Suffixes added to ppp base -- Chapter 7

Noun-forming

-or [Latin -or] one who, that which

  • narrator < narrare/narratum, to tell: one who tells
  • sector < secare/sectum, to cut: that which cuts

-ion [Latin -io, -ion-] an act; the state or result of an act

  • vision: the state of seeing
  • distortion: the result of twisting in different directions

-ure [Latin -ura] the act or result of

  • fracture: the result of breaking
  • pressure: the act of squeezing

-us [Latin -us, 4th decl.] an act or the result of an act

  • sense: act/result of feeling
  • sensual: concerned with the act of feeling
  • case: result of falling
  • casual: connected with the act or result of falling
  • process: a going forth
  • processual: connected with going forth

Some direct entries using the suffix -us:

prospectus, conspectus, census, consensus, status, plexus, apparatus

Knowing this suffix will help you explain the presence of a -u- in such words as factual, visual, eventual, actual, consensual.

eventual: e/vent/u/al

out/come/result of/concerned with

 

Adjective-forming suffixes added to ppp base

-ile [Latin -ilis] able to (be), related to

  • ductile: able to be drawn, led
  • missile: [something] that can be sent
  • tactile: related to touch

-ible [Latin -ibilis] able to be

  • comprehensible: able to be understood
  • plausible [< plaudere, plausum clap, approve] able to be approved, deserving applause
  • ostensible "able to be stretched in front" (and so, "seeming")

-ory, -orious, -orial [Latin -orius] pertaining to, tending to

  • auditory "pertaining to/concerned with hearing"
  • censorious "tending to estimate"

-orium (sometimes -ory) is the neut. of -orius, "thing or place for"

  • auditorium "place for hearing" laboratory "place for working"
  • observatory "place for looking at"

-ive [Latin -ivus] tending to

  • active "tending to do"
  • jussive [< jubere/jussum command] tending to command
  • ostensive "tending to stretch in front" (and so, "showing, revealing")

Frequentatives

Frequentatives are verbs formed from verbs. They express constant, repeated or intensified action. Frequentatives are usually formed from the ppp base, by adding first conjugation endings; that is, add -are, -atum to the ppp base. Sometimes -itare, -itatum is added instead. They are usually to be recognized by the presence of -at- or -itat- on a ppp base; sometimes by the presence of an -a- that otherwise does not seem to belong.