Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
-ma-. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ma-, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ma- in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ma- you have here. The definition of the word
-ma- will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-ma-, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Infix
-ma-
- (humorous) Adds ironic pseudo-sophistication to an existing word.
- education + -ma- → edumacation
- alcohol + -ma- → alcamahol
- saxophone + -ma- → saxomaphone
Usage notes
(Ironic pseudo-sophistication): Usually inserted after a trochaic foot.
Interfix
-ma-
- (pharmacology) a shortened allomorph of the monoclonal antibody affix -mar-, used before the affixes -xi- and -zu- for ease of pronunciation
References
Anagrams
Chichewa
Etymology 1
Infix
-ma-
- Forms the habitual aspect in verbs.
Usage notes
A high tone is placed on the subject prefix and on the penultimate syllable.
Etymology 2
Infix
-ma-
- Forms the past imperfective in verbs.
Usage notes
A high tone is placed on the syllable immediately following this morpheme.