-al

See also Appendix:Variations of "al"

English

Etymology

From Latin adjective suffix -ālis, or French, Middle French and Old French -el, -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /əl/

Suffix

-al

1. 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.

   line, lineal

   base, basal

   cranium, cranial

2. Forming nouns, especially of verbal action.

   e.g. rival, proposal, denial

3. (organic chemistry) the IUPAC nomenclature used in organic chemistry to form names of aldehydes containing the -(CO)H group. It was extracted from the word "aldehyde".

Usage notes

If the root word ends in l, the variant -ar is often used instead. Sometimes both forms are found: linear, lineal. One also sees -ial, as in manorial.

Derived terms

• (of or pertaining to): Category:English words suffixed with -al
• (forming nouns, especially of verbal action.): arousal, arrival, denial, proposal, rival, reversal, removal,burial, disposal,

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Abenaki

Suffix

-al

1. 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.

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Catalan

Etymology

From Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈaɫ/

Suffix

-al m and f

1. In adjectives, indicating relation.

   estructura (“structure”) → estructural (“structural”).

Derived terms

[+] Catalan words suffixed with -al

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Esperanto

Suffix

-al

1. for [...] reason (ending for correlatives of reason)

Derived terms

• kial: for what reason, why
• tial: for that reason, therefore
• ĉial: for every reason
• ial: for any/some reason
• nenial: for no reason
• (nonce) alial: for another reason

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French

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French, from Latin -ālis. Cognate to French -el, which is also from Latin -ālis but inherited (not borrowed).

Suffix

-al

1. -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)

Derived terms

[+] French words suffixed with -al

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German

Etymology

From Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA: [aːl]

Suffix

-al

1. pertaining to, using; adjectival suffix appended to nouns

Derived terms

[+] German words suffixed with -al

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Hungarian

Etymology

-a- + -l

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɒl/

Suffix

-al

1. Added to a noun to form a verb.

   szárny (“a wing”) → szárnyal (“to soar”)

2. Added to a verb to form a noun (no longer productive in this role).

   von (“to pull”) → vonal (“line”)

Usage notes

• (verbal suffix): Member of the following suffix cluster:

  -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 front vowel words ending in a consonant

  -öl is added to rounded front vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ál is added to some back vowel words ending in a consonant

• (noun suffix) Member of the following suffix cluster:

  -al is added to back vowel words

  -el is added to front vowel words

Derived terms

[+] Hungarian verbs suffixed with -al

[+] Hungarian nouns suffixed with -al

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

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Jèrriais

Etymology

From Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-al

1. -al (of or pertaining to; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form)

Derived terms

Category Jèrriais words suffixed with -al not found

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Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA: /ˈaɫ/
• (Brazil) IPA: /ˈaw/

Etymology 1

From Old Portuguese -al, from Latin -ālis.

Alternative forms

• -açal, -egal, -ial, -zoal, -eal, -ual, -zal, -inal

Suffix

-al m (feminine -al plural -ais feminine plural -ais)

1. appended to noun X, forms adjectives meaning “of or pertaining to X”

   abismo (“abyss”) + -al → abismal (“abyssal; abysmal”)

   indústria (“factory; industry”) + -al → industrial (“industrial”)

2. appended to adjective X, forms a synonym of X

   angélico (“angelic”) + -al → angelical (“angelical”)

3. appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a collection X” or “a large quantity of X”

   ninho (“nest”) + -al → ninhal (“a bunch of nests”)

   edito (“edict”) + -al → edital (“notice board”)

4. appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a place where there is plenty of X”

   pedra (“rock”) + -al → pedregal (“a rocky field”)

   colmeia (“beehive”) + -al → colmeal (“a place with many beehives”)

5. appended to the name of a plant, forms nouns meaning “a field where that plant is cultivated”

   trigo (“wheat”) + -al → trigal (“wheatfield”)

   sobreiro (“cork oak”) + -al → sobreiral (“an orchard of cork oaks”)

Synonyms

• (of or pertaining to): -ar, -ário, -eiro, -ico
• (collection): -ário
• (place with plenty of something): -eiro

Etymology 2

From the first syllable of álcool (“alcohol”) and aldeído (“aldehyde”).

Suffix

-al m

1. (chemistry) forms the names of alcohols
2. (chemistry) forms the names of aldehydes

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-al (plural -ales)

1. In adjectives, indicating relation

   cultura (“culture”) → cultural (“cultural”).

2. In nouns, indicating a place where something is grown

   maíz (“corn”) → maizal (“corn field”)

   naranja (“orange”) → naranjal (“orange grove”)

Synonyms

• (indicating a place): -ar

Derived terms

[+] Spanish words suffixed with -al

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Swedish

Suffix

-al

1. -al, of or pertaining to; forming an adjective from a noun

Derived terms

[+] Swedish words suffixed with -al

See also

• -ell
• -ig
• -isk
• -lig
• -sam