Nouns are derived FROM NOUNS by means of the suffixes listed below. On the formation of nouns representing females parallel to nouns in -o representing males, see §24 above.
-ada
'product made from ...' e.g. limon 'lemon' > limonada 'lemonade'; new formation:persica 'peach' > persicada 'peachade (peach drink)';
'series of ...' e.g. columna 'column' > columnada 'colonnade'; new formation:fenestra 'window' > fenestrada 'row of windows' Note: For derivatives from verbs, see §152.
-age
(pron. -aje) 'collection of ...' e.g.
folio 'leaf' > foliage;
new formation:fructo 'fruit' > fructage 'fruitage'
Note: Spelled -agi- before -a- or -o- of additional suffix. For derivatives from verbs, see §152.
-alia
'worthless collection of ...' e.g.
ferro 'iron' > ferralia 'scrap iron';
new formation:papiro 'paper' > papiralia 'waste paper'; also: 'old papers, heaps of working papers, etc.'
-ano
'native, citizen, or inhabitant of ...' e.g. Africa > africano 'African'; new formation:Atlanta > atlantano 'Atlantan';
'language of ...' e.g.v
Italia 'Italy' > italiano 'Italian'; new formation:Samoa > samoano 'Samoan';
'adherent or follower of ...' e.g. Mohammed > mohammedano 'Mohammedan'; new formation:Wesley > wesleyano 'Wesleyan'
Note: Used with names of places and persons. In the case of place names not ending in -a or -o as also of all names of persons, the euphonic variant -iano is to be preferred, e.g.
Marte 'Mars' > martiano 'Martian.' The corresponding adjective form is -an (-ian). In senses (1) and (3) the corresponding feminine is -ana (-iana). In senses (1) and (2) synonym of -ese. In senses (1) and (3) synonym of -ita.
-ario
'person concerned with or characterized by ...' e.g. mission > missionario 'missionary'; new formation:ferrovia 'railroad' > ferroviario 'railwayman' Note: Synonym of -ero and -ista which differ from it in that -ero stresses professional concern while -ista suggests a person's preoccupation (professional or avocational) with a system, a science, an art, etc. Parallel forms in both -ario and -ero are often possible. The corresponding adjective form is -ari. The corresponding feminine is -aria.
'collection of ...' e.g. vocabulo 'word' > vocabulario 'vocabulary'; herba 'herb' > herbario 'herbarium'; new formations:proverbio 'proverb' > proverbiario 'collection of proverbs'; insecto 'insect' > insectario 'insectarium';
'place containing ...' e.g. grano 'grain' > granario 'granary'; new formation:feno > fenario 'hayloft, haymow'
-astro
'inferior or worthless ...' e.g. poeta 'poet' > poetastro 'poetaster'; new formation:judice 'judge' > judiciastro 'blundering judge';
'related through remarriage of a parent' e.g. patre 'father' > patrastro 'stepfather'
Note: Used with nouns indicating male beings. The corresponding feminine is -astra.
-ata
'contents of or quantity contained in one ...' e.g.
coclear 'spoon' > coclearata 'spoonful';
new formation:calice 'chalice' > caliciata 'chaliceful'
-ato
'function, status, rank, jurisdiction, period of office, or territory of a ...' e.g.
new formations:capitano 'captain' > capitanato 'captaincy'; discipulo 'disciple'> discipulato 'discipleship'
-eria
(pron. -er`ia)
'place where... is made, worked, kept, or sold' e.g. lacte > 'milk' lacteria 'dairy'; new formation:instrumento 'tool' > instrumenteria 'tool shop';
'art, craft, trade, or practice of working with...; also: the product of such work' e.g. drappo 'cloth' > drapperia 'drapery'; new formation:arco 'bow' > archeria 'archery';
'behavior of a... or like that of a ...' e.g. diabolo 'devil' > diaboleria 'deviltry'; new formation:clown > clowneria 'clownery'
Note: In senses (1) and (2) the corresponding agent form is -ero. Coincides with -ero plus -ia. For derivatives from verbs see §152.
new formation:ambulantia 'ambulance' > ambulantiero 'ambulance driver'
Note: Further derivatives in -ia coincide with formations in -eria. Corresponding adjectives are often formed in -ari. The corresponding feminine is -era. Synonym of -ario and -ista.
-ese
'native, citizen, or inhabitant of ...' e.g. Geneva > genevese 'Genevese'; new formation:Salamanca > salamanchese 'Salamanquese';
'language of ...' e.g. Japon 'Japan' > japonese 'Japanese'; new formation:Brooklyn > brooklynese 'Brooklynese'
Note: No distinct form for the feminine, but cf. the synonyms -ano, -iano. In sense (1) also synonym of -ita. Identical in form and corresponding in meaning to adjectival -ese (see §139).
-essa
'female ...' e.g. tigre 'tiger' > tigressa 'tigress'; new formation:vulpe 'fox' > vulpessa 'vixen';
'wife of a ...' e.g. conte 'count' > contessa 'countess'; new formations:mayor > mayoressa 'mayoress'; inca 'Inca' > inchessa 'wife of the Inca'
Note: Synonym of -a which is to be preferred when the male ends in -o. See §24.
-eto
'grove of... trees' e.g.
pino 'pine' > pineto 'pine grove';
new formation:orangiero 'orange tree' > orangiereto 'orange grove'
new formations:boteca 'shop, store' > botechetta 'little shop'; uxor 'wife' > uxoretta 'little wife, wifie'; poeta 'poet' > poetetto, poetetta 'little poet, little poetess'
Note: The endings -o and -a express male and female. When no sex is involved, -etta is used with nouns in -a, -etto in all other cases.
-ia
(pron '-ia) 'country, province or region of the ...s, or named for ...' e.g.
arabe 'Arab' > Arabia;
new formations:Tocharo 'Tocharian' > Tocharia; Wilson > Wilsonia
Note: Used with names of peoples and persons; for derivatives from adjectives, see §141.
-ia
(pron. -'ia)
'state, quality, status or jurisdiction of (a, an) ...' e.g. abbate 'abbot' > abbatia 'abbacy, abbotcy'; new formation:capitano 'captain' > capitania 'captaincy, captainship';
'art, science, or practice, also profession, establishment, etc. of (a, an) ...' e.g. geologo 'geologist' > geologia 'geology'; idolatra 'idolater' > idolatria 'idolatry'; new formations:radiotoxicologo 'radiotoxicologist' > radiotoxicologia 'radiotoxicology'; heliolatra 'sun worshiper, hellolater' > heliolatria 'sun worship, heliolatry'; bottinero 'shoemaker' > bottineria 'shoemaker's trade or shop'
Note: Used mostly with compounds. Coincides with -eria when used with formations in -ero. For derivatives from adjectives, see §141.
-ica
'science or study of the ...' e.g.
electron > electronica 'electronics';
new formation:phonema 'phoneme' > phonemica 'phonemics'
Note: Used principally in formations parallel to adjectives in -ic (see §139) and nouns in -ico.
-ico
'one skilled in the art or science of ...' e.g.
historia 'history' > historico 'historian';
new formation:theoria 'theory' > theorico 'theoretician'
Note: Used principally in formations parallel to adjectives in -ic (see §139).
-iera
'that which contains, covers, or protects ...' e.g. sucro 'sugar' > sucriera 'sugar bowl'; new formation:bira 'beer' > biriera 'beer can, growler';
'field, mine, quarry, etc. where... grows or is found' e.g. ris 'rice' > risiera 'rice field'; new formation:baca 'berry' > bachiera 'berry patch'
-iero
'tree, bush, plant, etc. bearing or producing ...s' e.g.
amandola 'almond' > amandoliero 'almond tree';
new formation:corco 'cork' > corchiero 'cork tree'
Note: Fruit names in -a have often parallel tree names in -o (e.g.
persica-persico; pira-piro). In such cases the formation in -iero is synonymous with that in -o.
-il
'place where ...s are kept' e.g.
can 'dog' > canil 'kennel';
new formation:tauro 'bull' > tauril 'bull pen'
Note: Used with names of animals.
-ina
'substance made from, characterizing, related to, etc., ...' e.g.
caseo 'cheese' > caseina 'casein';
new formation:globulo 'globule' > globulina 'globulin'
Note: Used chiefly as technical (chemical) suffix.
-ismo
'state or practice of being a ...' e.g. despota 'despot' > despotismo 'despotism'; new formation:gigante 'giant' > gigantismo 'giantism';
[Med.] abnormal condition resulting from excess of ...' e.g. plumbo 'lead' > plumbismo 'plumbism, lead poisoning'; new formation:caffeina 'caffein' > caffeinismo 'caffeinism';
'doctrine or practice of, or concerned with ...' e.g. Calvin > calvinismo 'Calvinism'; new formation:Tito > titoismo 'Titoism';
'something characteristic of..., or of the language of ...' e.g. hellen 'Hellene' > hellenismo 'Hellenism'; new formation:Brooklyn > brooklynismo 'Brooklynism'
Note: Often parallel to nouns in -ista and to verbs in -isar and subject to interpretation as derivative from -isar with the meaning 'action, process, practice, etc. of ...izing.' For derivatives from adjectives, see §141.
-ista
'one who practices the art or science of ...' e.g. biologia 'biology' > biologista 'biologist'; tympano 'drum' > tympanista 'drummer, tympanist'; new formations:radiographia 'radiography, x-ray photography' > radiographista 'x-ray photographer'; saxophono 'saxophone' > saxophonista 'saxophonist';
adherent of the doctrine of...' e.g. Calvin > calvinista 'Calvinist'; evolution > evolutionista 'evolutionist'; new formation:Cesare 'Caesar' > cesarista 'Caesarist'; collaboration > collaborationista 'collaborationist'
Note: Often parallel to nouns in -ismo and verbs in -isar and subject to interpretation as derivative from -isar with the meaning 'one who ...izes or believes in -izing.' In sense (1) synonym of -ario and -ero. For derivatives from adjectives, see §141.
-ita
'inhabitant, citizen or native of ...' e.g. Neapole 'Naples' > neapolita 'Neapolitan'; new formation:Brooklyn > brooklynita 'Brooklynitic';
member, adherent, or partisan of ...' e.g. Jacobo 'James' > jacobita 'jacobite'; new formation:Truman > trumanita 'Trumanite'
Note: No distinction in form of male and female, but cf. the synonyms -ano, -iano. In sense (1) also synonym of -ese.
-ite
'rock or other mineral containing..., resembling ..., characterized by .., related to ...' e.g.