suffix
ˈsʌfɪks
noun
Origin
Latin
suffixum — something fastened underneath/after
Overview
Meaning Now
- A morpheme added at the end of a word to form a derivative or inflectional form.
Literal older meaning
fastened underneath or after
Language path
Latin → Middle French → English
Earliest form
suffixe
Earliest period
late 16th century
Journey
The term stems from the Latin verb 'suffigere', composed of 'sub-' (under) and 'figere' (to fix or fasten). In a linguistic context, it refers to the practice of attaching an element to the root of a word to modify its meaning or grammatical function.
Evolution
- Latin (Classical)
suffixus
“fastened or placed after”
Past participle of suffigere.
- Middle French
suffixe
“suffix”
Adoption as a grammatical term.
- English (16th century)
suffix
“grammatical affix at the end of a word”
Direct adoption from French/Latin.
Connections
Word parts
suf-
prefix
sub- (under, after)
-fix
root
to fasten/fix
Related across languages
French
suffixe
suffix
Italian
suffisso
suffix
Related words
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Related to suffix
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.