Excavational

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Pertaining to the process of digging or unearthing material from the ground
2. related to the method of uncovering historical or archaeological artifacts
3. describing activities involved in preparing a site for construction by removing soil or rock

Etymology: "Excavational" is a plain formation: the noun "excavation" with the adjective-forming suffix "-al" attached. "Excavation" itself comes from the Latin "excavare," meaning to hollow out, built from "ex-" (out) and "cavare" (to hollow), from "cavus" (hollow), which is also the root of "cave." The suffix "-al" marks the adjective, so "excavational" describes things relating to excavation, such as excavational methods or excavational work at a dig site. The word is a regular, transparent derivative, and it is rarer than its base in everyday use. Most writers reach for "excavation" as an attributive noun ("excavation work") rather than the longer adjective, so the form mostly appears in archaeological and technical writing.

Synonyms: digging, excavatory