IV. WORD. FORMATION

FORMATION OF ADJECTIVES Adjectives formed by Suffixes from Adjecth'es

AND PaRTICLES

The suffixes by which new adjectives are formed from adjectives are : — -asse, -âtre, -aud, -et, -ième, -ier, -if, -in, -issime or -ime, -ot.

(i) -asse

This suffix corresponds to Latin -aceus (cf. App. IV. to Afon Oncle et mon Curé of this Séries). When added to adjectives it has péjorative force, e.g. —

bon (good), bonasse, ' goody-goody, ' 'silly'; blond (fair), blondasse, ' insipidly fair. '

(2) -âtre

This suffix corresponds to Latin -aster ; it has approximative force and is sometimes diminutive and hence péjorative. It is mostly added to adjectives denoting colour, e.g. —

blanc, blanche (white), blanchâtre, ' whitish ' bleu (blue), bleuâtre, ' bluish ' brun (brown), brunâtre, 'brownish' gris (grey), grisâtre, ' greyish ' jaune (yellow), jaunâtre, ' yellowish '

olive (olive-coloured), olivâtre, ' something like olive-coloured ' roux, rousse (red), roussâtre, ' reddish ' vert, OF. verd (green), verdâtrc, ' greenish' beau, bel, belle (beautiful), bellâtre, 'of insipid beauty,' 'foppish ' doux, douce (swe^t), douceâtre, ' sweetish," 'insipid' fou, fol, folle [mz-CÎ), folâtre, ' playful,' 'frolicsome*

Note also — acariâtre, 'peevish,' 'sour-tempered' ; and opiniâtre, 'obstinate'

Word-Formation 159

(3) -aud

This suffix is of Teutonic origin and corresponds to wa!d in Reinwald (Renaud) (cf. App. IV. to A/on Oncle et fnon Curé of this Séries). It has péjorative iorcc, e.g. —

court [%\ïOTt), courtaud, 'dumpy,' ' stubby '

fi7i [shdcrp), Jinaud, 'sly,' ' artful," ' cunning '

lourd (hea.vy), /ourdaud, 'clumsy,' ' awkward,' ' lumpish,' 'dull'

noir (hlack), noirai/d, ' swarthy-looking '

rou^e (red), rougeaud, 'ruddy,' ' red-faced '

ruste, rz/j/r^ (boorish), rustaud, 'coarse,' ' boorish '

sale (dirly), sa/aud, ' filthy,' ' slovenly '

sourd (deaf), sourdaud, ' hard of hearing '

(4) -et The origin of this suffix is obscure (cf. App. IV. to Petites Ames of this Séries) ; when added to adjectives it is diminutive, e.g. — aigre (sour), aigret, ' a httle sour ' irun (brown), brunet, ' brownish ' clair (cïeax), clairet, 'lightish,' ' pale-coloured ' doux (sweet), doucet, ' a little sweet ' dur (hard), duret, ' a little hard ' gras (fat), grasset, ' fattish ' jeune (young), jeunet, ' very young ^naigre {thin), tnaigrct, ' thinnish ' mou, mol (soh), mollet, 'softish, ' 'spongy' pauvre (poor), pauvret, ' poorish ' propre (clean), propret, ' neat,' ' lidy ' roux (red), rousset, ' reddish ' seul (alone), seulet, ' quite alone ' sur (sour), suret, ' sourish '

Sometimes another suffix is interpolated, e.g. —

aigre, aigrelet, ' rather sourish ' ; blond, blonde\et ; maigre, maigrelet ; grand, grandelet ; rond, rondelet ; doux, douillet, 'délicate,' 'soft'; tendre, tendrélet ; gras, grassoxàMet, ' plump ' ; blond, blondinet.

(s) -ième This suffix corresponds probably to Latin -esimus, which properly speaking is a superlative suffix. It is used in French as in Latin for the formation of ordinal numbers, e. g. —

cinq, cinquihne vingt, vingtième (vigesimus)

six, sixième cent, centième [centesimus)

sept, septième mille, millième (millesimus)

Note also —

quantième pénultième antépénultième The formation of this suffix is not quite clear, for -esimus should become -estne, -éiiie.

i6o Cœurs russes

(6) -ier

This suffix corresponds to -arius (or -aris), by which numerous adjectives were formed in Latin. It is used in French mainly to form nouns (cf. App. IV. to Sacs et Parchemins in this Séries), but also some adjectives from nouns (cf. App. IV. to Le Roi des Montagnes of this Séries) and a few from adjectives, e. g. —

gros, grossier (coarse), pUnier (Low Lat. plenarius)

(7) -if This suffix corresponds to Latin -ivus, e.g. —

actif (activus), natif [nativus), captif [coftivus) A number of French adjectives are formed by this suffix from verbal stems (cf. App. IV. to Cinq Mars of this Séries), and a few from adjectives, e.g. —

malade, maladif {s'\ck\y) , distinct, distinctif {distincùve)

(8) -in This suffix corresponds to Latin -inus, -ineus, e.g. —

alpin {^alpinus), divin [divinus), sanguin (sanguineus) — (cf. App. IV. to Le Roi des Montagnes of this Séries). A few adjectives are formed with this suffix from adjectives, e.g. — blond, blondin, ' light-haired ' ; sauvage, sauvagin, 'fishy' (of taste)

(9) -issime or -ime

This suffix corresponds to Latin -issimus, -imus, and occurs in French in some adjectives of learned origin, e.g. —

dûctissime, ' most learned ' ; gratidissime, ' very great ' ; richissime, ' extremely rich ' ; sdrénissime, ' most serene ' infime, ' lowest ' ; ultime, ' ultimate '

(10) -ot

The origin of this suffix is obscure (cf. App. IV. to Petites Ames of this Séries). A number of adjectives are formed with it from other adjectives with diminutive force, e.g. —

bellot, ' pretty ' (of children) pâlot, ' palish '

manchot, 'maimed,' ' one-handed ' vieillot, ' oldish ' In the foUowing adjectives the ending -ot is not a suffix —

bigot, ' bigoted ' ; cagot, ' hypocritical ' ; di'vot, ' devout ' ; falot, ' ludicrous ' ; idiot, 'idiotie'; ra^ot, 'dumpy,' ' thickset'

Word-Formation i6i

Some I.atin adjectives derived from adverbs and prépositions hâve passed into P'rench, c.g. —

anterior [hom an/e) : antérieur, 'anterior' antianns (from anie) : ancien, ' ancicnt ' l'enig/ius (from bene) : bénin, bénigne, ' benignant ' conf>-ariiis (hom contra) : contraire, 'contrary' exterior [îvom extra) : extérieur, ' exterior ' interior (from inter) : intérieur, ' interior ' quotidianus (from quotidie) : quotidien, ' daily ' sempiternalis (from semper) : sempiternel, ' everlasting' superanus (from super) : souverain, 'suprême' super ior (from super) : supérieur, ' superior '