-al
EnglishEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Middle English -al, from the Latin adjective suffix -ālis, or French, Middle French and Old French -el, -al.
Alternative formsEdit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- 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.
- Forming nouns, especially of verbal action.
Usage notesEdit
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 termsEdit
- (of or pertaining to): Category:English terms suffixed with -al
- (forming nouns, especially of verbal action.): arousal, arrival, bestowal, betrothal, denial, disposal, proposal, rental, rival, reversal, removal, subdual, submittal, transmittal
- -ical
See alsoEdit
Etymology 2Edit
Back-formation from aldehyde.
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- (organic chemistry) Forms the names of aldehydes.
TranslationsEdit
AnagramsEdit
AbenakiEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.
- pessimen (“currant”) → pessimenal (“currants”)
- wôbigen (“it is white”) → wôbigenal (“they are white”)
Usage notesEdit
CatalanEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al (masculine and feminine plural -als)
- In adjectives, indicating relation.
- estructura (“structure”) → estructural (“structural”).
Derived termsEdit
DanishEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
DutchEdit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
SynonymsEdit
Derived termsEdit
EsperantoEdit
PronunciationEdit
Audio (file)
SuffixEdit
-al
- for [...] reason (ending for correlatives of reason)
Derived termsEdit
FrenchEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Middle French -al, from Old French -al, borrowed from Latin -ālis. Doublet of -el, which is inherited.
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al (feminine -ale, masculine plural -aux, feminine plural -ales)
- -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
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
GermanEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- pertaining to, using; adjectival suffix appended to nouns
Derived termsEdit
HungarianEdit
EtymologyEdit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- (verb-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form a verb.
- (noun-forming suffix) Added to a verb to form a noun (no longer productive in this role).
- (organic chemistry) -al (forms the names of aldehydes)
- etanal ― ethanal
Usage notesEdit
- (verb-forming suffix) Harmonic 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. ű → ü.
- -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) Harmonic variants:
Derived termsEdit
See alsoEdit
K'iche'Edit
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- Forms nouns from adjectives
- Forms nouns from -aj verb suffix
- Forms nouns from adverbs
- Forms nouns from nouns
ReferencesEdit
- Allen J. Christenson, Kʼiche-English dictionary
LatinEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From apocope of final e in -āle, neuter of -ālis.
SuffixEdit
-al n (genitive -ālis); third declension
- noun-forming suffix
DeclensionEdit
Third-declension noun (neuter, “pure” i-stem).
Case | Singular | Plural |
---|---|---|
Nominative | -al | -ālia |
Genitive | -ālis | -ālium |
Dative | -ālī | -ālibus |
Accusative | -al | -ālia |
Ablative | -ālī | -ālibus |
Vocative | -al | -ālia |
Derived termsEdit
LeponticEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- Romanization of -𐌀𐌋
ManxEdit
Alternative formsEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Extracted from goaill.
SuffixEdit
-al f
- suffix used to form verbal nouns
Etymology 2Edit
Extracted from goaill.
SuffixEdit
-al
- suffix used productively to form denominative verbs and their associated verbal nouns
Etymology 3Edit
From Middle Irish -amail (compare Irish -úil, Scottish Gaelic -ail, -eil), from Old Irish -amail.
SuffixEdit
-al
- An adjectival suffix applied to various words, usually nouns, to make an adjective.
See alsoEdit
Middle EnglishEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Old French -al, -el and its source Latin -ālis.
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- (chiefly not productive) Forms adjectives from Latin and Romance vocabulary.
Derived termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
ReferencesEdit
- “-al, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
MunseeEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.
Usage notesEdit
- -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.
NormanEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old French -al, from Latin -ālis.
SuffixEdit
-al
- -al (of or pertaining to; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form)
Derived termsEdit
Norwegian NynorskEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
From Old Norse -all in adjectives like þagall and gamall, from Proto-Germanic *-alaz.
SuffixEdit
-al (neuter -alt, definite singular and plural -ale, comparative -alare, indefinite superlative -alast, definite superlative -alaste)
- Forms adjectives from verbs meaning “doing” or “pertaining to doing” the verb.
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
ReferencesEdit
Old FrenchEdit
Alternative formsEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Latin -ālis. Compare the inherited -el.
SuffixEdit
-al
- suffix used to form adjectives from nouns
- mesnal ― domestic; household (from mesnee)
DescendantsEdit
PolishEdit
EtymologyEdit
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-aľь.
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al m
DeclensionEdit
Animate/personal:
Inanimate:
Surnames:
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
PortugueseEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
From Old Portuguese -al, from Latin -ālis.
SuffixEdit
-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, plural -ais)
- appended to noun X, forms adjectives meaning “of or relating to X”
- forms synonyms of adjectives containing the suffix -ico
SuffixEdit
-al m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ais)
- appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a collection X” or “a large quantity of X”
- appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a place where there is plenty of X”
- appended to the name of a plant, forms nouns meaning “a field where that plant is cultivated”
Derived termsEdit
Etymology 2Edit
From the first syllable of álcool (“alcohol”) and aldeído (“aldehyde”).
SuffixEdit
-al m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ais)
RomanianEdit
EtymologyEdit
Borrowed from Latin -alis. Compare French -al, Italian -ale.
PronunciationEdit
SuffixEdit
-al m or n (feminine singular -ală, masculine plural -ali, feminine and neuter plural -ale)
- -al; of or pertaining to, forms adjectives from nouns.
- săptămână (“week”) + -al → săptămânal (“weekly”)
DeclensionEdit
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
SpanishEdit
EtymologyEdit
SuffixEdit
-al (plural -ales)
SuffixEdit
-al m (plural -ales)
- In nouns, indicating a place where something is grown, or where there is plenty of it.
See alsoEdit
Derived termsEdit
Further readingEdit
- “-al”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
SwedishEdit
SuffixEdit
-al
- -al, of or pertaining to; forming an adjective from a noun