A suffix is an affix added to the end of a word.
The Latin word suffixus derived from suffix , a concept used in grammar to name the affix added to the end of a word . An affix, on the other hand, is a linguistic sequence that alters the meaning of a term.
Suffixes, therefore, are affixes that are postponed, unlike prefixes (which are put in front of the word). This means that the suffix is located after the root or lexeme.
Importance of knowing suffixes
Knowing the different types of suffixes that exist in our language is extremely important, since it can bring us several benefits. On the one hand, it helps us deduce the meaning of a word unknown to us; For example, the first time we encounter the term "animation" we will know that it is an action, and that it cannot be an adjective, as is the case with "animated", even though both belong to the same family.
The study of etymology also requires mastery of this and other concepts, such as prefixes, since it involves the decomposition of words into all their parts to try to find the origin and evolution of their meaning from the first language in which they were used. It was conceived until reaching Spanish, in our case.
Pronouns and verbs
It is common for the suffix to be a pronoun that is added to a verb , making up a single word. For example: "caerse" ( caer + se ).
In this case, the pronoun "se" is added as a suffix to the verb "fall" to create the word "fall" , which can be used in different sentences: "When he fell, the man hit his head" , "If he continues If the wind blows, that sign is going to fall."
Suffixes in nouns and adjectives
Suffixes can also be added to other types of words beyond verbs. The noun "spoon" , to cite one possibility, can become "tablespoon" : "To complete the preparation, you must add a tablespoon of cornstarch" , "The child should take a tablespoon of syrup every twelve hours" , " You can sweeten the cake with a few tablespoons of honey .
An adjective like "skillful" , with the appropriate suffix, is transformed into a noun: "skill" : "The deputy has the ability to avoid uncomfortable questions" , "The Chilean striker once again showed off his skill in last night's game » , «I would like to make crafts, but I lack the ability for manual tasks» .
An appreciative suffix can be a diminutive that denotes a smaller size: dog / puppy (-ito).
Highlight qualities
Appreciative suffixes are those that serve to indicate subjective qualities (esteem) and objective qualities (size), and are divided into:
* diminutives : they denote a smaller size or affection ( -ito : dog, puppy);
* augmentatives : they denote a larger size ( -ote : boy, big boy);
* pejoratives : they are also known as derogatory , since they serve to indicate contempt ( -ucha : house, hovel).
Inflectional suffixes
They are perhaps the most used in our language, since they serve to indicate grammatical accidents . In other words, they indicate:
* gender : "boy" and "girl" are differentiated by the suffixes -o and -a , which indicate masculine and feminine gender, respectively;
* number : in the case of "letter" and "letters", only the second word has a number suffix, -s . There are some terms that cannot use -s to form the plural, but rather require -es , such as estar (seasons) and león (lions);
* person : Spanish distinguishes a different conjugation of verbs for each person, and this is achieved through the use of suffixes. For example, the verb "sing" in the Present Indicative mood is conjugated canto, cantas, canta, cantamos, cantáis, cantan , where the suffixes for I, you, he, we, you, they are -o, -as, - a, -amos, -áis, -an , respectively;
* mode, tense and aspect : just as in the previous point, the suffix allows us to know that "song" is conjugated in the indicative mood, in the present tense and that its aspect is imperfect.