Word formation- is the formation of new words using prefixes, suffixes, adding stems and other methods. If you know how word formation works in the English language, you understand the meaning of basic prefixes and suffixes, it will be much easier for you to expand your vocabulary, read, and understand English speech, because you will guess the meaning of a huge number of words without a dictionary.
By the way, if you are curious to know what your vocabulary is, I recommend reading this article: From it you will learn simple and interesting ways to determine your vocabulary.
There are several ways of word formation, the most important practical significance is the formation of words using suffixes and prefixes. We will dwell on it in more detail; we will consider the remaining methods briefly.
Why do you need to know word formation?
The main benefit is that knowing the meanings of prefixes and suffixes significantly increases the number of words you recognize when reading and listening (especially when reading). In other words, passive vocabulary increases.
Let's take, for example, the verb to use- use. With the help of suffixes it is formed from:
- Adjective useful- useful.
- Adjective useless- useless.
- Noun usage- usage.
Understanding the meaning of suffixes -ful, -less, -age, you can easily understand all three formed from to use words, even if they didn’t know their meaning.
- -ful and -less indicate the presence or absence of quality: from the word care (care) careful- careful, careless– carefree.
- -age forms nouns from verbs: leak(leak) – leakage(leakage), pass(pass) – passage(passage).
The effect will be especially noticeable when reading, because in the text suffixes and prefixes are easily noticeable, but in oral speech they can simply not be made out. In general, understanding oral speech differs from understanding text in that for listening comprehension it is not enough to know words and grammar - you need to have a developed, trained skill of listening comprehension. It is developed separately through listening, i.e. listening to live speech.
Why passive vocabulary, why not active? Prefixes and suffixes are good semantic clues, but the English vocabulary is structured in such a way (like Russian) that not every word can be attached with any affix.
A striking example is consoles in- And un-, having the meaning of negation: able– capable, unable– incapable, stable– stable, instable– unstable. The prefixes are completely the same in meaning, but when you need to “prefix” which one you need to remember. When reading, you will easily understand the meaning of words with in\un-, but you can make mistakes in your speech.
However, it's not that scary. I am sure that you will be understood if you say inable And unstable, mixing up the prefixes. Speaking Russian, we still make such mistakes!
How to study word formation in English
Prefixes and suffixes (together they are called “affixes”) are not the case when you need to sit down with textbooks, cram the rules, and do exercises one after another. It is quite enough to simply familiarize yourself with the meaning of the main prefixes and suffixes and look at examples.
The tables and mind maps (images-summaries) below will help you with this. The tables reveal the meaning of prefixes and suffixes (as far as possible), examples of words, and mind maps are a kind of summary, a cheat sheet made on the basis of the tables.
After looking through the materials, you will notice that many affixes are similar to Russian ones and even have similar meanings. It’s not surprising, because they came to English, Russian and other languages from Latin and Greek, especially for affixes with a scientific connotation: de activate – de activate, anti virus – anti virus, counter balance – against oats, ideal ism – ideal change. Thanks to these preserved connections between languages, word formation in English is given without any special problems.
There are different approaches to the classification of word formation methods; in Russian-language literature, two main methods are usually distinguished: word composition and word production.
Word production, in turn, is of four types: conversion, change of stress, alternation of sounds and affixation (prefixes and suffixes).
Compounding
Compounding is the combination of two words or stems into one word. The resulting words are written together or with a hyphen. The Russian language also has such a method and, by the way, the word “composition” itself is formed by compounding.
The verbs , (most often) are formed by compounding words.
Derivation
Derivation is the formation of one word from others. This can happen in four ways:
- Conversion.
- Changing the place of stress.
- Alternation of sounds.
- Affixation.
Conversion
Conversion is the transition of a word from one part of speech to another without changing the spelling or sound. It turns out that the word formally remains unchanged, but:
- it turns into another part of speech,
- its meaning changes.
Conversion is a method of word formation characteristic of the English language, thanks to which there are many words in English that do not differ in appearance or sound, but have the meaning of different parts of speech.
For example, nouns and verbs can coincide:
Noun | Verb |
---|---|
answer (answer) | to answer (answer) |
hand (hand) | to hand (hand over) |
place | to place |
work (work) | to work (to work) |
Or adjectives and verbs:
Changing the place of stress
In this case, the nouns have the same form as the verbs, but they have a different stress. Typically, a verb's stress falls on the second syllable, and a noun's stress falls on the first.
Alternation of sounds
In this case, verbs and nouns formed from the same root differ in the alternation of the last consonant sound. Usually it is voiced in a verb, and unvoiced in a noun.
For example:
Affixation
Very often words are formed using addition prefixes and suffixes(together they are called affixes).
- Consoles(prefixes) change the meaning of words, but the word itself does not change into another part of speech. Knowing the most common prefixes, you will be able to guess the meaning of words formed with their help, if, of course, you know the source word.
- Suffixes serve to form one part of speech from another. Knowing which suffixes are characteristic of which speech, you will easily understand which part of speech is in front of you, and accordingly this will make it easier to understand the word.
Prefixes in English
Prefixes can be divided into two groups: negative and all the rest.
The most common negative prefixes: un-, in-, dis-. There are no rules governing which of these prefixes is used to give a negative meaning to a word.
However, if we talk about passive vocabulary, about understanding text or speech, then this is not so important: if a word has one of the negative prefixes, then its meaning has been changed to negative or the opposite. The tables below give examples of words with these prefixes.
Prefix un-
comfortable - convenient | uncomfortable - uncomfortable |
equal - equal | unequal - unequal |
expected - expected | unexpected - unexpected |
happy - happy | unhappy - unhappy |
important - important | unimportant - unimportant |
known - famous | unknown - unknown |
limited - limited | unlimited - unlimited |
pleasant - pleasant | unpleasant - unpleasant |
Also un- is attached to verbs to express the opposite action.
to dress - to dress | to undress - to undress |
to lock - lock | to unlock - unlock |
to pack – pack | to unpack - unpack |
Prefix in-
No rules governing when to use un- and when in-, although these prefixes do not differ in meaning. The important difference is that in- NOT used in verbs.
Examples:
Prefix in– modified in some cases:
- before l turns into il-
- before r turns into ir-
- before m and p turns into im-
Prefix dis-
Dis- can express denial or the opposite action.
Negation:
Opposite action:
Other negative prefixes
Among other negative prefixes, there are many of international, Latin and Greek origin, which are also found in the Russian language.
- a\ab– (without-, non-, a-): abnormal – abnormal, amoral – immoral.
- anti-(anti-, anti-): antivirus - antivirus, antibiotic - antibiotic.
- counter-(counter-, anti-): counterstrike - counter-strike, counter-clockwise - counterclockwise.
- de-(deprive, delete): decode - decode, deformation - disbandment.
- non-(negation, absence): non-stop - non-stop, non-alcoholic - non-alcoholic.
Prefixes with different meanings
Prefix re- (again, again, again) | |
---|---|
to appear - appear | to reappear – appear again |
to construct - build | to reconstruct - rebuild |
to read - read | to reread - reread |
to sell - sell | to resell - resell |
Prefix mis- (incorrect, incorrect) | |
to hear – to hear | to mishear - to mishear, to hear incorrectly |
to lead - to lead | to mislead - to mislead |
to quote - quote | to misquote - to quote incorrectly |
to understand – to understand | to misunderstand - misunderstand |
Prefixes over- (over, excessively) and under- (under-, insufficient) | |
to estimate – estimate |
to overestimate - to overestimate To underestimate - to underestimate |
to pay - to pay |
to overpay - to overpay to underpay - underpay |
Prefixes pre- (before, earlier) and post- (post-, after), often written with a hyphen | |
revolutionary - revolutionary |
pre-revolutionary – pre-revolutionary post-revolutionary - post-revolutionary |
war - war |
pre-war - pre-war post-war - post-war |
Prefix co- (cooperation, commonality of action), often written with a hyphen | |
author - author | co-author - co-author |
existence - existence | co-existence - coexistence |
operation - operation | co-operation – cooperation, assistance |
Prefix inter- (between, among, mutually) | |
national - national | international - international |
action - action | interaction |
town - city | intertown - intercity |
Prefix ex- (ex-, former), written with a hyphen | |
husband - husband | ex-husband - ex-husband |
president - president | ex-president - ex-president |
Prefix sub- (sub-, sub-) | |
marine - marine | submarine - underwater |
section - section | subsection - subsection |
Prefix ultra- (ultra-, super-), written with a hyphen | |
microscopic – microscopic | ultramicroscopic – ultramicroscopic |
violet – purple | ultra-violet - ultraviolet |
Prefix en- (to do something) | |
circle - circle | encircle – surround (make a circle) |
large - big | enlarge – increase (do more) |
slave - slave | enslave – to enslave (to make a slave) |
Notes:
- In modern English there are words with inseparable prefixes, they include the prefixes listed in the table above, but by separating them, we do not get an independent word. For example: reduce(to shorten), discuss(discuss), pre pare(prepare). In fact, these consoles are no longer consoles at all. Once upon a time they grew attached to the roots of words, now unused and modified, and gradually they themselves became part of the root of the word. For example, in the word prepare(prepare) pre- this is no longer a prefix, but part of the root of the word.
- In colloquial speech the word is used "ex"– it exactly corresponds to our “ex, ex” and means “ex-husband/boyfriend, ex-wife/girlfriend”: My ex texted me – My ex wrote me an SMS.
Suffixes in English
Suffixes are indicators of parts of speech in the English language; accordingly, they can be divided into three groups: suffixes of nouns, adjectives and verbs. There is not much to say about adverbs; in most cases they are formed using only one suffix -ly(quick – quickly), there is a small note about them.
Noun suffixes
With the help of suffixes, nouns denoting persons and abstract nouns denoting broad or general concepts are formed.
Nouns denoting persons
Suffixes -er, -or – are added to verbs to denote the character | |
---|---|
to buy – buy | buyer - buyer |
to direct - to lead | director - head |
to teach – to teach | teacher - teacher |
to work - to work | worker - worker |
The suffixes -ism and -ist correspond to the suffixes -ism and -ist in Russian, denoting ideologies, political or scientific movements and their adherents | |
idealist | idealist |
terrorist | terrorist |
materialism | materialism |
The suffix -ee is used to indicate the person to whom the action is directed | |
to address - to address | addressee - addressee |
to employ – hire | employee – worker (hired employee) |
to pay - to pay | payee – payee |
The suffix -ian is used to denote nationality | |
Russian | Russian |
Ukrainian | Ukrainian |
Bulgarian | Bulgarian |
Norwegian | Norwegian |
Abstract nouns
The suffix -age usually forms nouns from verbs | |
---|---|
to leak – to leak | leakage - leak |
to marry – to marry, to get married | marriage - marriage |
Suffixes -ance, -ence – with their help, nouns are formed from adjectives with suffixes -ant, -ent | |
important - important | importance - importance |
different – different | difference - difference |
resistant – resistant | resistance - resistance |
The suffix -dom forms nouns from adjectives and other nouns | |
free - free | freedom - freedom |
king - king | kingdom - kingdom |
The suffix -hood usually forms nouns from other nouns | |
brother - brother | brotherhood - brotherhood |
child - child | childhood - childhood |
neighbor - neighbor | neighborhood - neighborhood |
The suffixes -ion, -ation, -sion, -ssion form nouns from verbs, sometimes changing the pronunciation or spelling | |
to collect – collect | collection - collection |
to combine – combine | combination - combination |
to transmit - transmit | transmission - transmission |
The suffix -ment forms nouns from verbs | |
to agree - agree | agreement - agreement |
to develop – to develop | development - development |
The suffix -ness forms nouns from adjectives | |
dark - dark | darkness - darkness |
kind - kind | kindness - kindness |
weak - weak | weakness - weakness |
The suffix -ship forms nouns from other nouns | |
friend - friend | friendship - friendship |
leader - leader | leadership - leadership |
The suffix -ure forms nouns from verbs | |
to please – to give pleasure | pleasure - pleasure |
to press – to press | pressure - pressure |
to seize – to seize | seizure - seizure |
Adjective suffixes
The suffixes -able, -ible express the possibility of being subjected to action; in Russian there are similar “-able”, “-ivy”, “-obny” | |
---|---|
to change - change | changable – changeable, changeable |
to eat - eat | eatable - edible |
to walk - go | walkable - passable |
to convert – convert, transform | convertable - reversible, convertible |
The suffix -al forms adjectives from nouns (cf. In Russian: -al) | |
center – center | central - central |
culture - culture | cultural - cultural |
form - form | formal – formal |
The suffixes -ant, -ent form adjectives from verbs (these adjectives correspond to nouns with -ance, -ence) | |
to differ - to differ | different – different (difference – difference) |
to resist – resist | resistant - resistant (resistance - resistance) |
The suffixes -ful form adjectives from nouns and denote the presence of a quality. (opposite of -less) | |
beauty - beauty | beautiful – beautiful |
doubt - doubt | doubtful - doubtful |
use - benefit | useful - useful |
The suffix -ish forms adjectives with the meanings: a) nationality, b) weak degree of quality (as in Russian -ovat, -evat) | |
scott - Scotsman | scottish - Scottish |
swede - Swede | swedish - Swedish |
red – red | reddish – reddish |
brown - brown | brownish – brownish |
The suffix -ive forms adjectives from verbs and nouns (as in Russian -ive, -ivny) | |
to act - to act | active - active |
effect – effect, action | effective - valid |
to talk - talk | talkative - talkative |
The suffix -less forms adjectives from a noun and means lack of quality (the opposite of -ful) | |
hope - hope | hopeless - hopeless |
use - benefit | useless - useless |
home - house | homeless - homeless |
The suffix -ous forms adjectives from nouns | |
courage - courage | courageous - brave |
danger - danger | dangerous – dangerous |
glory - glory | glorious - glorious |
The suffix -y forms adjectives from nouns (mostly weather-related) | |
cloud – cloud | cloudy - cloudy |
dirt - dirt | dirty - dirty |
fog - fog | foggy - foggy |
rain - rain | rainy - rainy |
sun – sun | sunny – sunny |
Verb suffixes
The suffix -en gives meanings: to do, to become, to become, forms verbs from adjectives and nouns | |
---|---|
sharp - sharp | sharpen – sharpen |
short - short | shorten – to shorten |
strength - strength | strengthen – strengthen |
wide – wide | widen - expand |
The suffix -fy usually forms verbs from adjectives, less often from nouns | |
false - fake | to falsify – to falsify |
glory - glory | to glorify – glorify |
simple - simple | to simplify - to simplify |
pure - clean | to purify – to cleanse |
The suffix -ize usually forms verbs from nouns | |
character - character | to characterize – to characterize |
crystal – crystal | to crystallize – crystallize |
sympathy - sympathy | to sympathize - sympathize |
Notes:
- A few words need to be said about adverbs. Everything here is extremely simple: in the vast majority of cases, derived adverbs are formed from adjectives (sometimes from numerals and nouns) using a suffix -ly: wise(wise) - wisely(wisely) slow(slow) - slowly(slowly), etc. Suffixes are much less common -wise(clockwise - clockwise), -ward(s)(forward\backward – forward\back), -ways(sideways - sideways).
- As with prefixes, the English language has words with permanent suffixes, but in fact these are not suffixes, but part of a root that was once formed from a suffix (during the process of historical changes in the language). These words are indivisible and are not recognized as words with suffixes, for example: courage(courage), station(station), document(document), loyal(devoted), possible(possible) and others.
- As in the Russian language, English words can be formed not only by prefix and suffix, but also by a combined (prefix-suffix) method. For example: walk(walk) - walkable(passable) – unwalkable(impassable). In this case, the meaning of both the suffix and the prefix is added to the original word.
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Confusion may arise (both are often called word endings, “word endings”), and the English terminology in this matter is slightly different from Russian. So let's start with the basic concepts.
The ending is an inflectional morpheme. It changes the form of the word, but not its meaning, and at the same time carries a grammatical load:
- pencil - pencil s(the ending indicates the plural)
- work - work ed(the ending indicates the past tense)
The suffix, in turn, is a word-forming morpheme. Suffixes in English create new words, either changing the meaning of the original one, or transforming one part of speech into another:
- red-redd ish(red - reddish)
- teach - teach er(teach - teacher)
There are very few endings in English - these are -s (-es), -ed and -ing. There are a huge number of suffixes in English. In this article we will consider only the most common ones.
Noun suffixes
Suffixes of professions and activities (-er, -ent, -ess)
The suffix -er is perhaps the most common and productive for denoting “doers.” With it you can form a noun from almost any verb.
- write > writer - write > writer
- bake > baker - oven > baker
- paint > painter - draw > artist
Most modern words denoting the performer of an action are formed with its help. This also applies to inanimate objects.
- printer - printer
- scanner - scanner
Many have the suffix -or:
- doctor - doctor
- tailor - tailor
- actor - actor
The suffix in English -ist often denotes activities related to science and medicine:
- scientist - scientist
- dentist - dentist
- biologist - biologist
It also denotes an adherent of any views and beliefs:
- pacifist - pacifist
- communist - communist
- realist - realist
Other suffixes in English for words of Latin and Greek origin:
Suffix -ian:
- musician - musician
- librarian - librarian
- mathematician - mathematician
Suffix -ent:
- student - student
- resident - resident, resident
- agent - agent
Suffix -ant:
- informant - informant
- assistant - assistant
- confidant - trusted person
The suffix -ess is one of the few "feminine" suffixes in English:
- waitress - waitress
- actress - actress
- princess - princess
Suffixes of process, action, phenomenon (-ment, -ion, -ism)
The suffix in English -ment is needed when forming verbal nouns and means an action or its result:
- movement - movement
- entertainment - entertainment
- concealment - concealment
The suffix -ion also means an action, a process, or the result of that process:
- revolution - revolution
- isolation - isolation
- restriction - restriction
The suffix -ism denotes a system of views and beliefs:
- racism - racism
- communism - communism
- pacifism - pacifism
Suffixes of state, quality, property (-ance / -ence, -dom, -hood, -ity, -ness, -ship, -th)
The suffix -ance/-ence on a noun generally corresponds to the suffix -ant/-ent on an adjective:
- different - difference (different - difference)
- important - importance (important - importance)
- independent - independence (independent - independence)
The suffixes in English -hood and -ship mean a person’s condition associated with his age, social relationships, and sometimes activities; or a group of people united by this condition.
- childhood - childhood
- motherhood - motherhood
- priesthood - clergy
- friendship - friendship
- internship - internship, internship
The suffix -dom means states and properties of a broader meaning:
- freedom - freedom
- wisdom - wisdom
- martyrdom - martyrdom
The suffix in English -ness means the possession of some quality and is used to form nouns from adjectives:
- kindness - kindness
- usefulness - usefulness
- vastness - vastness
The suffix -th more often means physical properties:
- strength - strength
- length - length
- warmth - warmth
The suffix -ity means property, quality, and is common for words of Latin origin:
- brevity - brevity
- velocity - speed
- purity - purity
Adjective suffixes
The suffix in English -ful means having a quality (and is related to the adjective full - “full”):
- beautiful - beautiful
- useful - useful
The suffix -less is the opposite in meaning to the previous one and means lack of quality:
- careless - carefree
- harmless - harmless
The suffix -able, -ible characterizes the property or availability for any action:
- edible - edible
- portable - portable, portable
- admirable - admirable
The suffixes -ic and -al mean “relating to, associated with something”:
- heroic - heroic
- mythic - mythical
- cultural - cultural
- musical - musical
The suffix -ous also carries the characteristic:
- dangerous - dangerous
- nutritious - nutritious
The suffix in English -ish has several meanings:
expresses similarity (in terms of appearance, behavior)
- girlish - girlish
- childich - childish, childish
- foolish - stupid
weakens the meaning of the adjective
- reddish - reddish
- narrowish - narrowish
means nationality, language or belonging to a country
- English - English
- Swedish - Swedish
The suffix -ive means having a property, ability:
- attractive - attractive
- sedative - sedative
The English suffix -y is used to form many simple adjectives:
- rainy - rainy
- dirty - dirty
- sunny - sunny
Verb suffixes
Verb suffixes are not so diverse and almost all have the meaning “to do something” or “to become something.”
What do words have in common? lovely, helpful, caring, painful? They all have the same suffix, when writing which a huge number of mistakes are made. This is understandable, because everyone is familiar with the word full, and accordingly, the suffix is written in the same way, with two l.
Indeed, the suffix -ful owes its origin to the adjective full, which translates as "full, filled, rich in something":
Full of water - full of water
full of love - full of love
full of pleasant memories - filled with pleasant impressions
An adjective is always written with two l's. By the way, it has other meanings:
I am not hungry I am full. - I'm not hungry, I'm full.
unabridged, in full form:
What is your full name? - What is your full name?
I was waiting for a full hour. - I've been waiting for him for an hour.
The suffix - ful (in which there is one l) tends to form adjectives when combined with verbs and nouns. -Ful emphasizes the presence of a certain characteristic.
Let's remember some adjectives with the suffix -ful, as well as the verbs and nouns from which they come:
Verb (verb) |
Noun (noun) |
Adjective (adjective) |
---|---|---|
beauty (beauty) |
beautiful (beautiful) |
|
care (take care) |
care |
careful (caring) |
cheer (to cheer) |
cheer (encouragement) |
cheerful (cheerful, cheerful) |
color (paint) |
color (color) |
colourful |
delight (pleasure) |
delightful (pleasant) |
|
doubt (doubt) |
doubt |
doubtful (doubtful) |
faith (to believe) |
faith |
faithful (faithful) |
forget (to forget) |
forgetful (forgetful) |
|
grace (gracefulness) |
graceful (graceful) |
|
harm (harm) |
harmful (harmful) |
|
help (help) |
help (help) |
helpful (ready to help) |
hope (to hope) |
hope |
hopeful (full of hope) |
joy (fun) |
joyful (joyful) |
|
law (law) |
lawful (legal) |
|
mean (mean) |
meaning |
meaningful |
pain (to be sick) |
painful |
|
plenty (many) |
plentiful (numerous) |
|
power (strength) |
powerful (strong) |
|
respect (respect) |
respect |
respectful (respected) |
skill (skill, skill) |
skillful (skillful) |
|
stress (to depress) |
stress |
stressful |
use (use) |
use |
useful (useful) |
thought (thought) |
thoughtful (thoughtful) |
|
taste (try) |
taste (taste) |
tasteful (delicious) |
Some words that look like adjectives with the suffix -ful are actually nouns. The suffix adds the meaning "full, filled". These are nouns: handful (handful), mouthful (full mouth), spoonful (full spoon), houseful (full house) and others.
Now many of you probably remember that you have come across the words beautiful or helpful with two l. Yes, this is possible! But only with education!
You and I know that most adverbs in English are formed using the suffix -ly. If this suffix is added to an adjective that already ends in l, then, of course, the consonant will be doubled:
Beautiful - beautifully
careful - carefully
hopeful - hopefully
Remember that only in adverbs with the suffix -ly is it possible to encounter a double -l.
You see how simple it is! Now you know the simple rules and will always confidently choose the correct spelling of words with the suffix --ful.
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I told you in the last message. According to their structure, adjectives are divided into: simple, derivative and complex. Derived adjectives form a very large group that cannot be easily learned unless you know the suffixes and prefixes. Therefore, we return again to the topic of word formation, only now we have suffixes of adjectives. Tested by practice - having a good understanding of suffixes and prefixes, you immediately increase your vocabulary many times over.
Examples and descriptions have already been written in previous messages, and you can write them out and teach them. Now let's talk about adjective suffixes.
Let's start with the suffixes “- LESS” and “- FUL”. Now, when you see these endings in a word, you will immediately understand that this is an adjective, and in addition, you can “calculate” the meaning of the root word.
Suffix –LESS= productive, originating from Old English. It means the absence of some quality. In many cases, the stem (i.e. root) of such adjectives are abstract nouns that indicate quality, although the stem may also be concrete nouns. For example:
hope(hope) + less - hopeless= hopeless;
aim(target) + less — aimless= aimless;
b reath(1.breath, sigh) + less – breathless= out of breath, out of breath
(2. breath) = windless, motionless (about air, water, etc.)
mercy(mercy) + less – merciless= unmerciful, merciless;
meaning(value) + less – meaningless= minor;
expression(expression) + less – expressionless= expressionless, indifferent;
help(help) + less – helpless= helpless;
home(house)+ less — homeless= homeless;
defense(protection, defense) + less – defenseless= defenseless, undefendable;
harm(harm) + less – harmless= harmless;
motion(movement)+ less – motionless= motionless;
effort(effort) + less – effortless= effortless, lightweight;
sound(sound) + less – soundless= silent;
use(benefit)+ less – useless= useless;
care(care, attention)+ less – careless= carefree, inattentive.
Words with the suffix “-LESS” are not always translated simply by one adjective; sometimes you have to convey the meaning in a group of words with a noun, since there are simply no such adjectives in the Russian language. For example, such a combination “WINDOWLESS HOUSE” cannot be translated as a “windowless” house, but we translate “house without windows”. Some more examples of such words:
springless bed = bed without springs;
sleeveless dress = sleeveless dress;
hellless shoes = shoes without heels;
shoeless boy = boy without shoes, barefoot;
stockingless feet = legs without stockings.
Suffix –FUL= productive, comes from Old English. It means “fullness” of some quality, an excess of quality. In fact, this is the antonym of the suffix “-LESS”.
care(care, attention) + ful – careful= caring, attentive;
use(benefit) + ful – useful= useful;
pain(pain) + ful – painful= painful;
beauty(beauty) + ful – beautiful= beautiful, wonderful;
hope(hope) + ful – hopeful= reliable;
power(strength, power, authority) + ful – powerful= strong, powerful, domineering;
t hank(gratitude) + ful – thankful= grateful;
wonder(miracles) + ful – wonderful= wonderful;
law(law) + ful – lawful= legal;
grace(grace) + ful = graceful= graceful;
success(success) + ful – successful= successful;
thought(thought) + ful – t wishful= pensive;
meaning(meaning)+ ful – meaningful= significant;
force(strength) + ful – forceful= strong;
doubt(doubt) + ful = dobtful= doubtful.
Just like with the suffix “-LESS”, some words with the suffix “-FUL” cannot be translated with one adjective. For example:
event + ful – eventful = eventful
scorn + ful – scornful = full of contempt
There is also a group of words where the suffix “-FUL” goes to the suffixes of nouns. These words are also associated with filling, but some kind of containers. These containers can also be conditional. Here are some examples:
hand+ ful – handful= handful;
arm+ ful – a rmful= armful;
mouth+ ful – mouthful= a mouth full (of something, such as water);
spoon+ ful – spoonful= spoonful;
plate+ full = plateful= full plate;
pocket+ ful – p ocketful= pocket full;
cup+ ful – cupful= full cup.
The English sentence is like an impenetrable forest, we took a wrong turn, and now we are lost among unfamiliar words. How can you avoid getting into trouble and correctly determine which part of speech is in front of you? Suffixes to the rescue! We have prepared useful material especially for you, thanks to which you will distinguish these mysterious parts of speech. Understanding the meanings of common affixes will help you understand the meanings of new words you come across. Let's go
So, by suffix we mean a letter or group of letters that is typically found at the end of a word in English. Thanks to this element, amazing metamorphoses occur, so a completely new one is formed from the original word, and sometimes the part of speech changes. Let's look at an example, the verb to create (create), by adding the suffix - or we get the noun creat or(creator). Let's construct an adjective in a similar way, but this time we choose the suffix - ive:creat ive(creative).
Since practicing and creating vocabulary is a useful thing, we suggest paying attention to three important features:
First, sometimes adding a suffix changes the spelling of the root or stem. The word ends with a vowel -y, and is preceded by a consonant - y replace with - i. Here's an example:
- verb to justify y(to justify) > adjective justif i able (justified);
- adjective ugl y(ugly) > noun ugl i ness (ugliness).
Also, if by the way with a dumb word - e an affix is added at the end, then this vowel is simply falls out. For example:
- verb to us e(use) > adjective usable(practical);
- verb to adore e(adore) > adjective adorable(charming).
NOTA BENE: As with all rules of the English language, spelling, of course, has its exceptions. Therefore, if controversial questions arise, feel free to consult the dictionary.
Secondly, not all suffixes can be added to all roots, these are the owners of affixes, and there’s nothing you can do about it. For example:
- beauty y(beauty) + - ful > beautiful(beautiful);
- ugl y(ugly) + - ness > ugliness(ugliness).
But the words beauty or ugliful are not in the dictionary, since they do not exist in the language at all, period.
Thirdly, some suffixes have more than one meaning. How greedy! You all know the affix - er used comparatively: bright > bright er(brighter). However, the same suffix also means a person living in a specific place: London (London) > Londoner (resident of London).
Verb suffixes in English
An English verb, like any verb, means the state or action of an object or thing. The verb suffix is quite unpretentious and has the following meanings: happen, become, do or create.
NOTA BENE: Many verbs with the suffix - size, can also end with - ise. For example: real size& real ise(realize) or patron size& patron ise(take care). Two options occur, however, the verb suffix is - ise will use British. While - size use more Americans.
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
ate | become happen |
regulate ["regjəleɪt] - regulate eradicate [ɪ"rædɪkeɪt] - exterminate enunciate [ɪ"nʌn(t)sɪeɪt] - to expound repudiate - to reject evaporate [ɪ"væp(ə)reɪt] - evaporate |
en | become happen |
harden ["hɑ:d(ə)n] - harden soften ["sɔf(ə)n] - soften enlighten [ɪn"laɪt(ə)n] - to enlighten strengthen ["streŋθ(ə)n] - strengthen loosen ["lu:s(ə)n] - loosen |
size / ise | become happen |
civilise ["sɪv(ə)laɪz] - to civilize humanize ["hju:mənaɪz] - soften economise [ɪ"kɔnəmaɪz] - save utilize ["ju:tɪlaɪz] - spend valorize ["væl(ə)raɪz] - increase prices |
ify/fy | do create become |
satisfy ["sætɪsfaɪ] - to satisfy rectify ["rektɪfaɪ] - to correct terrify ["terɪfaɪ] - to terrify exemplify [ɪk"semplɪfaɪ] - illustrate clarify ["klærɪfaɪ] - clarify |
Noun suffixes in English
A noun denotes some object or thing. The English noun suffix is distinguished by its diversity and includes the following elements: actor, quality or state, process or activity, etc.
NOTA BENE: If the verb ends in - here, but the noun will have a suffix - ence: to interfere > interfere ence(interference). If on - ate, -y, -ure / -ear, then the affix - ance: to devi ate(deviate) > devi ance(deviation); to appl y(apply) > appli ance(device); to cl ear(clear) > clear ance(cleaning).
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
ance / ence | state quality action |
extravagance [ɪk"strævəgən(t)s] - quirk preference ["pref(ə)r(ə)n(t)s] - preference utterance ["ʌt(ə)r(ə)n(t)s] - pronunciation |
acy | state quality |
fallacy ["fæləsɪ] - cunning celibacy ["seləbəsɪ] - celibacy |
ity/ty | quality characteristic |
probity ["prəubətɪ] - honesty royalty ["rɔɪəltɪ] - greatness |
ment | state means result |
endorsement [ɪn"dɔ:smənt] - approval fragment ["frægmənt] - fragment excitement [ɪk"saɪtmənt] - excitement |
al | action process |
recital - transfer denial - refusal |
dom | state status |
boredom ["bɔ:dəm] - melancholy earldom ["ɜ:ldəm] - count's title |
ness | state | preparedness - readiness wilderness ["wɪldənəs] - desert |
xion / sion / tion | state action |
fluxion ["flʌkʃ(ə)n] - change concession - recognition relation - relationship |
hood | characteristic interest group current state |
womanhood ["wumənhud] - femininity brotherhood ["brʌðəhud] - brotherhood childhood ["tʃaɪldhud] - brotherhood |
ship | current state interest group |
|
ship | current state interest group |
membership ["membəʃɪp] - membership friendship ["frendʃɪp] - friendship |
ist | character | narcissist ["nɑ:sɪsɪst] - “narcissist” novelist ["nɔv(ə)lɪst] - novelist |
ee | character | addressee [ædre"si:] - recipient employee [ɪmplɔɪ"i:] - employee |
ess | female character | goddess ["gɔdes] - goddess waitress ["weɪtrəs] - waitress |
ism | ideology action and result language features |
hedonism ["hi:d(ə)nɪz(ə)m] - hedonism exorcism ["skeptɪsɪz(ə)m] - skepticism Americanism [ə"merɪkənɪz(ə)m] - Americanism |
Adjective suffixes in English
An adjective is a part of speech that modifies a noun. The main meanings of the suffix include the following: absence or presence of quality, characteristic, ability, opportunity, etc.
SUFFIX | MEANING | EXAMPLES |
---|---|---|
able / ible | capable possible important |
payable ["peɪəbl] - payable edible ["edɪbl] - fit for food fashionable ["fæʃ(ə)nəbl] - secular |
al | relating to | autumnal [ɔ:"tʌmn(ə)l] - autumn accidental [æksɪ"dent(ə)l] - random |
ic/ical | relating to | metallic - metallic Finnic ["fɪnɪk] - Finnish |
esque | related to style manner or image |
arabesque [ærə"besk] - decorated picturesque - picturesque |
ful | having quality characterizing |
masterful ["mɑ:stəf(ə)l] - self-willed woeful ["wəuf(ə)l] - sorrowful |
ious / ous | having quality characterizing |
cautious ["kɔ:ʃəs] - careful nervous ["nɜ:vəs] - nervous |
y | having quality characterizing |
sticky ["stɪkɪ] - sticky nerdy ["nɜ:dɪ] - boring |
ive | having quality characterizing |
palliative ["pælɪətɪv] - softening corrective - corrective |
ish | having quality characterizing to some extent |
girlish ["gɜ:lɪʃ] - girlish snobbish ["snɔbɪʃ] - snobbish pinkish ["pɪŋkɪʃ] - pinkish |
less | lack of quality without anything |
skinless ["skɪnləs] - without skin childless ["tʃaɪldləs] - childless |
Adverb suffixes in English
An adverb is an irreplaceable part of speech that conveys a sign of a state or action primarily of a verb. The adverb suffix is modest and has only three meanings: direction or direction, characteristic or attribute, relation of one to another.
Conclusion
So, we have looked at the most common suffixes of different parts of speech in the English language. Think of the affix as a clue to the meaning of words. As in any detective story, sometimes the clues are visible to the naked eye and are quite obvious. In other cases, they can be confusing or misleading.
In any case, keep in mind that the meanings of words are best determined by examining the context in which they are used. We hope that this article was useful and informative for you.
We wish you success and development in English!
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