Meaning of Word
A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to alter its meaning or to create a new word with a different grammatical function.
Definitions and Meaning in English
- Suffix refers to a letter or group of letters added at the end of a word to form a new word, often changing the word’s part of speech or its meaning.
- A grammatical unit that is attached to the base or root of a word to modify its meaning or function.
- In linguistics, a suffix is a morpheme that is added to the end of a word, changing its tense, case, or other grammatical aspect.
History and Origin
The word suffix comes from the Latin word suffigere, which means “to fasten underneath” or “to attach below.” The term has been in use in English since the 17th century. In grammar, suffixes are essential in word formation, and they have been used in various languages to express grammatical relationships, such as tense, number, gender, and possession. The addition of suffixes helps in expanding the vocabulary of a language.
Detailed Explanation
A suffix is a morpheme (the smallest meaningful unit of language) that is added to the end of a word to modify its meaning. By adding a suffix, a base or root word can be transformed into a different part of speech (e.g., from a noun to an adjective), indicate tense or number, or express various grammatical meanings. For example, the suffix -ness can be added to the adjective happy to form the noun happiness, while the suffix -ed can turn a verb into its past tense form, like walk becoming walked.
Suffixes are vital in constructing new words and are often used to change a word’s function in a sentence. There are many types of suffixes, including those that form nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs.
Example Sentences
- The suffix -ly is added to quick to form the adverb quickly.
- Adding -ment to enjoy creates the noun enjoyment.
- The verb play becomes the noun player when the suffix -er is added.
- The suffix -able transforms the verb read into the adjective readable.
- She added -ness to kind to make the noun kindness.
- The -ing suffix in running indicates the continuous form of the verb run.
- By adding -s to book, it becomes the plural books.
- The adjective beautiful becomes beautify when the suffix -fy is added to form a verb.
- The -ous suffix changes danger into the adjective dangerous.
Synonyms with Short Explanation
- Affix: A general term that refers to a prefix, suffix, or infix used to modify a word.
- Postfix: Another term for suffix, specifically referring to something added at the end of a word.
- Ending: A synonym for the part of a word that comes after the root, similar to a suffix.
- Extension: Refers to an added part of a word that alters or extends its meaning.
- Tail: Informally used to describe the ending portion of a word, which can include suffixes.
Related Words with Short Explanation
- Prefix: A group of letters added at the beginning of a word to alter its meaning, opposite of a suffix.
- Root word: The base form of a word to which a suffix or prefix can be added.
- Infix: A morpheme inserted into the middle of a word, unlike a suffix or prefix.
- Morpheme: The smallest meaningful unit in a language, including prefixes, suffixes, and root words.
- Word formation: The process of creating new words through the addition of prefixes and suffixes.
More Matches with Short Explanation
- Tense marker: A suffix that indicates the time of an action, like -ed for past tense.
- Plural marker: A suffix, such as -s or -es, that changes a singular noun into its plural form.
- Comparative: A suffix like -er or -ier used to form the comparative degree of an adjective.
- Superlative: A suffix such as -est or -iest that expresses the highest degree of an adjective.
- Gerund: A noun form of a verb, often created by adding the -ing suffix, like swimming.
Antonyms
- Prefix: A morpheme added to the beginning of a word, the opposite of a suffix.
- Root: The base part of a word that a suffix can be added to, without additional morphemes.
- Stem: The main part of a word, without any prefixes or suffixes attached.
- Base word: The foundational word before any affixes, including suffixes, are added.
- Unmodified word: A word that has not been changed or altered by any suffix.