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suffixation

suffixation

6.3
To make a new word by adding a short part to the end of a word
  • noun
  • /ˌsʌfɪkˈseɪʃən/
  • Specialized
: sufijación
  • The word 'happiness' is created by suffixation of '-ness' to 'happy'.

Examples

  • The transformation of 'act' into 'action' is a clear example of suffixation in English.

  • In English, suffixation is a common way to form new nouns and adjectives.

  • Linguists study suffixation to understand how word formation rules work in different languages.

  • The process of suffixation is essential in linguistics.

  • Many words undergo suffixation in English.

  • In English, suffixation is a common way to create new words by adding suffixes to root words.

  • Linguists analyze suffixation to investigate how suffixes change the meanings of base words.

Surface Forms

suffixation singular
suffixations plural

Morphology

suffixation = suffix (transparent) = suffix + ation

The meaning is directly compositional: 'suffix' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ation' gives the process of adding a suffix.

Etymology

Suffixation comes from the word suffix, which is built from parts sub- 'under' and fix 'attach', and you can think of a suffix as an 'ending' you attach to a word. So, suffixation is the act of adding these endings to a base word to make new words.