What is a suffix?

Note the following word groups:

Wall - seawall

voice – little voice

ox - herd

cruel - cruelty

head - head

weak - weakly

Note that the words in red, formed after adding units (-ah, -inha, -ada, -dade, -ear, -mind) to the radical from the previous word, are new words that present an idea different from the original in another grammatical category. This minimum significant unit that integrates the word is given the name of suffix.

Thus, it can be said that the suffix is ​​the element that is added after the stem to modify its meaning. It can be classified as nominal, verbal and adverbial.

nominal suffix

It's the one that joins the radical to give rise to a substantive or to a adjective.

See some examples:

augmentative suffix

-alloon

grandgarlic

diminutive suffix

-ino

smallino

Suffix that forms noun from another noun

-ada

paperada

Suffix that forms noun from adjective

-(i) give

freebig boy

Suffix that forms noun from noun and adjective

-ism

realism

heroism

Suffix that forms noun and adjective from another noun and adjective

-ist

realhey

toothhey

Suffix that forms noun from verb

-hip

rememberhip

Suffix that forms adjective from noun

-steel

manisteel

Suffix that forms adjective from verbs

-before

toleratebefore


verb suffix

It's the one that joins the radical to give rise to a verb.
See some examples:

-ear

leafear

-eja

gotejar

-enter

sourenter

-(i) stay

dignifiedcertify

-stay

drinkstay

-island

fingerisland

-bath

wroteswell

-stare

saltitate

-ize

civilgo


adverbial suffix


In Portuguese, there is only one adverbial suffix, -mind, which joins the feminine form of an adjective to form a adverb.

See some examples:

-mind

Francemind

kind-heartedmind

slowmind

weakmind

By Mariana Rigonatto
Graduated in Letters

Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/portugues/o-que-e-sufixo.htm

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