A suffix is an element of a language that is added to the end of a word. E.g. -ly is a suffix often found at the end of adverbs: really, quickly, happily, strangely, etc., -d/-ed is a suffix often found at the end of a verb to denote the simple past: used, bruised, grazed, heated, etc.
Questions tagged [suffixes]
540 questions
113
votes
11 answers
Is there a suffix like "phile" or "phobe" for don't care?
Thinking that every thing that you can like and dislike, you can also not care about and there may be a suffix for it.
Mr. TA
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Is "skills-wise" correct English?
In the following sentence:
...take a technical test, so your team can determine if I am suitable
for the position skills-wise.
Is "skills-wise" legitimate English?
If not, how could I change it to get the same meaning across?
George
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9
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Suffix order: -lessness vs -nessless
What is the correct order for combinations of suffixes -less and -ness?
Are they combined in any order, or is there any rule governing a proper usage?
hopelessness
helplessness
But:
weaknessless
A side point; not sure if it is related to…
9
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3 answers
Are there any rules/patterns for selecting "ish" vs "like" as a suffix?
This question arose on a comment thread over on ELL. Are there any rules or patterns for when we should/do select "ish" as a suffix, rather than "like"? Some examples discussed were that birdlike comes naturally and is easily understood to mean like…
WendiKidd
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Guidelines for selecting suffix when making an adjective out of a proper name (-esque, -ean, -ian,
Examples:
For (Michael) Jordan, we often see Jordanesque. Why? Perhaps because he is His Airness (and the -esque suffix is associated with fanciness)? Maybe also to avoid confusion with Jordanians?
Plato -> Platonic. Why? Do names ending with an "o"…
user38936
8
votes
5 answers
Suffix: must be X
Is there a suffix (or any other construct) that I can use with a base to express that this must (or is meant to) happen? For example, instead of:
This car must be recalled
use:
This car is recall
The closest I've found is that in…
George Menoutis
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7
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1 answer
Incrementor vs Incrementer
While this may be pedantic, I'm curious about the proper usage, if any.
We have a piece of software that opens a file, increments a counter in the file, and closes the file. This piece of software is called Incrementor, but it looks funny to me. I…
kmort
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6
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1 answer
What are the differences between -ist, -ite, and -ian
The suffixes -ist, -ite, and -ian all mean a follower of a person or idea. For example, a follower of Christianity is a Christian, a follower of Buddhism is a Buddhist, and a follower of Shia Islam is a Shiite. What is the difference between all of…
Orcris
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Is the suffix "-ette" used for referring to a female?
I recently came across the word scooterette in an Indian newspaper. I wondered if this is an Indian coinage; a quick search on Google showed me it's almost purely Indian. I could not find a reliable dictionary reference, but this article says these…
Bravo
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What is the meaning of the suffix "don" in town names such as Wimbeldon, Huntingdon?
What is the meaning of the suffix, "don", in towns such as Wimbeldon, Huntingdon?
4
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1 answer
Calibrate + able = Calibratible? Calibratable?
What is the consensus on the correct form of calibrate + able suffix? Wiktionary lists only one proper entry for "calibratable". Automotive industries prefer to use "calibratible" because it matches the pronunciation (disclaimer: I work in one).…
gbudiman
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Is there a suffix in "masquerade"?
Is there a suffix in masquerade?
in masquerade, masque means mask, so is -rade or -ade its suffix?
-ade is a suffix in lemonade and blockade, meaning "product".
Note: I have searched it in etymonline, but couldn't find my answer
Tim
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3
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3 answers
Are there any variations on nouns ending with an -al suffix?
-al can be added to a word to form a an adjective or a noun. If the adjective-forming suffix is added after a base word that ends in [l] then it can change to an -ar suffix (e.g. polar).
But are there any examples of this, or another sound change,…
Danger Fourpence
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3
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Is there some useful rule of thumb to distinguish words with the suffix -ence from those with -ense?
There are about ten times as many words ending in -ence than in -ense, so there's one simple rule of thumb to distinguish them: When in doubt, go with -ence. But is there any sort of rule besides memorize the exceptions that captures these -ense…
Scott Sauyet
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-iola as suffix
My buddy says things like cashiola instead of cash and calls my Mikeyola instead of Mikey. We are both native American English speakers, and my buddy swears other people say this.
Is this precendented in common English, or is he just making this…
Mikey
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