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suffix. In this section we shall examine some of the more common affix confusions.
To some extent the spelling of an affix will be evident from meaning, or from grammatical function or from related forms.
The words hydrometer and arbiter both end in . Anyone who can associate hydrometer with measuring and meter is
not likely to write *.
The words physician and repetition both end in . The spelling occurs when the referent is a human,
professional noun:
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mathematician, optician, phonetician, politician, technician. Moreover, anyone who associates technician with the /k/ of
technical, technique or its AmE spelling technic, is not likely to write *.
An awareness of word structure and derivations clearly plays an important role in selecting the correct spelling when
pronunciation alone is not decisive.
, ,
This is a notorious source of mis-spellings in present-day English because the vowel in both sets of suffixes is reduced to /
Y/. There is some guidance on the choice of or spellings from related forms with a stressed vowel: consequent
consequential; substance substantial. All three endings , , or , , may
occur, but sometimes there are gaps: we have different, difference, but rarely differency; we have delinquent, delinquency,
but rarely delinquence.
Words with these suffixes often came into English by way of French, where the Latin derivation may have been
changed into . Some English writers loyal to Latin, however, wanted an spelling in words such as dependent
(from Latin pendere). So for some words, dictionary makers have over the years allowed both spellings. Nowadays,
dependence and dependency are the norm, though before 1800 dependance, dependancy were also found. The adjective is
usually dependent, but the noun may be either a dependent or a dependant. With the same root, a pendant is the noun and
pendent the adjective.
To allow free variation like this in some words, but not in others, only serves to confuse spellers still further. Webster s Third
New International Dictionary (1961, p. 25a) estimates degrees of variability in spelling as follows, but it hardly inspires
confidence in the speller:
" almost always spelt so are ascendant, attendance, descendant, intendant, pendant (noun), dependency, dependent (adj.),
tendency, transcendent, superintendent;
" usually spelt so are expellant, propellant, impellent, repellent;
" about equally spelt with / are ascendancy, dependant (noun), pendant (adj.), which means, of course, take your
pick .
EXERCISES
9.1 This exercise will familiarise you with -spelt suffixes attached to bound forms. Go through the following list
making up words ending in , or :
abhorr- abs- abstin- ambi- anci- ard-
audi- belliger- cad- clem- cli- compet-
complac- congru- consci- constitu- contin- conveni-
cred- dec- decad- delinqu- depend- deterg-
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deterr- dilig- ebulli- eloqu- emin- ess-
excell- exist- expedi- experi- ferv- frequ-
imman- immin- impud- inadvert- innoc- instrum-
intellig- intermitt- intransig- lat- leni- neglig-
obedi- omnisci- pat- pati- penit- perman-
pestil- pres- preval- promin- prud- pung-
rec- reg- repell- resili- resplend- rever-
sali- sent- senti- sil- string- strid-
tang- tend- transi- urg- vehem- viol-
9.2 This exercise makes you choose. Supply the missing letter or in the following words.
abund*nce adher*nt anteced*nt benign*nt
blat*nt brilli*nt clairvoy*nt compon*nt
confid*nce consequ*nce consist*ncy coven*nt
disson*nt diverg*nt domin*nce dorm*nt
evid*nce exorbit*nt extravag*nt exuber*nt
flamboy*nt hesit*nt immigr*nt incess*nt
incid*nt indulg*nt influ*nce insolv*ncy
insurg*nt itiner*nt jubil*nt lubric*nt
malign*nt mut*nt petul*nt preponder*nt
recipi*nt recumb*nt recurr*nt redol*nt
redund*ncy refer*nce relev*nce resid*nce
stimul*nt transpar*nt vali*nt vigil*nt
, IN ADJECTIVES
These endings are also a disaster area. The productive suffix is . It can be added to any vaguely transitive verb (one
that can have an object for the action of the verb): actable, awakenable, bemoanable, chattable, crammable, dethronable,
garbleable, kissable, trafficable, etc. all from OED. Occasionally, is added to a noun such as marriageable,
peaceable, but this is quite exceptional for : contemptible.
EXERCISE
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