UNIT
41
Word formation: noun suffixes
• English nouns are formed from verbs, adjectives or other nouns: like adjectives they are characterised by typical suffixes that mostly come from Greek, Latin, Old French or Old English. • Suffixes can often be inferred based on their function: for example the suffix -ism is typically found in attitudes, social trends or political ideas or religions (consumerism, Communism, Taoism); -ness and -ity often refer to qualities (shyness, curiosity); -ship and -hood often refer to human relationships (friendship, motherhood), -ist and -ian are typical of jobs (psychologist, politician), -ics is the typical ending of sciences (physics, politics); -er and -or typically refer to people or machines that carry out specific actions or tasks (farmer, calculator). suffix
nouns mostly coming from verb roots try ➝ trial
deny ➝ denial
arrive ➝ arrival
approve ➝ approval
-AGE
use ➝ usage
marry ➝ marriage
pilgrim ➝ pilgrimage
inherit ➝ heritage
-ANCE
ally ➝ alliance
apply ➝ appliance
attend ➝ attendance
endure ➝ endurance
-ENCE
silent ➝ silence
differ ➝ difference
exist ➝ existence
resilient ➝ resilience
-ERY
brave ➝ bravery
brew ➝ brewery
slave ➝ slavery
machine ➝ machinery
-ING
mean ➝ meaning
land ➝ landing
meet ➝ meeting
bless ➝ blessing
-MENT
argue ➝ argument
enjoy ➝ enjoyment
govern ➝ government
employ ➝ employment
-SION
decide ➝ decision
visual ➝ vision
explode ➝ explosion
recede ➝ recession
-TION
act ➝ action
receive ➝ reception
produce ➝ production
intend ➝ intention
-URE
fail ➝ failure
please ➝ pleasure
press ➝ pressure
furnish ➝ furniture
-AL
suffix
nouns mostly coming from adjectives or other nouns
-DOM
king ➝ kingdom
bore ➝ boredom
star ➝ stardom
wise ➝ wisdom
-ENCY
fluent ➝ fluency
agent ➝ agency
frequent ➝ frequency
current ➝ currency
-HOOD
boy ➝ boyhood
likely ➝ likelihood
brother ➝ brotherhood
priest ➝ priesthood
-ICE
just ➝ justice
serve ➝ service
note ➝ notice
coward ➝ cowardice
-ISM
race ➝ racism
ideal ➝ idealism
optimist ➝ optimism
cynical ➝ cynicism
-(I)TY
anxious ➝ anxiety
able ➝ ability
safe ➝ safety
vary ➝ variety
-NESS
noisy ➝ noisiness
sad ➝ sadness
aware ➝ awareness
wild ➝ wilderness
-SHIP
hard ➝ hardship
reader ➝ readership
scholar ➝ scholarship
partner ➝ partnership
-TH
long ➝ length
grow ➝ growth
wide ➝ width
deep ➝ depth
-Y
honest ➝ honesty
jealous ➝ jealousy
private ➝ privacy
difficult ➝ difficulty
suffix
nouns typically referring to people or their jobs and functions
-OR
jury ➝ juror
direct ➝ director
survey ➝ surveyor
conduct ➝ conductor
-ER
law ➝ lawyer
farm ➝ farmer
employ ➝ employer
research ➝ reseacher
-EE
train ➝ trainee
refer ➝ referee
employ ➝ employee
refuge ➝ refugee
-ANT
assist ➝ assistant
serve ➝ servant
defend ➝ defendant
account ➝ accountant
-IST
art ➝ artist
tour ➝ tourist
science ➝ scientist
physics ➝ physicist
diet ➝ dietician
music ➝ musician
magic ➝ magician
politics ➝ politician
-CIAN
• Other suffixes indicating human activities or jobs are: -eer (engineer, pioneer, volunteer), -tress for female workers (actress, headmistress, waitress), -ent (student, president).
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