英语词源字典（纯英文）.pdfVIP

-ability suffix expressing ability, fitness, or capacity, from L. -abilitas, forming nouns from adjs. ending in -abilis (see -able). Not etymologically related to ability, though popularly connected with it. -able suffix expressing ability, capacity, fitness, from French, from L. -ibilis, -abilis, forming adjectives from verbs, from PIE *-tro-, a suffix used to form nouns of instrument. In Latin, infinitives in -are took -abilis, others -ibilis; in English, -able is used for native words, -ible for words of obvious Latin origin. The Latin suffix is not etymologically connected with able, but it long has been popularly associated with it, and this has contributed to its survival as a living suffix. It is related to the second syllable of rudder and saddle. -acea suffix denoting orders and classes in zoology, from L. -acea, neut. pl. of -aceus belonging to, of the nature of (enlarged from adj. suffix -ax, gen. -acis); neut. pl. because of a presumed animalia, a neuter plural noun. Thus, crustacea shellfish are *crustacea animalia crusty animals. In botany, the suffix is -aceae, from the fem. pl. of -aceus, with reference to L. plantae, which is a fem. plural. -ad suffix denoting collective numerals (cf. Olympiad), from Gk. -as (gen. - ados), a suffix forming fem. nouns; also used in fem. patronymics (Dryad, Naiad, also, in plural, Pleiades, Hyades). -ade suffix denoting an action or product of an action, from L. -ata (Fr. -ade, Sp. -ada, It. -ata), fem. pp. ending used in forming nouns. A living prefix in French, from which many words have come into English (e.g. lemonade). Latin -atus, pp. suffix of verbs of the 1st conjugation also became -ade in French (Sp. -ado, It. -ato) and came to be used as a suffix denoting persons or groups participating in an action (e.g. brigade). -ado in commando, desperado, tornado, and other words of Spanish and Portuguese origin, person or group participating in an action, from L. -atus, pp. suffix of verbs of the first conjugation (c