An affix is a bound morpheme that attaches to another morpheme to form either a new word or a new form of the same word. A prefix is a bound morpheme that attaches to the beginning of another morpheme. A suffix is a bound morpheme that attaches to the end of another morpheme. Because of various etymological paths, affixes related through the same etymological source often exist in English. This page presents a list of English etymologically related affixes. Each group of related affixes begins with the ultimate etymological source followed by the forms that English acquired, the etymology of each form, and an example of the affix.
Latin -āns and -ēns
The Latin suffix -āns forms the present active participle of first conjugation verbs. The form –āns is the singular form with –āntēs as the masculine and feminine plural, –āntia as the neuter plural, and –āntis as the singular genitive. The Latin suffix -ēns forms the present active participle of second and third conjugation verbs. The form -ēns is the singular form with -entēs as the masculine and feminine plural, -entia as the neuter plural, and -entis as the singular genitive. The difference between the two suffixes is that the -āns forms are for first conjugation verbs (-āre verbs) and -ēns forms are for second and third conjugation verbs (-ēre and -ere verbs). Both -āns and -ēns come from the Latin -ns suffix.
-ant: English and French adjective and noun form, from Old French -ant from Latin -antem from -āns, <Dorm + ant → dormant>
-ans: directly from Latin -āns, <Alien + ans → alienans>
-ante: French, Italian, and Spanish feminine form of -ant, <de + But(e) + ante → debutante>
-ance: English and French noun form, from Old French -ance from Latin –antia from -antis + -ia from -āns, <per + Form + ance → performance>
-ancy: suffix stacking of -ance + -y, <Dorm + ance + y → dormancy>
-anza: Spanish and Italian form of -ance, <St + anza → stanza>
-ent: English and French adjective and noun form, from Old French -ent from Latin -entem from -ēns, <Stude + ent → student>
-escent: suffix stacking of -esce + -ent, <Lumine + esce + ent → luminescent>
-ascent: suffix stacking of -asce + -ent, <re + N + asce + ent → renascent>
-ence: English and French noun form from Old French -ence from Latin –entia from -entis + -ia, from -ēns, <re + Surge + ence → resurgence>
-ency: suffix stacking of -ence + -y, <Late + ence + y → latency>
-escence: suffix stacking of -ence + -ence, <Iride + esce + ence → iridescence>
-ascent: suffix stacking of -asce + -ence, <re + N + asce + ence → renascence>
-ens: directly from Latin -ēns, <Sape + i + ens → sapiens>
-entes: plural of -ens, <Sape + i + entes → sapientes>
-ente: Spanish and Italian singular form of -ent, <Langu + ente → languente>
-enti: Italian plural of -ente, <co + Gnosc + enti → cognoscenti>
-enzo: Italian masculine form of -ence, <Lore + enzo → Lorenzo>
-enza: Italian feminine form of -ence, <In + Flu + enza → influenze>
Latin -ātus
The Latin suffix -ātus forms adjectives from nouns, adjectives from other adjectives, and past participles. The -ātus is the masculine nominative singular form with -āta as the feminine nominative singular and -ātum as the neuter nominative singular. Cognate with English past participle -ed suffix.
-at(e): English and French forms, via French -at and directly from Latin -ātus, <St + ate → state> and <ap + Pare + at → apparat>
-atus: Latin masculine nominative singular, <St + atus → status>
-ati: Latin masculine nominative plural, plural of -atus, <Liter + ati → literati>
-ata: Latin feminine nominative singular, via Spanish and Italian -ata and directly from Latin -āta, <Sone + ata → sontata>
-atae: Latin feminine nominative plural, plural of -ata, <ob + Long + atae>
-ate: Italian plural of -ata, pronounced final <e>, <Ferm + ate → fermate>
-atum: Latin neuter nominative singular, <Ultime + atum -> ultimatum>
-ata: Latin neuter nominative plural, plural of -atum, <Ultime + ata → ultimate>
-ato: Italian past participle suffix, from Italian -ato from Latin -ātus, <Modere + ato → moderato>
-ati: Italian plural of -ato, <Castr + ati → castrati>
-atto: English form of Spanish masculine -ato from Latin -ātus, <Mule + atto → mulatto>
–atta: English form of Spanish feminine -ata from -ato from Latin -ātus, <Mule + atta → mulatta>
–ad(e): English form via French –ade, Spanish -ado, -ada, and Italian -ato, -ata, <re + Nege + ade → renegade> and <Sal(e) + ad → salad>
-ado: Spanish and Portuguese masculine form, sometimes from Italian -ato, -ata via French -ade, <in + com + Mune + ic + ado → incommunicado>
-ada: Spanish and Portuguese feminine form of -ado, <Arm + ada → armada>
-e: French masculine noun and past participle suffix, from French -é from Middle French -é from Old French -é, -et, -at from Latin -ātus, also spelled -é, <im + Pass + e → impasse>
-ee: French agent suffix, from Middle English -ee, -ē from Anglo-Norman -ee from Old French -ee from Latin -ātam from -āta from -ātus, <ad + Opt + ee → adoptee>
-ee: French feminine past participle suffix, from French -ée from Middle French -ée from Old French -ée from -é, -et, -at from Latin -ātus, also spelled -ée, <Leve + ee → levee>
-age: French noun suffix, from Old French -age from Latin -āticum from -āticus from -ātus + -icus, <St + age → stage>
-agium: Latin form of French noun suffix, from Latin -āgium from Old French -age from Latin -āticum from -āticus from -ātus + -icus, <Marite + agium → maritagium>
-atilis: Latin adjective suffix, from Latin -ātilis from -ātus + -ilis, <Sax + atilis → saxatilis>
Latin -ēdō and -īdō
The Latin suffix -ēdō forms abstract nouns. The form -ēdō is the singular feminine form with -ēdinēs as the plural. The suffix -īdō is an alternative form of -ēdō.
-edo: Latin feminine nominative singular, <Grave + edo → gravedo>
-edines: Latin feminine nominative plural, <Grave + edines → gravedines>
-edine: English form, from Latin -ēdinis, oblique stem of -ēdō, <Torp + edine + ous → torpedinous>
-ido: Latin feminine nominative singular, <Libe + ido → libido>
-id: English form, from Latin -īdō, <Cupe + id → Cupid>
Latin -īnus
The Latin suffix -īnus forms relational adjectives from nouns. The -īnus is the masculine nominative singular form with -īna as the feminine nominative singular and -īnum as the neuter nominative singular.
-in(e): English and French forms, via French -in and -ine, also sometimes via Ancient Greek -inos and -înos, <Dent + in → dentin> and <Almond + ine → almondine>
-inus: Latin masculine nominative singular, <Equ + inus → equinus>
-inum: Latin neuter nominative singular, <Botule + inum → botulinum>
-ina: Latin neuter nominative plural, plural of -inum, <Ust + (o)r + ina → ustrina>
-ino: Italian masculine form, <Graph + ino → graphino>
-ini: Italian plural of -ino, <Zucch + ini → zucchini>
-ina: Latin and Italian feminine singular form, <Sone + at(e) + ina → sonatina>
-inea: Latin feminine nominative plural, plural of -ina, <Urs + inea → Ursinae>
-ine: Italian plural of -ina, pronounced final <e>, <Lingu + ine → linguine>
-itin: suffixal construction from -i- + -ty + -in(e), <Ubi + que + itin → ubiquitin>
-itino: suffixal construction from -iton + -ino, from -i- + -ty + -on, <Grave + itino → gravitino>
-inea: New Latin feminine of -ineus, from -īnus + -eus, <Cicade + inea → cicadinea>
-ineae: New Latin plural of -inea, from feminine of -ineus, from -īnus + -eus, <Strept + o + Myce + ineae → Streptomycineae>
-idine: suffixal construction from -idae + -in(e), <Trochile + idine → Trochilidine> Not related: -in from Old English -en, <Elf + in → elfin>
Latin prō- and Ancient Greek pro-
The Latin prō- prefix comes from the preposition prō. The Ancient Greek pro- prefix comes from the prefix pró. Both denote “through, forth, forward, further, onward, before, in front of.” Both come from the same Proto-Indo-European source *pro- from *pró.
pro-: Latin and Ancient Greek form, <pro + Cess → process> and <pro + Bosc + is → proboscis>
prod-: assimilated form of Latin pro- before vowels, from Latin prōd-, <prod + Ige + al → prodigal>
por-: from Latin por-, variant of prō-, <por + Tend → portend>
pol-: assimilated form of Latin por- before <l>, from Latin pol-, <pol + Lute → pollute>
pur-: also perfective prefix, French form via Anglo-Norman and Old French pur- from Old French por- from Latin por-, variant of prō-, <pur + Pose → purpose>