English

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Etymology 1

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    From Middle English -al, from the Latin adjective suffix -ālis, or French, Middle French and Old French -el, -al.

    Alternative forms

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    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. Of or pertaining to. Adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also.
      base + ‎-al → ‎basal
      cranium + ‎-al → ‎cranial
    2. Forming nouns, especially of verbal action.
      propose + ‎-al → ‎proposal
      deny + ‎-al → ‎denial
      bestow + ‎-al → ‎bestowal
    Usage notes
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    If the root word contains l, the variant -ar is often used instead (e.g. solar, lunar, columnar, lumbar), unless the root contains r after the l (lateral, plural). Sometimes both forms are found: linear, lineal. One also sees -ial, as in manorial.

    As nominalizer, some verbs have two corresponding nouns, one ending in -al and the other in -tion/-sion (more common suffix), with one or the other being more common, sometimes with different nuances. Notable examples: disposition/disposal (dispose), proposition/proposal (propose), submission/submittal (submit), transmission/transmittal (transmit). Some superficial pairs are actually of different origin, notably reversion/reversal (revert/reverse, not both from reverse).

    Derived terms
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    Etymology 2

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    Back-formation from aldehyde.

    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. (organic chemistry) Forms the names of aldehydes.
    Translations
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    Anagrams

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    Abenaki

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.
      pessimen (currant)pessimenal (currants)
      wôbigen (it is white)wôbigenal (they are white)

    Usage notes

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    • -al is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words, including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a.
    • See the usage notes at -ak.

    Asturian

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    Etymology

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    Inherited from Latin -ālis.

    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al (epicene, adjective-forming suffix, plural -als)

    1. -al (of or pertaining to)

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    Catalan

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    Etymology

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    Inherited from Latin -ālis.

    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -als)

    1. in adjectives, indicating relation
      estructura (structure) + ‎-al → ‎estructural (structural)

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    Danish

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    Etymology

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    From Latin -ālis.

    Suffix

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    -al

    1. -al, of or pertaining to; forming an adjective from a noun
      Synonym: -el
    2. (organic chemistry) -al

    Declension

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    Inflection of -al
    positive comparative superlative
    indefinite common singular -al 2
    indefinite neuter singular -alt 2
    plural -ale 2
    definite attributive1 -ale

    1 When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
    the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
    2 The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

    (Adjectives)

    Declension of -al
    common
    gender
    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative -al -alen -aler -alerne
    genitive -als -alens -alers -alernes

    (Common nouns)

    Declension of -al
    neuter
    gender
    singular plural
    indefinite definite indefinite definite
    nominative -al -alet -aler -alerne
    genitive -als -alets -alers -alernes

    (Neuter nouns)

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    References

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    Dutch

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    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. (organic chemistry) -al

    Synonyms

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    Derived terms

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    Esperanto

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    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. for [...] reason (ending for correlatives of reason)

    Derived terms

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    • alial (for another reason)
    • ĉial (for every reason)
    • ial (for any/some reason)
    • kial (for what reason, why)
    • nenial (for no reason)
    • tial (for that reason, therefore)

    French

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    Etymology

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    Inherited from Middle French -al, from Old French -al, borrowed from Latin -ālis. Doublet of -el, which is inherited. The masculine plural in -x comes from the letter's usage as a ligature to abbreviate -us.

    Pronunciation

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    -al (feminine -ale, masculine plural -aux, feminine plural -ales)

    1. -al; appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form; often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also

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    Descendants

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    • Norwegian Bokmål: -al
    • Turkish: -sal (learned)

    German

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Latin -ālis.

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    -al

    1. pertaining to, using; adjectival suffix appended to nouns

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    Hungarian

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    Etymology

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    From -a- (linking vowel) +‎ -l (verb-forming suffix).

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. (verb-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form a verb.
      szárny (a wing) + ‎-al → ‎szárnyal (to soar)
    2. (noun-forming suffix) Added to a verb to form a noun. No longer productive in this role.
      von (to pull) + ‎-al → ‎vonal (line)
    3. (organic chemistry) -al (forms the names of aldehydes)
      etanalethanal

    Usage notes

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    • (verb-forming suffix) Variants:
      -l is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-. Final long vowels may shorten, e.g. űü.
      -ol is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant
      -al is added to other back-vowel words ending in a consonant
      -el is added to unrounded (and some rounded) front-vowel words ending in a consonant
      -öl is added to most rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant
      -ál is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

    Note: Certain words take another, synonymous suffix, -z/-oz/-az/-ez/-öz/-áz or -zik/-ozik/-azik/-ezik/-özik.

    • (noun-forming suffix) Variants:
      -al is added to back-vowel words
      -el is added to front-vowel words

    Derived terms

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    K'iche'

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    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. Forms nouns from adjectives
      tew (cold) + ‎-al → ‎tewal (coldness)
      k’ak’ (new) + ‎-al → ‎k’ak’al (youngster)
    2. Forms nouns from -aj verb suffix
      mujaj (to shade) + ‎-al → ‎mujaj (shadow)
      q’ebaj (to go across) + ‎-al → ‎q’ebal (large earthen jar)
    3. Forms nouns from adverbs
      nojim (slowly) + ‎-al → ‎nojimal (slowness)
      nabe (firstly) + ‎-al → ‎nabeal (firstborn)
    4. Forms nouns from nouns
      k’o’x (gourd cup) + ‎-al → ‎k’o’xal (shell of a dead animal)
      süb (tamalito of corn) + ‎-al → ‎sübal (pot for making tamales)

    References

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    Latin

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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    From the recurrent substantivation of apocopated adjectives in -āle, the nominative neuter singular ending of -ālis. Compare the nominal suffixes -ārium, -ium and -cum (among others), all derived from the neuter stem of adjective-forming suffixes.

    Suffix

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    -al n (genitive -ālis); third declension

    1. noun-forming suffix

    Declension

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    Third-declension noun (neuter, pure i-stem).

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    Lepontic

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    Suffix

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    -al

    1. Romanization of -𐌀𐌋

    Malay

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    Etymology

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    Borrowed from Dutch -aal and English -al.

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    -al (Jawi spelling ـل)

    1. -al
      konvensionalconventional

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    Manx

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology 1

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    Extracted from goaill.

    Suffix

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    -al f

    1. suffix used to form verbal nouns

    Etymology 2

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    Extracted from goaill.

    Suffix

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    -al

    1. suffix used productively to form denominative verbs and their associated verbal nouns
      yiarn (iron) + ‎-al → ‎yiarnal (to iron)
      post (post) + ‎-al → ‎postal (to post)

    Etymology 3

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    From Middle Irish -amail (compare Irish -úil, Scottish Gaelic -ail, -eil), from Old Irish -amail.

    Suffix

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    -al

    1. An adjectival suffix applied to various words, usually nouns, to make an adjective.

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    Middle English

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    Alternative forms

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    Etymology

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      Borrowed from Old French -al, -el and its source Latin -ālis.

      Pronunciation

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      • IPA(key): /-al/, /-aːl/, /-ɛl/, /-ɛːl/

      Suffix

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      -al

      1. (chiefly not productive) Forms adjectives from Latin and Romance vocabulary.

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      Descendants

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      Munsee

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      Suffix

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      -al

      1. A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.
        síipuw (river)siipúwal (rivers)
        máxkeew (it is red)maxkéewal (they are red)

      Usage notes

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      • -al is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words, including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a.

      Norman

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      Etymology

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      From Old French -al, from Latin -ālis.

      Suffix

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      -al

      1. -al (of or pertaining to; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form)

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      Norwegian Nynorsk

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      Alternative forms

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      Etymology

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      From Old Norse -all in adjectives like þagall and gamall, from Proto-Germanic *-alaz.

      Suffix

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      -al (neuter -alt, definite singular and plural -ale, comparative -alare, indefinite superlative -alast, definite superlative -alaste)

      1. Forms adjectives from verbs meaning “doing” or “pertaining to doing” the verb.
        våga (dare) + ‎-al → ‎vågal (daring, risky)

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      References

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      • “-al” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
      • “*all” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring

      Old French

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      Alternative forms

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      Etymology

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        Borrowed from Latin -ālis. Compare the inherited -el.

        Suffix

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        -al

        1. suffix used to form adjectives from nouns
          mesnal (from mesnee)domestic; household

        Descendants

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        • Middle French: -al

        Polish

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        Etymology

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          Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-aľь.

          Pronunciation

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          • IPA(key): /al/
          • Rhymes: -al
          • Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]

          Suffix

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          -al m

          1. forms masculine nouns, usually augmentative in nature
            nos + ‎-al → ‎nochal

          Declension

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          Animate/personal:

          Inanimate:

          Surnames:

          Derived terms

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          Further reading

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          • -al in Polish dictionaries at PWN

          Portuguese

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          Pronunciation

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          • Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw

          Etymology 1

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          From Old Galician-Portuguese -al, from Latin -ālis.

          Suffix

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          -al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, plural -ais)

          1. appended to noun X, forms adjectives meaning “of or relating to X”
            Synonyms: -ar, -ário, -eal, -eiro, -ial, -ico
            abismo (abyss) + ‎-al → ‎abismal (abyssal; abysmal)
            indústria (factory; industry) + ‎-al → ‎industrial (industrial)
          2. (rarely productive) forms synonyms of adjectives containing the suffix -ico
            angélico (angelic) + ‎-al → ‎angelical (angelical)

          Suffix

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          -al m or f by sense (noun-forming suffix, plural -ais)

          1. appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a collection X” or “a large quantity of X”
            Synonym: -ário
            ninho (nest) + ‎-al → ‎ninhal (a bunch of nests)
            edito (edict) + ‎-al → ‎edital (notice board)
          2. appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a place where there is plenty of X” or "field where a plant is cultivated"
            Synonyms: -açal, -egal, -eiro
            trigo (wheat) + ‎-al → ‎trigal (wheatfield)
            sobreiro (cork oak) + ‎-al → ‎sobreiral (an orchard of cork oaks)
            pedra (rock) + ‎-al → ‎pedregal (a rocky field)
            colmeia (beehive) + ‎-al → ‎colmeal (a place with many beehives)
            cátedra (clergy) + ‎-al → ‎catedral (a large or important church building)
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          The following ending(s) change(s) in words appended with this suffix:

          • -ção, -são (in feminine abstract nouns, incl. plurals) → -cion, -sion
          • -ão (as a non-verb suffix, incl. plurals) → -on
          • -ã(o) (incl. plurals) → -(i)an, -am, or -(i)on, depending on the base word's etymology
          • -m (incl. plurals) → -n
          • -z (in some nouns from Latin, incl. plurals) → -c(i)
          • -vel (unstressed and adjectival, incl. plurals) → -bili
          • -z (adjectival, incl. plurals) → -ci
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          Etymology 2

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          From the first syllable of álcool (alcohol) and aldeído (aldehyde).

          Suffix

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          -al m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ais)

          1. (chemistry) forms the names of alcohols
          2. (chemistry) forms the names of aldehydes

          Romanian

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          Etymology

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          Borrowed from Latin -alis. Compare French -al, Italian -ale.

          Pronunciation

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          -al m or n (feminine singular -ală, masculine plural -ali, feminine and neuter plural -ale)

          1. -al; of or pertaining to, forms adjectives from nouns.
            săptămână (week) + ‎-al → ‎săptămânal (weekly)

          Declension

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          Declension of -al
          singular plural
          masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
          nominative-
          accusative
          indefinite -al -ală -ali -ale
          definite -alul -ala -alii -alele
          genitive-
          dative
          indefinite -al -ale -ali -ale
          definite -alului -alei -alilor -alelor

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          Spanish

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          Etymology

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          Inherited from Latin -ālis.

          Suffix

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          -al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -ales)

          1. indicates relation
            cultura (culture) + ‎-al → ‎cultural (cultural)

          Suffix

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          -al m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ales)

          1. indicates a place where something is grown, or where there is plenty of it
            maíz (corn) + ‎-al → ‎maizal (corn field)
            naranja (orange) + ‎-al → ‎naranjal (orange grove)
            escoria (scoria) + ‎-al → ‎escorial (bed of lava)

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          Derived terms

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          Further reading

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          Swedish

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          Suffix

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          -al

          1. -al, of or pertaining to; forming an adjective from a noun

          Derived terms

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          Anagrams

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