What is derivational suffix?

A derivational suffix is a morpheme (meaningful unit of language) that is added to the end of a word to change its grammatical category or meaning. This can include changing a noun to an adjective, a verb to a noun, or simply adding a new meaning to an existing word.

Here are some key things to know about derivational suffixes:

* Change in Word Class: They often change the word class of a word, for example:

* *Noun to adjective:* happy (adj) + ness (suffix) = happiness (noun)

* *Verb to noun: teach (verb) + er (suffix) = teacher** (noun)

* New Meaning: They can also add new meaning to a word, for example:

* care (noun) + ful (suffix) = careful (adjective, meaning "taking care")

* Not Inflectional: Unlike inflectional suffixes (like "-s" for plural or "-ed" for past tense), derivational suffixes create new words, not just different forms of the same word.

* Numerous Examples: There are many derivational suffixes in English, some common ones include:

* -able, -er, -ing, -ment, -ness, -ship, -tion, -ly, -ful, -less, -ism, -ist, -ize

Examples of Derivational Suffixes in Action:

* Noun to Adjective: beauty (noun) + ful (suffix) = beautiful (adjective)

* Verb to Noun: paint (verb) + ing (suffix) = painting (noun)

* Adding Meaning: hope (noun) + less (suffix) = hopeless (adjective, meaning "without hope")

Understanding derivational suffixes is crucial for comprehending how words are formed in English and for expanding your vocabulary.