Suffixal

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the use of suffixes in linguistics, such as in word formation and morphological analysis
2. Characteristic of a grammatical element added to the end of a word to modify its meaning or create a new word
3. Pertaining to the process or result of appending suffixed elements to base words for various purposes in language construction

Etymology: "Suffixal" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "suffix" with the adjectival ending "-al" added on. Its etymology is the same as that of the suffix "-al" itself, which passed into English through Latin and French. The Latin "-ālis" was an adjective-forming ending, used to make words meaning "relating to" or "pertaining to" something, and it passed through Old French "-al" and "-el" before reaching Middle English as "-al." English then took the form "-al" to make adjectives from nouns, so "suffix" plus "-al" gives a word meaning "of or relating to a suffix." The same ending appears in words such as "national" and "mental," where it likewise turns a noun into a related adjective.

Synonyms: suffix-related, suffixing, affixal

Antonyms: prefixal, prefix-related