noun or adjective
where ordinary
adjective  noun

adjective or noun  noun

ate cause, make liquidate, segregate noun or adjective  verb
cian having a specific skill magician, optician, physician noun
cule, ling very small molecule, miniscule, noun or adjective
cy action, function advocacy, hesitancy, prophecy, noun
normalcy
dom quality, realm, office freedom, kingdom, wisdom, thralldom noun
ee one who receives the employee, nominee, refugee noun
Prefixes action
en made of, make silken, frozen, oaken, wooden, lighten adjective or verb (ex: widen)
A prefix is placed at the
beginning of a word to modify ence, ency action, state of, quality difference, conference, urgency noun
or change its meaning. This is a er, or on who, that which baker, carpenter, brewer noun
escent in the process of adolescent, obsolescent, convalescent adjective or noun
ese a native of Javanese, Vietnamese noun or adjective
esis, osis action, process, condition genesis, hypnosis, neurosis, osmosis noun
ess female poetess, goddess noun
et, ette small one, group midget, octet, baronet, noun
list of the most common prefixes in English, together with their basic meaning and some examples. You can find more detail or precision for
each prefix in any good dictionary. The origins of words are extremely complicated. You should use this list as a guide only, to help you
understand possible meanings. But be very careful, because often what appears to be a prefix is not a prefix at all. Note also that this list does not
include elements like "auto-" or " bio-", because these are "combining forms", not prefixes.

Prefix Meaning Examples

a- also an- not, without atheist, anaemic

a- to, towards aside, aback

in the process of, in a particular a-hunting, aglow

state

a- of anew

completely abashed

ab- also abs- away, from abdicate, abstract

ad- also a-, ac-, af-, ag- al-, movement to, change into, advance, adulterate, adjunct, ascend, affiliate, affirm, aggravate, alleviate,
an-, ap-, at- as-, at- addition or increase annotate, apprehend, arrive, assemble, attend

ante- before, preceding antecedent, ante-room

anti- also ant- opposing, against, the opposite anti-aircraft, antibiotic, anticlimax, Antarctic

be- all over, all around bespatter, beset

 completely bewitch, bemuse

having, covered with bejewelled

affect with (added to nouns) befog

cause to be (added to adjectives) becalm

com- also co-, col-, con-, cor- with, jointly, completely combat, codriver, collude, confide, corrode

contra- against, opposite contraceptive

counter- opposition, opposite direction counter-attack, counteract

de- down, away descend, despair, depend, deduct

completely denude, denigrate

removal, reversal de-ice, decamp

dia- also di- through, across diagonal

dis- also di- negation, removal, expulsion disadvantage, dismount, disbud, disbar

en- also em- put into or on engulf, enmesh

bring into the condition of enlighten, embitter

intensification entangle, enrage

ex- also e-, ef- out exit, exclude, expand

upward exalt, extol

completely excruciate, exasperate

previous ex-wife

extra- outside, beyond extracurricular

hemi- half hemisphere

hyper- beyond, more than, more than hypersonic, hyperactive

normal

hypo- under hypodermic, hypothermia

in- also il-, im- not, without infertile, inappropriate, impossible

also il-, im-, ir- in, into, towards, inside influence, influx, imbibe

infra- below infrared, infrastructure

inter- between, among interact, interchange

intra- inside, within intramural, intravenous

non- absence, negation non-smoker, non-alcoholic

ob- also oc-, of-, op- blocking, against, concealing obstruct, occult, offend, oppose

out- surpassing, exceeding outperform

external, away from outbuilding, outboard

over- excessively, completely overconfident, overburdened, overjoyed

upper, outer, over, above overcoat, overcast

peri- round, about perimeter

post- after in time or order postpone

pre- before in time, place, order or pre-adolescent, prelude, precondition

importance

pro- favouring, in support of pro-African

acting for proconsul

motion forwards or away propulsion

before in time, place or order prologue

re- again repaint, reappraise, reawake

semi- half, partly semicircle, semi-conscious

sub- also suc-, suf-, sug-, sup-, at a lower position submarine, subsoil
sur-, sus-
lower in rank sub-lieutenant

nearly, approximately sub-tropical

syn- also sym- in union, acting together synchronize, symmetry

trans- across, beyond transnational, transatlantic

into a different state translate

ultra- beyond ultraviolet, ultrasonic

extreme ultramicroscopic

un- not unacceptable, unreal, unhappy, unmanned

reversal or cancellation of action unplug, unmask

or state

under- beneath, below underarm, undercarriage

lower in rank undersecretary

not enough underdeveloped

B. Can you guess the meanings of these adjectives?:

10. fair-haired
11. even-
19. loose-lipped
handed
1. yellow-bellied 20. tight-lipped
12. heavy-
21. chicken-livered
handed
2. red-blooded
13. bull-headed
3. green-eyed 22. stiff-necked
14. pig-headed
4. wide-eyed 23. blue-nosed
15. broken-
5. baby-faced 24. hard-nosed
hearted
6. stone-faced 25. thin-skinned
16. cold-hearted
7. tight-fisted 26. short-tempered
8. light-footed 27. smooth-
17. hard-
9. sure-footed tongued
hearted
28. long-winded
18. kind-
hearted