. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English -al , from the Latin adjective suffix -ālis , or French, Middle French and Old French -el , -al .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
Of or pertaining to. Adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also.
base + -al → basal
cranium + -al → cranial
Forming nouns, especially of verbal action.
propose + -al → proposal
deny + -al → denial
bestow + -al → bestowal
Usage notes
If the root word contains l , the variant -ar is often used instead (e.g. solar , lunar , columnar , lumbar ), unless the root contains r after the l (lateral , plural ). Sometimes both forms are found: linear , lineal . One also sees -ial , as in manorial .
As nominalizer, some verbs have two corresponding nouns, one ending in -al and the other in -tion /-sion (more common suffix), with one or the other being more common, sometimes with different nuances. Notable examples: disposition /disposal (dispose ), proposition /proposal (propose ), submission /submittal (submit ), transmission /transmittal (transmit ). Some superficial pairs are actually of different origin, notably reversion /reversal (revert /reverse , not both from reverse ).
Derived terms
( of or pertaining to ) : Category:English terms suffixed with -al
( forming nouns, especially of verbal action. ) : arousal , arrival , bestowal , betrothal , denial , disposal , proposal , rental , rival , reversal , removal , subdual , submittal , transmittal
-ical
See also
Etymology 2
Back-formation from aldehyde .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
( organic chemistry ) Forms the names of aldehyde s.
Translations
Anagrams
Abenaki
Suffix
-al
A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.
pessimen ( “ currant ” ) → pessimenal ( “ currants ” )
wôbigen ( “ it is white ” ) → wôbigenal ( “ they are white ” )
Usage notes
-al is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words, including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a .
See the usage notes at -ak .
Asturian
Etymology
Inherited from Latin -ālis .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al (epicene , adjective-forming suffix , plural -als )
-al ( of or pertaining to )
Derived terms
Catalan
Etymology
Inherited from Latin -ālis .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix , masculine and feminine plural -als )
in adjectives, indicating relation
estructura ( “ structure ” ) + -al → estructural ( “ structural ” )
Derived terms
Danish
Suffix
-al
( organic chemistry ) -al
Dutch
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
( organic chemistry ) -al
Synonyms
Derived terms
Esperanto
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
for reason (ending for correlatives of reason)
Derived terms
alial ( “ for another reason ” ) ĉial ( “ for every reason ” ) ial ( “ for any/some reason ” ) kial ( “ for what reason, why ” ) nenial ( “ for no reason ” ) tial ( “ for that reason, therefore ” )
French
Etymology
Inherited from Middle French -al , from Old French -al , borrowed from Latin -ālis . Doublet of -el , which is inherited.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al (feminine -ale , masculine plural -aux , feminine plural -ales )
-al ; appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form; often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also
Derived terms
Descendants
Norwegian Bokmål: -al
→ Turkish: -sal ( learned )
German
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin -ālis .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
pertaining to, using; adjectival suffix appended to nouns
Derived terms
Hungarian
Etymology
From -a- ( linking vowel ) + -l ( verb-forming suffix ) .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
( verb-forming suffix ) Added to a noun to form a verb .
szárny ( “ a wing ” ) + -al → szárnyal ( “ to soar ” )
( noun-forming suffix ) Added to a verb to form a noun . No longer productive in this role.
von ( “ to pull ” ) + -al → vonal ( “ line ” )
( organic chemistry ) -al ( forms the names of aldehydes )
etanal ― ethanal
Usage notes
(verb-forming suffix ) Variants:
-l is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á- . Final -e changes to -é- . Final long vowels may shorten, e.g. ű → ü .
-ol is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant
-al is added to other back-vowel words ending in a consonant
-el is added to unrounded (and some rounded ) front-vowel words ending in a consonant
-öl is added to most rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant
-ál is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant
Note: Certain words take another, synonymous suffix, -z /-oz /-az /-ez /-öz /-áz or -zik /-ozik /-azik /-ezik /-özik .
( noun-forming suffix ) Variants:
-al is added to back-vowel words
-el is added to front-vowel words
Derived terms
See also
K'iche'
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al
Forms nouns from adjectives
tew ( “ cold ” ) + -al → tewal ( “ coldness ” )
k’ak’ ( “ new ” ) + -al → k’ak’al ( “ youngster ” )
Forms nouns from -aj verb suffix
mujaj ( “ to shade ” ) + -al → mujaj ( “ shadow ” )
q’ebaj ( “ to go across ” ) + -al → q’ebal ( “ large earthen jar ” )
Forms nouns from adverbs
nojim ( “ slowly ” ) + -al → nojimal ( “ slowness ” )
nabe ( “ firstly ” ) + -al → nabeal ( “ firstborn ” )
Forms nouns from nouns
k’o’x ( “ gourd cup ” ) + -al → k’o’xal ( “ shell of a dead animal ” )
süb ( “ tamalito of corn ” ) + -al → sübal ( “ pot for making tamales ” )
References
Latin
Etymology
From apocope of final e in -āle , neuter of -ālis .
Suffix
-al n (genitive -ālis ) ; third declension
noun-forming suffix
Declension
Third-declension noun (neuter, “pure” i-stem).
Derived terms
Lepontic
Suffix
-al
Romanization of -𐌀𐌋
Malay
Etymology
Borrowed from Dutch -aal and English -al .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al (Jawi spelling -ل )
-al
konvensional ― conventional
Derived terms
Manx
Etymology 1
Extracted from goaill .
Suffix
-al f
suffix used to form verbal nouns
Etymology 2
Extracted from goaill .
Suffix
-al
suffix used productively to form denominative verbs and their associated verbal nouns
yiarn ( “ iron ” ) + -al → yiarnal ( “ to iron ” )
post ( “ post ” ) + -al → postal ( “ to post ” )
Etymology 3
From Middle Irish -amail (compare Irish -úil , Scottish Gaelic -ail , -eil ), from Old Irish -amail .
Suffix
-al
An adjectival suffix applied to various words, usually nouns, to make an adjective.
Derived terms
See also
Middle English
Etymology
Borrowed from Old French -al , -el and its source Latin -ālis .
Pronunciation
IPA (key ) : /-al/ , /-aːl/ , /-ɛl/ , /-ɛːl/
Suffix
-al
( chiefly not productive ) Forms adjectives from Latin and Romance vocabulary .
Derived terms
Descendants
References
Munsee
Suffix
-al
A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.
síipuw ( “ river ” ) → siipúwal ( “ rivers ” )
máxkeew ( “ it is red ” ) → maxkéewal ( “ they are red ” )
Usage notes
-al is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words, including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a .
Norman
Etymology
From Old French -al , from Latin -ālis .
Suffix
-al
-al ( of or pertaining to; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form )
Derived terms
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norse -all in adjectives like þagall and gamall , from Proto-Germanic *-alaz .
Suffix
-al (neuter -alt , definite singular and plural -ale , comparative -alare , indefinite superlative -alast , definite superlative -alaste )
Forms adjectives from verbs meaning “doing” or “pertaining to doing” the verb.
våga ( “ dare ” ) + -al → vågal ( “ daring, risky ” )
Derived terms
References
“-al” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .
“*all” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring
Old French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin -ālis . Compare the inherited -el .
Suffix
-al
suffix used to form adjectives from nouns
mesnal ( from mesnee ) ― domestic; household
Descendants
Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-aľь .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al m
forms masculine nouns, usually augmentative in nature
nos + -al → nochal
Declension
Animate/personal:
Inanimate:
Surnames:
Derived terms
Further reading
-al in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Portuguese
Pronunciation
Rhymes: ( Portugal ) -al , ( Brazil ) -aw
Etymology 1
From Old Galician-Portuguese -al , from Latin -ālis .
Suffix
-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix , plural -ais )
appended to noun X, forms adjectives meaning “of or relating to X”
Synonyms: -ar , -ário , -eal , -eiro , -ial , -ico , -inal
abismo ( “ abyss ” ) + -al → abismal ( “ abyssal; abysmal ” )
indústria ( “ factory; industry ” ) + -al → industrial ( “ industrial ” )
forms synonyms of adjectives containing the suffix -ico
angélico ( “ angelic ” ) + -al → angelical ( “ angelical ” )
Suffix
-al m or f by sense (noun-forming suffix , plural -ais )
appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a collection X” or “a large quantity of X”
Synonym: -ário
ninho ( “ nest ” ) + -al → ninhal ( “ a bunch of nests ” )
edito ( “ edict ” ) + -al → edital ( “ notice board ” )
appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a place where there is plenty of X” or "field where a plant is cultivated"
Synonyms: -açal , -egal , -eiro
trigo ( “ wheat ” ) + -al → trigal ( “ wheatfield ” )
sobreiro ( “ cork oak ” ) + -al → sobreiral ( “ an orchard of cork oaks ” )
pedra ( “ rock ” ) + -al → pedregal ( “ a rocky field ” )
colmeia ( “ beehive ” ) + -al → colmeal ( “ a place with many beehives ” )
cátedra ( “ clergy ” ) + -al → catedral ( “ a large or important church building ” )
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From the first syllable of ál cool ( “ alcohol ” ) and al deído ( “ aldehyde ” ) .
Suffix
-al m (noun-forming suffix , plural -ais )
( chemistry ) forms the names of alcohols
( chemistry ) forms the names of aldehydes
Romanian
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin -alis . Compare French -al , Italian -ale .
Pronunciation
Suffix
-al m or n (feminine singular -ală , masculine plural -ali , feminine and neuter plural -ale )
-al ; of or pertaining to, forms adjectives from nouns.
săptămână ( “ week ” ) + -al → săptămânal ( “ weekly ” )
Declension
Derived terms
Spanish
Etymology
Inherited from Latin -ālis .
Suffix
-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix , masculine and feminine plural -ales )
indicates relation
cultura ( “ culture ” ) + -al → cultural ( “ cultural ” )
Suffix
-al m (noun-forming suffix , plural -ales )
indicates a place where something is grown, or where there is plenty of it
maíz ( “ corn ” ) + -al → maizal ( “ corn field ” )
naranja ( “ orange ” ) + -al → naranjal ( “ orange grove ” )
escoria ( “ scoria ” ) + -al → escorial ( “ bed of lava ” )
See also
Derived terms
Further reading
Swedish
Suffix
-al
-al , of or pertaining to; forming an adjective from a noun
Derived terms
See also
Anagrams