-aĉ-

Esperanto

Etymology

From Italian -accio, ultimately from Latin -āceus. Compare French -asse, English -aceous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [at͡ʃ]
• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: aĉ

Suffix

-aĉ-

1. Used to denote substandard degree, lack of quality, or inferiority.

   ‎ĉevalo (“horse”) + ‎-aĉ- → ‎ĉevalaĉo (“nag”)

   ‎domo (“house”) + ‎-aĉ- → ‎domaĉo (“shack”)

   ‎skribi (“to write”) + ‎-aĉ- → ‎skribaĉi (“to scrawl”)

Usage notes

• Unlike most Esperanto suffixes, -aĉ- does not have an inherent part of speech, but rather inherits the part of speech of the stem to which it is suffixed.
• The difference between fi- and -aĉ- is similar, but not identical, to the difference between evil and bad in English. fi- always denotes low morality, while -aĉ- always denotes low quality.

Derived terms

Esperanto words suffixed with -aĉ-

• aĉa (“awful, horrible, rotten, terrible”)
• aĉaĵaro (“(pile of) junk, mess”)
• aĉaĵo (“terrible thing, junk, mess”)
• aĉe (“poorly, terribly”)
• aĉigi (“to make awful, cause to be horrible”)
• aĉiĝi (“to become awful, to deteriorate”)
• aĉi (“to be awful, horrible”)
• aĉ! (“oh no!, ugh!, yuck!”)
• aĉulo (“wretch, scoundrel, jerk”)
• malaĉa (“awesome, worthy”)
• ulaĉo (“bastard, git”)