Many words are formed by adding something to the end of another word. The
added part is called an affix; as ly, added to man, forms manly. In this,
and the following seventeen lessons, the more common affixes are
indicated.
Plurals formed by adding s to the Singular.
roofs so'los ty'ros al bi'nos
hoofs ha'los jun'tos me men'tos
scarfs las'sos can'tos oc ta'vos
truths ze'ros quar'tos si roc'cos
Plurals formed by adding es to the Singular.
ech'oes to ma'toes po ta'toes
car'goes mu lat'toes bra va'does
mot'toes vol ca'noes por'ti coes
grot'toes mos qui'toes vi ra'goes
Lesson 137.
Words in which f and fe are changed into ves in the Plural: as, leaf,
leaves; wife, wives.
beeves lives thieves calves our selves'
sheaves wives wolves halves them selves'
leaves knives loaves shelves your selves'
Words in which Y final is changed into ies in the Plural.
skies la'dies to'ries gro'cer ies
spies du'ties can'dies for'ger ies
cries beau'ties tro'phies gal'ler ies
Lesson 138.
Words ending in Y which form the Plural by adding a.
toys chim'neys al'leys at tor'neys
drays val'leys pul'leys Sat'ur days
buoys mon'eys tur'keys hol'i days
whys jour'neys mon'keys cor du roys'
Words in which the Plurals are formed irregularly. As the Plural only is
given, the teacher might require the pupil to ascertain the Singular, and
to spell it.
mice cri'ses ter'mi ni
chil'dren neb'u lae a lum'ni
ver'te brae stra'ta syn op'ses geese
{ kine, cows }
{ staves, staffs}
{ broth'ers,breth'ren }
{ pease, peas}
{ dies, dice}
Lesson 139.
Ing signifies continuing to; as talking, continuing to talk. The following
words, in taking their suffix, double the final letter. The last letter is
doubled when the word ends with a single consonant preceded by a single
vowel.
plan'ning win'ning stop'ping a bet'ting
fret'ting blot'ting gun'ning re bel'ling
bid'ding rob'bing shut'ting o mit'ting
Other words ending with consonants, which do not double the final letter.
act'ing fail'ing mean'ing ex pand'ing
land'ing rain'ing coax'ing con sent'ing
build'ing sail'ing suit'ing vis'it ing
Lesson 140.
Words ending in e silent, generally drop the e in adding ing.
mak'ing seiz'ing rul'ing ex pir'ing
nam'ing forc'ing lin'ing re fus'ing
plagu'ing hedg'ing squeez'ing in trigu'ing
ach'ing writ'ing schem'ing alleg'ing
The final e is retained when it is necessary to prevent a change of
pronunciation, or to maintain the identity of a word.
hoe'ing shoe'ing change'a ble
toe'ing singe'ing trace'able
tinge'ing dye'ing peace'a ble
foe'man blue'ness charge'a ble
Lesson 141.
Ed, as a suffix, generally signifies did. In words like the following the
e in ed is silent, and the wards, though of two and three syllables, are
pronounced in one and two.
blazed wedged boiled be reaved
drained solved coiled be sieged'
hailed called soiled blas phemed'
lamed hauled bowed ac quired'
paved mauled crowned con trol1ed'
stowed warmed plowed a bused'
saved warned roused ac cused'
feared warped scoured com muned'
flowed proved soured con fused'
glued shoved dodged de coyed'
begged loved filled en joyed'
Lesson 142.
In words like the following, ed is pronounced as t; and, although of two
and three syllables, the words are pronounced in one and two.
graced fixed es caped' at tacked'
scraped mixed em braced' con fessed'
cracked boxed en grossed' op pressed'
In other words formed by the affix ed, the last letter is doubled in words
of one syllable, or in words accented on the last syllable, when they end
with a single consonant preceded by a single vowel; as, wed, wed'ded. If
the word ends in any other consonant than d or t, the e in ed becomes
silent, and the two syllables become one; as, hem, hemmed, pronounced
hemd.
jut'ted shunned com pelled o mit'ted
fret'ted tapped e quipped' im bed'ded
fit'ted rubbed de murred' com mit'ted
Lesson 143.
Words not included in the ahove rule, do not double the final
consonant.
act'ed failed quar'reled ex pand'ed
land'ed rained bar'reled mer'it ed
rest'ed coaxed trav'eled vis'it ed
Y is sometimes changed into i; as cry, cried.
cried dried mar'ried glo'ried
tried fried tar'ried sto'ried
shied spied car'ried wor'ried
Lesson 144.
Ar, er, and or signify one who does, or that which does; as, baker, one
who bakes. If the word ends in e, r only is added. After a consonant y is
generally changed into i. Another letter is sometimes united to the affix;
as law, law'yer. The final consonants are doubled, as in Lesson 142.
beg'gar bank'er bak'er cre a'tor
dig'ger plant'er pa'cer cru sad'er
dip'per build'er pav'er dic ta'tor
clip'per giv'er stran'ger en grav'er
trot'ter 1aw'yer writ'er sur viv'or
los'er saw'yer boast'er be liev'er
woo'er read'er mourn'er ad vis'er
vouch'er rid'er own'er as sign'er
wres'tler dy'er rul'er in vei'gler
Lesson 145.
Words formed by the Affixes er or or.
be gin'ner la'bor er nav'i ga tor
in dors'er rea'son er ded'i ca tor
de sert'er li'bel er cal'cu la tor
dis turb'er wag'on er spec'u la tor
u surp'er con'quer or pros'e cu tor
con duct'or for'eign er cul'ti va tor
tor ment'or cus'tom er mul'ti pli er
en chant'er mur'der er nu'mer a tor
sup port'er gov'ern or gen'er a tor
ag gress'or pen'sion er ra'di a tor
Lesson 146.
In adjectives, er is generally added to form the comparative, and est to
form the superlative; as, rich, richer, richest.
strict'er fierc'est wealth'i er wor'thi est
broad'er slow'est greed'i er read'i est
bright'er gaunt'est drear'i er haugh'ti est
Ly is an abbreviation of like; as manly for man-like, or like a man. Ly is
still further shortened into y; as, rock, rocky.
bright'ly eas'y heav'i ly thor'oug ly
gay'ly earth'y heart'i ly might'i ly
no'bly speed'y read'i ly has'ti ly
wind'y spon'gy tar'di ly stead'i ly
Lesson 147.
Ness is from the Saxon nesse, and means state or quality; as, neatness,
state of being neat.
bleak'ness smooth'ness come'li ness
fierce'ness numb'ness drow'si ness
hoarse'ness wrong'ness naught'i ness
calm'ness sweet'ness wea'ri ness
The termination full adds its own meaning to the word; as, joyful, full of
joy. The final l is omitted in the derivatives.
change'ful mourn'ful skill'ful fan'ci ful
fright'ful woe'ful will'ful pit'i ful
spite'ful wrath'ful aw'ful du'ti ful
Lesson 148.
The termination less gives a negative meaning to the derivative; as
graceless, without grace.
brain'less sight'less friend'less worth'less
cease'less soul'less head'less house'less
guile'less friut'less guilt'less noise'less
The affix age signifies the pay for, a state of being, or composed of; as
cartage, the pay for carting.
mar'riage fer'ri age vag'a bond age
herb'age her'mit age dis ad van'tage
wharf'age pat'ron age es'pi on age
Lesson 149.
The suffix al signifies relating to; an signifies pertaining to; ant and
ent, in many instances, signify the agent or doer.
tid'al com'ic al me dic'i nal
ur'ban pub'li can di oc'e san
claim'ant as sist'ant i tin'er ant
a'gent pres'i dent cor re spond'ent
Able and ible signify that may be, capable of being, fit or worthy to be,
or capacity.
eat'a ble blam'a ble am'i ca ble
sal'a ble laugh'a ble nav'i ga ble
leg'i ble for'ci ble com bus'ti ble
cred'i ble au'di ble in del'i ble
Lesson 150.
Ist, ster, ee, and ess, generally signify the person who, or thing which.
The last is an affix denoting the feminine gender.
aur'ist phys'i cist pi a'nist
tap'ster chor'is ter for'est er
grant ee' mort ga gee' as sign ee'
em'press shep'herd ess mar'chion ess
Dom signifies the office of or state of being; hood, the state of being;
ish, somewhat, like; and ism, the condition or doctrines of.
king'dom chris'ten dom hea'then dom
child'hood maid'en hood live'li hood
knav'ish yel'low ish a'gu ish
Bud'dhism Meth'od ism Mor'mon ism
Lesson 151.
Eer or ier generally signifies one who has charge of; en means made of,
or, with adjectives, to make; ic signifies pertaining to, belonging to, or
like; and ise or ize, to make, to become, or to assimilate.
cash ier' fin an cier' gon do lier'
cloth'ier en gi neer' can non eer'
beech'en be hold'en em bold'en
bright'en en light'en en liv'en
civ'ic ce phal'ic me tal'lic
u'til ize cat'e chise crit'i cise
sat'ir ize civ'il ize os'tra cize
Lesson 152.
Ion and ment denote the state of being, or the act of; fy, to make or
become; ance or ence, the act or state of; ive, having a tendency to, or
the power or nature of; ory, the power or nature of, or belonging to; and
ous, partaking of, or full of.
dis per'sion di ver'sion as per'sion
ex cep'tion e lec'tion con di'tion
a tone'ment a gree'ment dec're ment
de'i fy stu'pe fy sat'is fy
an noy'ance ac cord'ance con cord'ance
oc cur'rence ab hor'rence in dul'gence
a mu'sive con clu'sive of fen'sive
cur'so ry ar'mo ry man'da to ry
dan'ger ous li'bel ous har mo'ni ous
Lesson 153.
Kin, ling, let, and ule indicate smallness or diminution.
lamb'kin man'i kin la'dy kin
duck'ling un'der ling fos'ter ling
leaf'let riv'u let flag'eo let
glob'ule mol'e cule an i mal'cule
Some means like or same, full of, or very; ward denotes in the direction
of; ure means state of; and y, full of, or composed of.
tire'some cum'ber some vent'ure some
east'ward heav'en ward aft'er ward
verd'ure cur'va ture im post'ure
smok'y sin'ew y sil'ver y
Lesson 154.
ruff, an article of dress. roar, to make a loud noise.
rough (ruf), uneven. row'er, one who rows.
retch, to vomit. sail, a sheet of canvas.
wretch, a miserable person. sale, the act of selling.
rode, did ride. seen, beheld.
road, a way; route. scene, a view.
rowed, did row. seine, a net for fishing.
room, an apartment. slay, to kill.
rheum, a serous fluid. sleigh, a vehicle on runners.
sow, to scatter seed. sley, a weaver's reed.
sew (so), to use a needle. seem, to appear.
so, thus; in like manner. seam, a line of junction.
Lesson 155.
rude, uncivil; rough. slow, not fast.
rood, fourth of an acre. sloe, a kind of fruit.
serf, a slave; servant. sun, the source of light.
surf, a swell of the sea. son, a male child.
serge, a kind of cloth. steel, refined iron.
surge, to rise; to swell. steal, to rob; to pilfer.
sheer, pure; clear. stile, steps over a fence.
shear, to cut or clip. style, manner of writing.
side, a part; a margin. stare, to look fixedly.
sighed, did sigh. stair, a step.
slew (slu), did slay. sweet, pleasing to the taste.
slue, to slip aside. suite (swet), retinue.
Lesson 156.