Novial/AIL General Suffixes

General Suffixes

-ET- is a diminutive suffix, cf. I -etto, -etta, F maisonette, E wagonette. Examples with substantives: riverete brook, urbete small town, librete booklet (might be kept apart from libreto libretto for an opera). It is convenient also for terms of affection: patreto daddy, matreta mammy.

This suffix is very convenient with adjectives: beleti pretty, varmeti lukewarm, maladeti poorly; it is used extensively in Ido and Esp with verbs, and -eta is of a certain utility in such verbs as rideta smile, dormieta take a nap, salteta caper, frisk about (whence of course verbal sbs rideto, dormieto, etc.); still the use with verbs should not be exaggerated, and there may in rare cases be a little danger of confusion with the passive participle of verbs in -e. This, however, is not serious. - Adverb: kelketim just a little.

A cigarette is not exactly a small cigar, and Esp therefore has the modified form cigaredo. N takes sigarete in its international sense, and says mikri sigare (or sigarile from S) for `small cigar.'

-ON- (from the Romanic augmentative suffix I -one, S -on) indicates greatness; but the practice of national languages shows that the need for such a suffix is much less than for the opposite notion, and -on should therefore be used sparingly: pluvono heavy rain, ridono guffaw. In most cases an adjective like grandi is preferable.

Esp -eg- does not deserve retention, as it is purely arbitrary; besides it resembles its contrast -et- too much in sound. With adjectives N has -isi for Esp -ega. - There are a few words with -on as an essential part of the word which might look as formed with this suffix: kantone, kolone, patrone; but ambiguity will rarely arise.

-ACH gives a disparaging or contemptuous sense to the word; the suffix is taken from I -accio and is expressive by its sound, especially if pronounced with [tS] and not simply with [S]. Examples: kavalacha jade, hundache cur, populache rabble, jurnalache, paperache waste paper, kantacha, kriacha bawl.