ADJECTIVE FORMING SUFFIXES (Chapter 2)

A. With meanings similar to -y, -ly, -ish: of, having to do with, having the nature or character of, pertaining to, concerning:

Form in English From Latin Examples

• -al -alis gradus [step]: gradual
• -ar -aris mola [mill]: molar
• -ary -arius, -aris plenus [full]: plenary
• -arious -arius grex, greg- [flock]: gregarious
• -il, ile -ilis puer [boy; archaic puera, girl]: puerile
• -an, ane -anus transmontanus [across the mountains]: transmontane
•         urbs, urb- [city]: urban, urbane
• -ine -inus felis [cat]: feline
• -ic, -tic -icus, sonus [sound]: sonic
• -ticus fanum [temple]: fanatic
• -eous,-eal -eus ignis, ign- [fire]: igneous       arbor [tree]: arboreal
• -aceous -aceus sebum [tallow, suet]: sebaceous
• -aneous -aneus miscellus [mixed]: miscellaneous
• -ernal,-ern -ernus hibernus [wintry, winter]: hibernal, cf. hesternal, hodiernal; modus [manner]: modern
• -urnal,-urn -urnus dies, base, di- [day]: diurnal, cf. nocturnal
• -nal -nus mater, matr- [mother]: maternal, cf. eternal
• -ate -atus deliciae [pet, delight]: delicate (also: literate, numerate)

B. With meanings similar to English -ful, -some: having, tending to be, full of:

-ose, -ous -osus copia [abundance]: copious

• numerus [number]: numerous
• otium [leisure]: otiose

-lent -lentus vis [force]: violent

• virus [poison]: virulent

This suffix may appear as -ilent, -olent, -ulent

Uses of -ARY reviewed:

1. -ary, adjective suffix derived from Latin -aris or -arius, meaning "of, having to do with" > cautionary, plenipotentiary

2. -ary, noun suffix derived from the masculine form of -arius, meaning "one who is concerned with" > voluptuary, dignitary, emissary, antiquary, votary, adversary.

3. -ary, noun suffix from the neuter -arium, meaning "place for" or, sometimes, "thing for" > apiary, mortuary, ossuary, sanctuary, penitentiary, reliquary, library, salary, diary, cemetary, breviary, formicary, itinerary, vocabulary.

Notes:

The suffix -ous may come from Latin -us (a simple adjective ending) or -osus (the adjective suffix meaning "full of".

-ous is used in Chemistry to indicate "having a valence lower than that in a comparable -ic compound." Compare ferrous and ferric.

-ar is a variant of -al: it is used when the letter l occurs in one of the last two syllables of the base word [e.g. popul-aris, sol-aris, lun-aris].

The neuter plurals of adjectives in -alis, -ilis, and -anus are respectively -alia, -ilia, and -ana. These can be used as nouns meaning "things having to do with"; as, for example, realia ("real or actual things, artifacts"), juvenilia ("the works of one's youth" < iuvenis "a youth"); Americana ("a collection of things relating to American history and culture").

From Latin -arius, the masculine form, are derived nouns in -ary meaning "one who is concerned with, one who": adversus [turned against]: adversary.

From the neuter -arium come nouns in -arium, -ary meaning "place of or for": aqua [water]: aquarium; avis [bird]: aviary.

The English forms -ernal/-ern; -urnal, -urn; -nal from Latin suffixes in -ernus, -urnus, -nus may best be learned together as a group.

The adjective ending -ate should not be confused with the noun ending -ate ("office or function of" as in principate, rabbinate) which will be given in chapter three nor the verb forming suffix -ate ("to do, make, cause" as in invigilate, capitulate) which will be given in chapter four. If in doubt think about what part of speech the word in question is. Some examples of words using -ate as an adjective forming suffix are: delicate, Latinate, immaculate, confederate, desperate, immoderate, adequate.

Boundary shows the neuter -ary ending, added to an originally Celtic base.