Derivational Suffixes

In addition to a short list of inflectional suffixes English has a large supply of another kindof suffix, called derivational suffixs. These consist of all the suffixes that are not inflectional. Among the characteristic of derivational suffixes there are three that will be our immediate concern. · The words with derivational suffixes combine is an arbitrary matter. To make a noun from the verb adorn we must add –ment- no other suffix will do- whereas the verb fail combines only with –ure make a noun failure.

· In many cases, but not at all, a derivational suffixes changes the part of speech of word to which is added . the noun act becomes an adjectives by the addition of –ive. Although we have not yet taken up the parts of speech you probably know enough about them to distinguish between noun, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.

· Derivational suffixes usually do not close of a word; that is after a derivational suffix one can sometimes add another derivational suffix and can frequently add an inflectional suffix. For example the word fertilize which ends in a derivational suffix, one can add another one, -er and to fertilizer one can add the inflectional suffix –s closing of the word.

A glance in the dictionary will reveal that many wors have relatives, close and distant and in grammatical study it is often necessary to examine families of related words. To labe such families we employ the word paradigm. There are two kinds of paradigms, inflectional and derivational. The derivational paradigm is set of related words composed of the same base morpheme and all the derivational affixes that can go with the base. Here is an example : man. Manly, mannish, manful, manhood, manikin, unman, manliness, manward, manfully, mannishly.