Suffixes
Suffixes are
groups of letters attached to the ends of roots, words, and word groups.
Suffixes serve a grammatical function. A suffix can indicate what part of
speech (noun, verb, adjective, adverb) to which the word belongs. Suffixes can
also modify and extend meaning. The following suffixes are grouped beneath the
grammatical function they perform.
Nouns
Nouns
perform the function of naming. Nouns name persons, places, animals or things,
as well as groups, ideas and qualities. In a sentence, nouns can be subjects,
objects, or appositives
|
Suffixes
|
Meanings
|
Examples
|
|
acy, -cy
|
state or
quality
|
privacy:
the state of being alone
infancy:
the state of being a baby or young child
|
|
-age
|
activity,
or result of action
|
courage:
having the spirit to overcome fear
|
|
-al
|
activity,
result of action
|
referral:
the action of directing a person to another place, person, or thing
|
|
-an
|
person
|
artisan: a
craftsman
|
|
-ance,
-ence
|
action,
state, quality or process
|
resistance:
the action of opposing something
independence:
the state of not being under the control of others, free, self-governing
|
|
-ancy,
-ency
|
state,
quality or capacity
|
vacancy:
an empty room or position
agency:
the capacity to exert power or influence, a position or person that performs
a function
|
|
-ant, -ent
|
an agent,
something that performs the action
|
disinfectant:
an agent that destroys germs, something that cleans
dependent:
a thing supported by another, a thing determined by another
|
|
-ate
|
state,
office, function
|
candidate:
a person nominated for an office or position
|
|
-ation
|
action,
resulting state
|
specialization:
the result of being distinguished by one quality or ability
|
|
-dom
|
place,
state of being
|
wisdom:
possessing knowledge
|
|
-er, -or
|
person or
thing that does something
|
porter: a
person who carries things
collector:
a person who collects or gathers things
|
|
-ful
|
an amount
or quantity that fills
|
mouthful:
an amount that fills the mouth
|
|
-ian, -an
|
related
to, one that is
|
pedestrian:
a person who walks
human: a
person
|
|
-ia
|
names,
diseases
|
phobia: an
illogical fear of something
|
|
-iatry
|
art of
healing
|
psychiatry:
branch of medicine that deals with the mind and emotions
|
|
-ic, -ics
|
related to
the arts and sciences
|
arithmetic:
a branch of man that usually deals with non-negative numbers
economics:
the social science related to studying business
|
|
-ice
|
act
|
malice:
the desire to do evil
|
