Here's a breakdown of its etymology:
* "suf-": This prefix comes from the Latin word "sub," meaning "under" or "beneath."
* "fix-": This root comes from the Latin verb "figere," meaning "to fix" or "to fasten."
* "-us": This is the Latin nominative singular masculine ending.
So, "suffixus" literally translates to "fastened underneath" or "added below."
This origin perfectly reflects the nature of a suffix: an element that is added to the end of a word to modify its meaning or grammatical function.