March 8, 2016
CLA 201H - 1
SUFFIXES
Suffixes are the third of the three major elements in word formation to be introduced.
The meanings of suffixes are both easier and harder to learn than those of prefixes and bases: easier because the commonest ones
do not have very distinct fixed meanings, but harder because you have to try various phraseologies to see which one fits the
situation of this particular word in this particular context.
Suffixes have a crucial importance, however, because they determine what part of speech a word is.
Review the definitions of the major parts of speech (on handout): nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs.
Noun-forming suffixes (introduced in Lessons 5-12) are the most complex group. Adjective-forming suffixes (Lessons 4 & 6)
and verb-forming suffixes (Lesson 12) are easier. Adverbial suffixes are the easiest of all.
Noun-forming suffixes can be broken down into (A) Simple and (B) Compound. Simple suffixes can be further broken down
into (a) more general and (b) more specialized.
I. ADJECTIVE-FORMING SUFFIXES (Lesson 4)
(A) Simple (Lesson 4)
1. -al = pertaining to, belonging to, having the character of, like
e.g.
dia/GON/al
=
pertaining to an angle (measured) across
BI/o/LOG/ic/al
=
pertaining to the study of life
ana/TOM/ic/cal
=
pertaining to the process of cutting up
2. -(i)an = pertaining to, connected with, having the character of, like
e.g.
amphi/BI/an
=
pertaining to life in both elements (i.e., water and air)
PROT/o/ZO/an
=
pertaining to first life
THE/o/LOG/ian
=
pertaining to the study of god
3. -(i)ous = pertaining to, having the character of, like
e.g.
amphi/BI/ous
=
pertaining to life in both elements
syn/ONYM/ous
=
pertaining to having a name in common with
HOM/o/GENE/ous =
pertaining to being of the same kind
4. -(t)ic, -ac (after "i") = pertaining to, like
e.g.
epi/DEM/ic
=
pertaining to coming (suddenly) upon a people
GASTR/ic
=
pertaining to the stomach
CARDIac
=
pertaining to the heart
5. -oid, -ode = like, having the shape of
e.g.
SPHER/oid
=
having the shape of a sphere
ADEN/oid
=
like a gland
NEMAT/ode
=
like a thread
PHYLL/ode
=
like a leaf
(B) Compound (Lesson 6)
1. -GEN-ous, -GEN-ic = producing, produced
e.g.
PHOT/o/GEN/ic =
producing (good) photographs
CYT/o/GEN/ic
=
pertaining to the production of cells
2. -OEC-ious = having a house or dwelling
e.g.
MON/OEC/ious =
having only one house (having one house for male and female sex organs)
3. -PHIL-ous, -PHIL-ic = loving, thriving in, pollinated by the agency of
e.g.
NECR/o/PHIL/ic =
pertaining to loving the dead
ANEM/o/PHIL/ous =
pollinated by the wind
II. VERB-FORMING SUFFIXES (Lesson 12)
1. -ize = to make, to treat, to do something with
e.g.
CARBON/ize
=
to make into charcoal
syn/CHRON/ize =
to make to have the same time as
ant/AGON/ize
=
to make to struggle against
2. -ate = to make, to treat, to do something with
e.g.
CARBON/ate
=
to make into charcoal
GYR/ate
=
to make a circle
AER/ate
=
to treat something with air
de/HYDR/ate
=
to treat something by removing the water from it
III. NOUN-FORMING SUFFIXES
A. Simple
(a) More general in meaning (Lessons 8 and 7):
1. -ia, -y = state of, condition of, quality of, act of, process of, result of the act of
e.g.
HYSTER/ia
=
condition of the uterus
NEUR/ALG/ia
=
state of pain in the nerves
AGON/y
=
state of struggle
PHIL/o/SOPH/y =
condition of loving wisdom
2. -sis, -sia, -sy, -se = state of, condition of, quality of, act of, process of, result of the act of
e.g.
syn/THE/sis
=
act of putting together
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ana/LY/sis
dia/GNO/sis
a/MNE/sia
an/ESTHE/sia
ec/STA/sy
IDI/o/syn/CRA/sy
DO/se
CLA 201H - 2
=
=
=
=
=
=
=
3. -ma, -m, -me = result of the act of
e.g.
CINE/ma
=
DRA/ma
=
STIG/ma
=
SCHIS/m
=
THE/me
=
act of loosening up
process of knowing through
state of not remembering
state of not feeling
act of standing outside (one's normal state)
act of mixing one's own (mixture)
act of giving
result of the act of moving
result of the act of acting
result of the act of branding
result of the act of splitting
result of the act of placing
4. -ism, -ismus = condition of, belief in
e.g.
ALCOHOL/ism
=
condition related to alcohol
BOTUL/ism
=
condition relating to sausages
meta/BOL/ism
=
condition of throwing into a changed state
LARYNG/ismus =
condition of the larynx
STRAB/ismus
=
condition of squinting
5. -ter = means of, place for
e.g.
URE/ter
SCEP/ter
SPHINC/ter
CRA/ter
THEA/ter
=
=
=
=
=
means of urinating
means of supporting oneself
means of binding
place for mixing (wine)
place for viewing
6. -ist, -ast = one who
e.g.
ant/AGON/ist
=
GYMN/ast
=
PSYCH/IATR/ist =
BACTERI/o/LOG/ist =
one who struggles against (one)
one who goes naked
one who heals the mind
one who studies bacteria
7. -te, -t, -tes = one who, that which
e.g.
ATHLE/te
=
pro/PHE/t
=
GAME/te
=
anti/DO/te
=
THERM/o/STA/t =
dia/BE/tes
=
one who competes
one who speaks before
one who marries
that which is given against
that which stands (still) as a result of heat
that which goes through
8. -ic-ian = specialist in, practitioner of
e.g.
PED/IATR/ic/ian =
specialist in healing of children
DIET/ic/ian
=
specialist in a way of life
MUS/ic/ian
=
practitioner of the art of the muses
(b)
More specialized in meaning (Lessons 4, 9-11)
1. -(t)ics = art, science, study of
e.g.
PHYS/ics
=
GENE/tics
=
EC/o/NOM/ics
=
study of nature
study of the bearing of offspring
study of the laws of the household
2. -oma = tumor arising in or composed of, swelling containing, diseased condition, result of
e.g.
MELAN/oma
=
tumor arising in the pigment cells of the skin
CARCIN/oma
=
cancerous tumor
OSTE/oma
=
tumor arising in the bone
HEMAT/oma
=
swelling of blood
3. -osis = diseased condition of, act of, process of
e.g.
PSYCH/osis
=
diseased condition of the mind
NEUR/osis
=
diseased condition of the nerves
HYPN/osis
=
diseased condition of sleep
OSM/osis
=
process of impulse
4. -itis = inflammation of, inflammatory disease of
e.g.
APPENDIC/itis
=
inflammation of the appendix
ARTHR/itis
=
inflammation of a joint
TONSILL/itis
=
inflammation of the tonsils
5. -in, -ine = chemical substance
e.g.
anti/TOX/in
=
INSUL/in
=
epi/NEPHR/ine
=
chemical substance that works against poison
chemical substance produced by an island(-like organ)
chemical substance produced by a gland lying above the kidney
6. -ium = part, lining or enveloping tissue, region
e.g.
peri/NEPHR/ium =
tissue around the kidney
epi/GASTR/ium
=
tissue above the stomach
7. -us = individual, person, condition of
e.g.
an/OT/us
=
condition of having no ears
HYDR/o/CEPHAL/us = condition of having water in the head
8. -idae, -ida, -id = descended from, related to
March 8, 2016
e.g.
CLA 201H - 3
ACAR/idae
ARACHN/ida
=
=
class of organisms related to mites
order of organisms related to spiders
9. -ium-, ion = little
e.g.
BACTER/ium
POD/ium
THEC/ium
=
=
=
little rod
little foot
little case
10. -(i)dium, -(i)dion = little
e.g.
CONI/dium
=
BAS/idium
=
STOM/idium
=
little piece of dust
little piece of base
little mouth
11. -arium, -arion = little
e.g.
CON/arium
HIPP/arion
=
=
small cone-shaped thing
small horse-like animal
12. -isk, -iscus = little
e.g.
ASTER/isk
LEMN/iscus
MEN/iscus
=
=
=
small star
small ribbon-like pathway
small crescent-shaped body
B. Compound (Lessons 5- 6)
COMPOUND SUFFIXES DIFFER FROM SIMPLE SUFFIXES IN THAT A COMBINING VOWEL IS REQUIRED
AFTER A PRECEDING BASE AND BEFORE THE COMPOUND SUFFIX
1. -([H]EM)-ia = condition of the blood
e.g.
an/EM-ia
=
condition of lack of blood
LEUK/EM-ia
=
condition of (too many) white blood cells
2. -LOG-y = science of, systematic study of
e.g.
CARDI/o/LOG/y =
study of the heart
CHRON/o/LOG/y =
study of time
3. -LY-sis = dissolution of/by, surgical division/separation of
e.g.
HYDR/o/LY/sis =
dissolution by means of water
4. -MAN-ia = state of madness
e.g.
KLEPT/o/MAN/ia =
DIPS/o/MAN/ia =
condition of madness for stealing
condition of madness in thirst
5. -PATH-y = condition of disease in, treatment of disease of/by
e.g.
OSTE/o/PATH/y =
treatment of disease of the bones
6. -PHOB-ia = condition of abnormal fear of
e.g.
CLAUSTR/o/PHOB/ia = condition of abnormal fear of enclosed spaces
HYDR/o/PHOB/ia = condition of abnormal fear of water
7. -THERAP-y = treatment of/by
e.g.
PSYCH/o/THERAP/y = treatment of the mind
8. -TOM-y = surgical operation on, surgical cutting of
e.g.
GLOSS/o/TOM/y =
surgical operation on the tongue
GASTR/o/TOM/y =
surgical operation on the stomach
9. -ec-TOM-y = surgical removal of
e.g.
APPEND/ec/TOM/y = surgical removal of the appendix
TONSILL/ec/TOM/y = surgical removal of the tonsils
10. -UR-ia = condition of the urine
e.g.
HEMAT/UR/ia
=
condition of blood in the urine
11. -HEDR-on = solid figure having a (specified) number of faces
e.g.
ICOS/o/HEDR/on =
20-faced solid figure
12. -IA-sis = diseased condition
e.g.
AMEB/IA/sis
=
diseased condition involving amoebas
13. -METER = instrument for measuring, measure
e.g.
THERM/o/MET/er =
instrument for measuring heat
ANEM/o/MET/er =
instrument for measuring wind
14. -METR-y = art of science of measuring
e.g.
OPT/o/METR/y =
science of measuring eyesight
15. -NOM-y = science of, system of laws governing
e.g.
AGR/o/NOM/y
=
science of measuring crop production
16. -PLAST-y = formation, plastic surgical operation
e.g.
ARTHR/o/PLAST/y =
plastic surgical operation on a joint
17. -RRHE-a = condition of abnormal flow or discharge of
e.g.
dia/RRHE/a
=
condition of abnormal flow through (the digestive system)
LOG/o/RRHE/a
=
condition of abnormal flow of words
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18. -STOM-y = process/act of making a surgical opening
e.g.
GASTR/o/STOM/y =
process of making a surgical opening in the stomach
CLA 201H - 4