Chapter IX: Part IV

WORD-FORMATION.

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I. DERIVATIVES.

146. Derivatives are formed by appending certain terminations called Suffixes to stems of verbs, nouns, or adjectives.

A. NOUNS.

1. Nouns derived from Verbs.

147. 1. The suffix -tor (-sor), Fem. -trīx, denotes _the agent_; as,--

victor, victrīx, _victor_; dēfēnsor, _defender_.

NOTE.--The suffix -tor is occasionally appended to noun stems; as,--

gladiātor, _gladiator_ (from gladius).

2. The suffix -or (originally -ōs) denotes _an activity or a condition_; as,--

amor, _love_; timor, _fear_; dolor, _pain_.

3. The suffixes -tiō (-siō), Gen. -ōnis, and -tus (-sus), Gen. -ūs, denote _an action as in process_; as,--

vēnātiō, _hunting_; obsessiō, _blockade_; gemitus, _sighing_; cursus,
_running_.

NOTE.--Rarer endings with the same force are:--

a) -tūra, -sūra; as,--

sepultūra, _burial_; mēnsūra, _measuring_.

b) -ium; as,--

gaudium, _rejoicing_.

c) -īdō; as,--

cupīdō, _desire_.

4. The suffixes -men, -mentum, -crum, -trum, -bulum, -culum, denote _the means_ or _place_ of an action; as,--

lūmen (lūc-s-men), _light_; vocābulum, _word_;
ōrnāmentum, _ornament_; documentum, _proof_;
sepulcrum, _grave_; arātrum, _plough_;
vehiculum, _carriage_.

2. Nouns derived from Nouns.

148. 1. Diminutives end in--

-ulus, (-ula, -ulum)
-olus, (-ola, -olum), after a vowel
-culus, (-cula, -culum)
-ellus, (-ella, -ellum)
-illus, (-illa, -illum)

as,--

nīdulus, _little nest_ (nīdus);
virgula, _wand_ (virga);
oppidulum, _little town_ (oppidum);
fīliolus, _little son_ (fīlius);
opusculum, _little work_ (opus);
tabella, _tablet_ (tabula);
lapillus, _pebble_ (lapis).

NOTE 1.--It will be observed that in gender the Diminutives follow the gender of the words from which they are derived.

NOTE 2.--The endings -ellus, -illus contain the primitive form of the diminutive suffix, _viz_., -lo-. Thus:--

agellus, _field_, for ager-lus;
lapillus, _pebble_, for lapid-lus.

2. The suffix -ium appended to nouns denoting persons designates either _a collection_ of such persons or _their function_; as,--

collēgium, _a corporation, body of colleagues_ (collēga);
sacerdōtium, _priestly function_ (sacerdōs).

3. The suffixes -ārium, -ētum, -īle designate a place where objects _are kept_ or _are found in abundance_; as,--

columbārium, _dove-cote_ (columba);
olīvētum, _olive-orchard_ (olīva);
ovīle, _sheep-fold_ (ovis).

4. The suffix -ātus denotes _official position_ or _honor_; as,--

cōnsulātus, _consulship_ (cōnsul).

5. The suffix -īna appended to nouns denoting persons designates _a vocation_ or _the place where it is carried on_; as,--

doctrīna, _teaching_ (doctor, _teacher_);
medicīna, _the art of healing_ (medicus, _physician_);
sūtrīna, _cobbler's shop_ (sūtor, _cobbler_).

6. Patronymics are Greek proper names denoting _son of_ ..., _daughter of_ .... They have the following suffixes:--

a) Masculines: -idēs, -adēs, -īdēs; as, Priamidēs, _son of Priam_;
Aeneadēs, _son of Aeneas_; Pēlīdēs, _son of Peleus_.

b) Feminines: -ēis, -is, -ias; as, Nērēis, _daughter of Nereus_;
Atlantis, _daughter of Atlas_; Thaumantias, _daughter of Thaumas_.

3. Nouns derived from Adjectives.

149. The suffixes -tās (-itās), -tūdō (-itūdō), -ia, -itia are used for the formation of abstract nouns _denoting qualities_; as,--

bonitās, _goodness_; celeritās, _swiftness_; magnitūdō, _greatness_;
audācia, _boldness_; amīcitia, _friendship_.

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B. ADJECTIVES.

1. Adjectives derived from Verbs.

150. 1. The suffixes -bundus and -cundus give nearly the force of a present participle; as,--

tremebundus, _trembling_; jūcundus (juvō), _pleasing_.

2. The suffixes -āx and -ulus denote _an inclination_ or _tendency_, mostly a faulty one; as,--

loquāx, _loquacious_; crēdulus, _credulous_.

3. The suffix -idus denotes _a state_; as,--

calidus, _hot_; timidus, _timid_; cupidus, _eager_.

4. The suffixes -ilis and -bilis denote _capacity_ or _ability_, usually in a passive sense; as,--

fragilis, _fragile_ (_i.e._ capable of being broken);
docilis, _docile_.

2. Adjectives derived from Nouns.

a) _From Common Nouns._

151. 1. The suffixes -eus and -inus are appended to names of substances or materials; as,--

aureus, _of gold_; ferreus, _of iron_; fāginus, _of beech_.

2. The suffixes -ius, -icus, -īlis, -ālis, -āris, -ārius, -nus, -ānus, -īnus, -īvus, -ēnsis signify _belonging to_, _connected with_; as,--

ōrātōrius, _oratorical_; legiōnārius, _legionary_;
bellicus, _pertaining to war_; paternus, _paternal_;
cīvīlis, _civil_; urbānus, _of the city_;
rēgālis, _regal_; marīnus, _marine_;
cōnsulāris, _consular_; aestīvus, _pertaining to
summer_;
circēnsis, _belonging to the circus_.

3. The suffixes -ōsus and -lentus denote _fullness_; as,--

perīculōsus, _full of danger_, glōriōsus, _glorious_;
_dangerous_; opulentus, _wealthy_.

4. The suffix -tus has the force of _provided with_; as,--

barbātus, _bearded_; stellātus, _set with stars_.

b) _From Proper Names._

152. 1. Names of _persons_ take the suffixes: -ānus, -iānus, -īnus; as,--

Catōniānus, _belonging to Plautīnus, _belonging to
Cato_; Plautus_.

2. Names of _nations_ take the suffixes -icus, -ius; as,--

Germānicus, _German_; Thrācius, _Thracian_.

3. Names of _places_ take the suffixes -ānus, -īnus, -ēnsis, -aeus, -ius; as,--

Rōmānus, _Roman_; Athēniēnsis, _Athenian_;
Amerīnus, _of Ameria_; Smyrnaeus, _of Smyrna_;
Corinthius, _Corinthian_.

NOTE.-- -ānus and -ēnsis, appended to names of countries, designate something _stationed in_ the country or _connected with_ it, but not indigenous; as,--

bellum Āfricānum, _a war (of Romans with Romans) in Africa_.
bellum Hispāniēnse, _a war carried on in Spain_.
legiōnes Gallicānae, _(Roman) legions stationed in Gaul_.

3. Adjectives derived from Adjectives.

153. Diminutives in -lus sometimes occur; as,--

parvolus, _little_;
misellus (passer), _poor little_ (_sparrow_);
pauperculus, _needy_.

4. Adjectives derived from Adverbs.

154. These end in -ernus, -ternus, -tīnus, -tĭnus; as,--

hodiernus, _of to-day_ (hodiē);
hesternus, _of yesterday_ (herī);
intestīnus, _internal_ (intus);
diūtinus, _long-lasting_ (diū).

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C. VERBS.

1. Verbs derived from Verbs.

155. 1. INCEPTIVES OR INCHOATIVES. These end in -scō, and are formed from Present Stems. They denote _the beginning of an action_; as,--

labāscō, _begin to totter_ (from labō);
horrēscō, _grow rough_ (from horreō);
tremēscō, _begin to tremble_ (from tremō);
obdormīscō, _fall asleep_ (from dormiō).

2. FREQUENTATIVES OR INTENSIVES. These denote _a repeated or energetic action_. They are formed from the Participial Stem, and end in -tō or -sō. Those derived from verbs of the First Conjugation end in -itō (not -ātō, as we should expect). Examples of Frequentatives are--

jactō, _toss about_, _brandish_ (from jaciō,
_hurl_);
cursō, _run hither and thither_ (from currō, _run_);
volitō, _flit about_ (from volō, _fly_).

a. Some double Frequentatives occur; as,--

cantitō, _sing over and over_ (cantō);
cursitō, _keep running about_ (cursō);
ventitō, _keep coming_.

b. agitō, _set in motion_, is formed from the Present Stem.

3. DESIDERATIVES. These denote _a desire to do something_. They are formed from the Participial Stem, and end in -uriō; as,--

ēsuriō, _desire to eat_, _am hungry_ (edō);
parturiō, _want to bring forth_, _am in (pariō).
labor_

2. Verbs derived from Nouns and Adjectives (Denominatives).

156. Denominatives of the First Conjugation are mostly transitive; those of the Second exclusively intransitive. Those of the Third and Fourth Conjugations are partly transitive, partly intransitive. Examples are--

a) From Nouns:--

fraudō, _defraud_ (fraus);
vestiō, _clothe_ (vestis);
flōreō, _bloom_ (flōs).

b) From Adjectives:--

līberō, _free_ (līber);
saeviō, _be fierce_ (saevus).

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D. ADVERBS.

157. 1. Adverbs derived from verbs are formed from the Participial Stem by means of the suffix -im; as,--

certātim, _emulously_ (certō);
cursim, _in haste_ (currō);
statim, _immediately_ (stō).

2. Adverbs derived from nouns and adjectives are formed:--

a) With the suffixes -tim (-sim), -ātim; as,--

gradātim, _step by step_;

paulātim, _gradually_;

virītim, _man by man_.

b) With the suffix -tus; as,--

antīquitus, _of old_;

rādīcitus, _from the roots_.

c) With the suffix -ter; as,--

breviter, _briefly_.

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II. COMPOUNDS.

158. 1. Compounds are formed by the union of simple words. The second member usually contains the _essential meaning_ of the compound; the first member expresses _some modification_ of this.

2. Vowel changes often occur in the process of composition. Thus:--

a. In the second member of compounds. (See § 7, 1.)

b. The final vowel of the stem of the first member of the compound often
appears as ĭ where we should expect ŏ or ă; sometimes it is dropped
altogether, and in case of consonant stems ĭ is often inserted; as,--

signifer, _standard-bearer_;

tubicen, _trumpeter_;

magnanimus, _high-minded_;

mātricīda, _matricide_.

159. EXAMPLES OF COMPOUNDS.

1. Nouns:--

a) Preposition + Noun; as,--

dē-decus, _disgrace_;

pro-avus, _great-grandfather_.

b) Noun + Verb Stem; as,--

agri-cola, _farmer_;

frātri-cīda, _fratricide_.

2. Adjectives:--

a) Preposition + Adjective (or Noun); as,--

per-magnus, _very great_;

sub-obscūrus, _rather obscure_;

ā-mēns, _frantic_.

b) Adjective + Noun; as,--

magn-animus, _great-hearted_;

celeri-pēs, _swift-footed_.

c) Noun + Verb Stem; as,--

parti-ceps, _sharing_;

morti-fer, _death-dealing_.

3. Verbs:--

The second member is always a verb. The first may be--

a) A Noun; as,--

aedi-ficō, _build_.

b) An Adjective; as,--

ampli-ficō, _enlarge_.

c) An Adverb; as,--

male-dīcō, _rail at_.

d) Another Verb; as,--

cale-faciō, _make warm_.

e) A Preposition; as,--

ab-jungō, _detach_;

re-ferō, _bring back_;

dis-cernō, _distinguish_;

ex-spectō, _await_.

NOTE.--Here belong the so-called INSEPARABLE PREPOSITIONS:

ambi- (amb-), _around_;

dis- (dir-, di-), _apart_, _asunder_;

por-, _forward_;

red- (re-), _back_;

sēd- (sē-), _apart from_;

vē-, _without_.

4. Adverbs:--

These are of various types; as,--

anteā, _before_;

īlīcō (in locō), _on the spot_;

imprīmīs, _especially_;

obviam, _in the way_.

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