Novial: suffixes
This page is primarily devoted to the suffixes listed in Jespersen's
chapter entitled Suffixes in An International Language. However,
there are a number of other suffixes that Novial used:
-s applied to any noun and to most pronouns makes it plural.
(It is not applied to me because a first person plural is not truly
a plural of the first person singular pronoun, but means first person plus
additional <second or third person> individuals.)
-n applied to any noun or pronoun (-en after
consonants) makes it genitive.
-m may be used to make a noun or pronoun accusative; unlike
the corresponding -n ending in Esperanto, however, it is expected
that this will be only used when position and context do not make it clear.
-d applied to any verb makes it past, as an alternative to
the particle did. (See the separate page on
Verbs in Novial.)
-nt for the active participle, and -t for the
passive participle, are also applied to verbs; these will usually be followed
in turn by the -i adjective marker, of course.
Now for the summary of Jespersen's chapter on suffixes:
1. Substantival suffixes:
- -o denotes substantives immediately derived
from or connected with a verb and meaning the simple act or state denoted by the
verb:
respekte = respect (v); respekto = respect (n).
(Note: this is in official Novial; since it conflicts with -o for
masculine substantives, in my opinion I would change it in an updated version)
- -eso forms abstracts from adjectives:
vereso = truth.
- -ione denotes the result or manner of an
action. (verbs in -e drop -e before adding -ione:
opine - opinione; verbs in any other vowel add -t before
the -ione: forma - formatione).
- -um denotes the product of the action, as
distinct from the way it is done, added to the passive participle: fabrikatum
= manufactured article.
- -ure product: fotografure = photo
(cf. fotografatum = object photographed).
- -ere person/animal occupied in some sort of
action: bakere = baker.
- -iste similar to -ere, but used
for adherents of a doctrine or party, correlating with -isme; also
for certain professions: dentiste.
- One would distinguish kantiste = professional singer,
kantere = amateur, but in many cases the distinction would not be
meaningful and -ere and -iste would be equivalent.
- -isme -ism: ateisme = atheism.
- -arie recipient of an action: sendarie =
addressee.
- -ilo tool or instrument: skriptilo =
any kind of writing instrument.
- -ia domain, province, country: Fransia
= France.
- -torie place where something is done:
laboratorie = laboratory
- -aje something made of something: lanaje
= woolen goods.
- -ede quantity that fills something:
manuede = handful.
- -aro collection, group, set of things or
persons: homaro = mankind.
- -ide descendant: regide = someone of
royal blood.
- -yune young: bovyune = calf.
2. Verbal suffixes:
- -ira makes verbs from nouns denoting living
beings, since one cannot just replace -e by -a
which would be taken for a sign of the feminine: regira = rule as
king.
- -isa -ize (to make into, transform into,
render).
- -ifika (like -isa).
- (Note that these can really be treated as -i, the sign of an
adjective, plus -sa or -fika, and Jespersen gives
this analysis as well.)
- -ad- repeated or continuous act: frapada
= beat several times.
- -eska beginning of an action or state:
dormieska = fall asleep.
3. Adjectival suffixes:
- -al(i) relating to: bestie = beast,
bestial = bestial.
- (All of the following, when given a consonantal ending, have an optional
-i in a similar manner:)
- -an inhabiting, belonging to a class or
party: Romani = Roman, urban = urban.
- -atri similar in appearance or character:
blankatri = whitish.
- -ari agreeing with or fit for: populari
= popular.
- -os possessing or having (especially in great
quantity): kurajosi = courageous.
- -isi to a very high degree (forming adverbs in
-isim): grandisi = enormous.
- -iv doing naturally or capable of doing:
preventiv = preventive.
- -as having the tendency or inclination to:
kredasi = credulous.
- -bli passive possibility: lektebli =
legible.
- -endi that must be: lektendi =
required to be read.
- -indi that deserves to be: amindi =
lovable.
4. General suffixes:
- -et- diminutive: riverete = brook
, beleti = pretty.
- -on- indicates greatness: pluvono =
heavy rain.
- -ach- disparaging or contemptuous: populache
= rabble.
5. Numeral suffixes:
- -anti denotes the tens: duanti = 20.
- -esmi ordinal: duesmi = second.
- -ime fractions: duime = half.
- -opli used in such as duopli =
double, etc.
- -oplim adverb from -opli: duoplim
= doubly.
- -opim by -s: triopim = by threes,
three at a time.
6. Adverbial suffixes:
- -tem time: nultem = never.
- -foy time (in sense of German mal, Fr.
fois): dufoy = twice.
- -lok place: dislok = here
(though hir, dar, vor = here, there, where coexist with
dislok, tilok, quilok).
- -kas case: tikas = in that case.
- -grad degree: altigrad = in high
degree.
- -man manner: altriman = in a
different way, otherwise. (May be shortened to -m).
Last modified by B. R. Gilson
(brg@netcom.com) May 24, 1997.
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