22. The following are the most important English Suffixes for Verbs : 2. Er or r adds a frequentative or intensive force to the original Sparkle. Er has also the function of making causative verbs out of adjectives, as linger (long), lower, hinder. 3. En or n makes causative verbs out of nouns and adjectives, as in— 23. The Suffixes of Latin origin are of great importance; and they have been of great use for several centuries. Many of them indeed, most of them-have been influenced by passing through French mouths, and hence have undergone considerable change. The following are the chief Latin and French Suffixes for Nouns : 1. Age (Lat. aticum), which forms either abstract or collective nouns, as in Beverage. Marriage. Courage. Carnage. Homage. (i) It unites easily with English roots to form hybrids, as in bondage, mileage, tonnage, poundage, tillage, shrinkage. 2. An, ain, or ane (Lat. anus), connected with, as in Artisan. Chaplain. Pagan. Publican. Roman. (i) The suffix is disguised in sovereign (O. Fr. soverain), which has been wrongly supposed to have something to do with reign; in warden, citizen, surgeon, etc. Milton always spells sovereign, sovran. 3. Al or el (Lat. älis), possessing the quality of, as in Animal. Hospital. Cardinal. Canal. Channel. (i) Canal and channel are two different forms-doublets-of the same. cattle and chattels (capitalia). So are (ii) Hospital, spital, hostel, hotel, are four forms of the one Latin word hospitalium. (Ostler is a shorter form of hosteller, with a dropped h.) 4. Ant or ent (Latin antem or entem), denotes an agent, as in Assistant. Servant. Agent. Student. 5. Ance, ancy, or ence, ency (Lat. antia, entia), form abstract nouns, as in Abundance. Chance. Distance. Brilliancy. Cadence is a doublet. (i) Chance comes from late Lat. cadentia an accident. 6. Ary, ry, or er (Lat. arium), a place where a thing is kept, as inApiary (apis, a bee). Armoury. Granary. Sanctuary. Treasury. Vestry. Larder. Saucer. (i) The ending ry unites freely with English words to form hybrids, as in cookery, piggery, robbery. (ii) In Jewry, jewellery (or jewelry), poultry, peasantry, cavalry, the ry has a collective meaning. 7. Ary, ier, eer, or er (Lat. arius), denotes a person engaged in some trade or profession, as in— Commissary. Notary. Secretary. Statuary. (i) This ending is disguised in chancellor (cancellarius), vicar, butler (=bottler), usher (ostiarius, a doorkeeper), premier, etc. 8. Ate (Lat. atus, past participle ending), becoming in French e or ée, denotes In grandee the passive signification is not retained. 9. Ce (Lat. cium, tium, or tia) forms abstract nouns, as— Benefice. Hospice. Edifice. Palace. Sacrifice. 10. El, le or 1 (Lat. ŭlus, ellus, etc.), a diminutive, as in— (ii) Castle, from Lat. castellum, a little fort, from castrum, a fort. (iii) Libel, from Lat. libellus, a little book (liber). (iv) Pommel, from Lat. pomum, an apple. (v) Seal from Lat. sigillum. Seal. 11. Ern (Lat. erna), denoting place, as in— Cavern. Cistern. Lantern. Tavern. 12. Et, ette, and let (Fr. et, ette) all diminutives, as in (i) The let is=1+ et. and is found in bracelet, fillet, cutlet, etc. It also unites with English words to form hybrids-as in hamlet, leaflet, ringlet, streamlet, etc. (ii) This ending is disguised in ballot (a small ball), chariot (car), parrot (=perroquet), etc. 13. Ess (late Lat. issa), a female agent, as in— Empress. Governess. Marchioness. Sorceress. (i) It unites with English words to form the hybrids murderess, sempstress (The last is a double feminine, as seamestre is the old word.) (i) It is a significant mark of the carelessness with which the English language has always been written, that the very same ending should appear in three spellings in largess, noblesse, riches. (ii) Riches is a false plural: it is an abstract noun, the French form being richesse. 15. Ice (Lat. icem acc. of nouns in x), which has also the forms of ise, ace, as in— Chalice. Pumice. Mortise. Furnace. (i) The suffix is much disguised in radish (=the root, from radicem). (ii) It is also disguised in partridge and judge (judicem). 16. Icle (Lat. iculus, ellus, ulus), which appears also as cel and sel, a diminutive, as in (i) The ending is disguised in rule (regula), carbuncle (from carbo, a coal), uncle (avunculus), and vessel (from vas). (ii) Parcel and particle are doublets. 17. Ine or in (Lat. inus) related to, as in Divine (noun). Cousin. (i) Cousin is a contraction-through French-of the Latin consobrinus, the child of a mother's sister. (ii) The ending is disguised in pilgrim, from peregrinus through the fields. 18. Ion (Lat. iōnem), which appears also as tion, sion, and, from French, as son, som, denotes an action, as in— (i) Potion, poison, and the three other pairs are doublets-the first having come through the door of books straight from the Latin, the second through the mouth and ear, from French. (ii) Venison (hunted flesh, from venationem), season (sationem, the sowing time), belong to the above set. 19. Ment (Lat. mentum) denotes an instrument or an act, as inOrnament. Document. Instrument. Monument. (i) It combines easily with English words to make hybrids, as atonement, acknowledgment, bewitchment, fulfilment. 20. Mony (Lat. monium) makes abstract nouns, as— Acrimony. Matrimony. Sanctimony. Testimony. 21. Oon or on (Fr. on; Ital. one), an augmentative, as in— (i) Augmentatives are the opposite of diminutives. Contrast balloon and ballot; galleon and galliot (a small galley). (ii) A balloon is a large ball; a cartoon a big carte; a dragoon a large dragon; a saloon a large hall (salle); flagon (O. Fr. flascon), a large flask; million, a big thousand (mille); pennon, a large pen or feather; galleon, a large galley; trombone, a large trump-et; truncheon, a large staff (or trunk) of office. 22. Ory, (Lat. orium), which appears also as or, our, and er, and denotes place, as in Auditory. Dormitory. Reféctory. Lavatory. (i) Mirror is contracted by the French from miratorium; parlour from parlatorium; manger from manducatorium=the eating-place. Dormer is short for dormitory, from dormitorium. 23. Our (Lat. or; Fr. eur), forms abstract or collective nouns, as in Ardour. Clamour. Honour. (i) The ending resumes its French form in grandeur. (ii) It forms a hybrid in behaviour. Savour. 24. Or or our (Lat. orem; Fr. eur) denotes an agent, as in (i) This ending is disguised in interpreter, labourer, preacher, etc. Saviour. (ii) A large number of nouns which used to end in our or or, took er through the influence of the English suffix er. They were "attracted" into that form. 25. T (Lat. tus-the ending of the past participle) indicates a completed act, as in Act. Fact. Joint. Suit. (i) The t in Latin has the same origin and performs the same function as the d in English (as in dead, finished, and other past participles, etc.) (ii) The ending is disguised in feat, which is a doublet of fact, in fruit (Lat. fruct-us), comfit (=confect), counterfeit (=contrafact-um). 26. Ter (Lat. ter) denotes a person, as in— Master (contracted from magister). Minister. (i) Magister comes from magis, more, which contains the root of magnus, great; minister from minus, less. 27. Tery (Lat. terium) denotes condition, as in— 28. Trix (Lat. trix) denotes a female agent, as in— Executrix. Improvisatrix. Testatrix. (i) This ending is disguised in empress (Fr. impératrice from Lat. imperatrix); and in nurse (Fr. nourrice, Lat. nutrix). 29. Tude (Lat. tudinem), denotes condition, as in Altitude. Beatitude. Fortitude. Multitude. (i) In custom, from Lat. consuetudinem, the ending is disguised. 30. Ty (Lat. tatem; Fr. té) makes abstract nouns, as in Bounty. Captivity. Charity. Cruelty. Poverty. (i) Bounty (bontě), poverty (pauvreté), frailty, and fealty come, not directly from Latin, but through French. 31. Ure (Lat. ura) denotes an action, or the result of an action, as in Aperture. Cincture. Measure. Picture. 32. Y (Lat. ia; Fr. ie) denotes condition or faculty, as in— Company. Family. Fury. Victory. (i) This suffix unites easily with English words in er-as bakery, fishery, robbery, etc. (ii) It stands for Lat. ium in augury, remedy, study, subsidy, etc. (iii) It represents the Lat. ending atus in attorney, deputy, ally, quarry. 24. The Latin (or French) suffixes employed in our language to make Adjectives are very useful. The following are the chief Latin Suffixes for Adjectives. 1. Aceous (Lat. aceus) = made of, as in— Farinaceous (floury). |