The Arden Reference GrammarThe Arden Reference Grammar| Arden Reference Grammar > Derivations > Nouns | Previous | Next |
Several nouns which signify animate beings exist in couples marked for the sex of the referent by means of the following suffixes:
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Male | -en | -on |
| Female | -i | -u |
Some of the suffixes found in the listings below, marked with a trailing dash, are intended for sex-marked nouns, and require the suffixes above to be appended.
The following suffixes generally apply to verbs:
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Agent | -ew- | -ow- |
| Agent | -men | -mon |
| Agent | -ti | -tu |
| Agent (for professions) |
-ay- | |
| Patient, result | -et- | -ot- |
| Patient, result | -mat- | |
| Patient, result | -eþ | -oþ |
| Patient, result | -ai | -au | Instrument, means | -erc | -orc | Instrument, means | -tren | -tron |
| Action | -am | |
| Action | ai | au |
The following suffixes apply to both verbs and nouns:
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Quality, state | -ya | -wa |
| Abstract idea | -vas | |
| Profession | -aya | |
| Science or study | -lend | -lond |
The following suffixes generally apply to nouns alone:
| Front | Back | |
|---|---|---|
| Collective | -(v)a- | |
| Attenuative, diminutive | -(n)eð | -(n)oð |
| Intensive | -(r)est | -(r)ost |
| Pejorative | -(n)im | -(n)um |
Other suffixes exist with a less wide range of applicability:
From a name of place (country, city, etc.)
From a name of person:
From a name of a good or a service:
From a name of fruit:
The following suffixes refer to age. They attach to nouns alone. They may also refer to inanimates: in this case, the gender suffix my be dropped, or applied according to the grammatical gender of the noun.
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Copyright © 1998-2001 Jean-François Smith & Tommaso Donnarumma