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Suffixes


-ber

-ber gives the meaning "bearing, having,, full of":

Featherber "bearing feathers", atterber "bearing poison", manber "producing men", stenchber "bearing stench", fireber "fiery", hornber "bearing horns", tungleber "bearing stars", appleber "bearing apples", wholeber "wholesome", laughterber "laughter-bearing", wassomber "bearing fruit", quildber "deadly, destructive", lustber "desirable", woodber "bearing wood", chessilber "gravelly", lightber "bearing light", sleepber "soporific", weaponber "weaponbearing", wieber "warlike", grameber "bearing rage", qualmber "deadly".


-bore

-bore gives the meaning "bearer":

Swordbore "swordbearer", weaponbore "weaponbearer", roodbore "crossbearer", wroughtbore "accuser", keybore "keybearer", ashbore "spearbearer", moundbore "protector", lightbore "lightbearer", candlebore "acolyte", readbore "counsellor", strailbore "archer", woothbore "poet".


-craft

-craft means "might, skill, art":

Witchcraft "witch's art, magic", songcraft "art of singing", smithcraft "manual art", staffcraft "grammar", grammaticcraft "grammar", flitcraft "art of dispute", handcraft or handicraft (handy + craft) "manual art", balecraft "baleful craft", feathercraft "skill of feather-embroidery", moodcraft "intelligence", libcraft "skill of using drugs or charms", thillcraft "elocution, rhetoric", wiecraft "warcraft", shincraft "sorcery", gleecraft "music, minstrelsy", earthcraft "geometry", dwolecraft "occult art, magic", dreamcraft "art of music", shipcraft "ship building", metercraft "art of versifying", windcraft "embroidery", snittercraft "wisdom", swaycraft "musical art", rimecraft "arithmetic", towcraft "spinning", workcraft "mechanics", bleecraft "art of embroidery", leasecraft "false art", tunglecraft "astronomy", shopecraft "poetry", sundercraft "special power", nithcraft "malice", worldcraft "worldly skill", sarecraft "artifice".


-en

(a) Used to express the material something is made of:

Milken "of milk", treen "of tree", hairen "of hair", goaten "of goat", siden "of silk", stonen "of stone", bonen "of bone" beechen "of beech", rosen "of roses", beanen "of beans", sheepen "of sheep" twinen "of twine", whalen "of whale", hornen "of horn", flinten "of flint", fellen "of skins", hazelen "of hazel", fleshen "of flesh", deeren "of animals", blooden "of blood", firen "of fire", liften "of air", tinen "of tin", tilen "of tile", steelen "of steel", harten "of hart", thornen "of thorn", rinden "of rind" pitchen "of pitch", coppern "of copper", wheaten "of wheat", pallen "of pall", tunglen "of stars", swinen "of swine", hounden "of hounds", purpuren "of purple", boxen "of boxwood", ryen "of rye", rushen "of rushes", ottern "of otter", flooden "of river", feathern "of feathers", holmen "of holmtree", clayen "of clay", quickbeamen "of aspen", fixen "of a fox", brocken "of badger's skin", wiretreen "of myrtle", beren "of barley", attern "of poison", oiltreen "of olivetree", linden "of limetree", whilen "of a while".

(b) Used to form feminine nouns from nouns that usually refer to males:

Gidden "goddess", minken "female monk, a nun", thinen "female thane", shilken "female servant", mennen "handmaid", thiften "handmaid", thuen "female slave".


-end

The original present participial ending (equivelent to Modern English -ing as used in participles), used as a suffix, betokens a doer in respect to a particular deed:

Fiend "hating one", friend "freeing one, loving one", tiend "accusing one, accuser" wiend "warring one, a warrior" healend "healing one, healer; Christ", bearend "bearing one", allwoldend "allruling one (God)", trimmend "strengthening one, a supporter", listend "listener", swallowend "whirlpool", aleesend "redeemer", beswikend "deceiver", havend "owner", tealend "reprover", metend "one who metes", deemend "judge" dealnimmend "participator" quellend "murderer", sellend "giver", sayend "sayer", wreakend "avenger", ednewend "restorer", ridend "rider", hatend "hating one, enemy", galend "enchanter".


-fast

Means "fastened, firm, strong":

Steadfast "firm in place", doomfast "just" winfast "pleasant", bleadfast "glorious", siefast "glorious", truefast "loyal", errandfast "bound on an errand", earthfast "fixed in the earth", handfast "handfastened", soothfast "righteous", lifefast "living", hyefast "wise", housefast "having a house", lidfast "fastened by a lid", wifefast "bound to a wife, married", hearthfast "having a settled home" wisefast "wise", mainfast "vigorous", witfast "strong witted", wordfast "true to one's word", orefast "respected", howfast "prudent", lairfast "sick", givefast "gifted", metefast "moderate", readfast "resolute", thewfast "virtuous", shamefast "modest" (also to -faced in shamefaced).


-inchel

-inchel indicates "little":

Houseinchel "little house" stoneinchel "little stone" shipinchel "little ship" ropeinchel "little rope", coveinchel "little chamber", haftinchel "little slave", towninchel "little town", thueinchel "little servant", burthinchel "little burden", dookinchel "little bastard", lithinchel "little limb", boughinchel "little bough".


-ingly

Equivelent to the latin suffix -able, and -ive:

Bearingly "bearable", lovingly "loveable", sellingly "sellable", unafightingly "unfightable", unhealingly "unhealable", atiringly "exhaustable", awendingly "changeable", willingly "desirable", wishingly "desirable", unafillingly "unfillable", afandingly "proveable", beweepingly "lamentable", bighingly "flexible", dreezingly "perishable", aslakingly "remissive", unoverswithingly "unconquerable", fallingly "unstable", dealnimmingly "participial", unaleavingly "unallowable", stirringly "mobile", unbearingly "unbearable", fillingly "expletive" havingly "habile", todealingly "seperable", unbereavingly "unbereavable", yearningly "desirable", halsingly "entreatable", unleesingly "inextricable", brookingly "serviceable", followingly "that should be followed", broseningly "corruptible", unarimingly "innumerable", netheringly "deserving to be lowered", adreadingly "terrible", unfoulingly "incorruptible", towarpingly "destructable", yissingly "insatiable", herryingly "laudable", unawendingly "unchangeable", likingly "agreeable", swearingly "jurative", swimmingly "able to swim", throughwoningly "continuous", forhowingly "contemptible", unbroseningly "incorruptible", hispingly "abominable", untholingly "intolerable", unweeningly "incalculable", leadingly "ductile", toleesingly "destructive", reezingly "perishable", lodingly "excusable", unasayingly "unspeakable", unastirringly "immoveable", untiringly "undefatiguable", losingly "ready to lose", unforbowingly "unavoidable", freedingly "perceptable", unbighingly "inflexible", tweeingly "doubtful", gropingly "tangible", unendingly "infinitive, infinite", aseekingly "seekable", beweddingly "relating to marriage", unwoningly "uninhabitable", ungripingly "incomprehensible", untweeingly "indubitable", belodingly "apologetic", eldingly "dilatory", undertheedingly "subjunctive", tightingly "horatory", untellingly "indescribable", owningly "possessive', mistightingly "dehortative", atbraidingly "ablative", helpingly "helpable", huingly "metaphorical", unforrottingly "incorruptable", atewingly "indicative", beckoningly "indicative", bebiddingly "imperative", swayingly "vocal, vowel", chighingly "vocative", cleepingly "vocalic, vocative", namingly "nominative", aginningly "inchoative", ashearingly "disjunctive".


-kin

-kin means "a kin, kind, race, species, family":

Mankin "mankind", wifekin "womankind", Anglekin "the English kin", Walkin "The Welsh kin" deerkin "species of animal", fowlkin "a race of birds", fishkin "species of fish", flykin "species of fly", seedkin "a kind of seed", bookkin "a kind of book", ernkin "a kin of eagles", reedkin "kind of reed", wheatkin "kind of wheat", neatenkin "kind of animals", fivelkin "race of seamonsters", treekin "species of tree", orfkin "cattle", peasekin "kind of pease", ravenkin "a kin of ravens", hawkkin "a kin of hawks", wilderkin "species of wild beasts", wormkin "species of snake", meatkin "kind of food", nadderkin "species of snake", entkin "the race of giants", weaponedkin "the male sex", werekin "mankind", gomekin "mankind", wortkin "species of plant", applekin "kind of apple".


-kind

-kind means "of this or that kind or origin":

Athelkind "of noble birth", worldkind "worldly", godkind "divine", ghostkind "spiritual", heavenkind "heavenly", soulkind "of the soul", earthkind "earthly", farkind "from afar, foreignborn", angelkind "angelic", devilkind "of the devil", evilkind "evil".


-ledge

Used to emphasize advancement:

Beknowledge "to acknowledge", nighledge "to approach", summerledge "to become summery", winterledge "to become wintry", youngledge "to pass one's youth, to grow up", evenledge "to become evening", rightledge "to make right", meteledge "to moderate", loveledge "to praise", wistledge "to feast", couthledge "to make known", swathledge "to search out", loomledge "to frequent or to be frequent", foeledge "to be as a foe to", theedledge "to adhere to", evenledge "to be like or even, to imitate", dreeledge "to put in order", gainledge "to unite or join", thristledge "to dare", durstledge "to dare", wareledge "to warn", knordledge "to be diligent, to study", limpledge "to unite", fereledge "to associate with", edledge "to repeat", hueledge "to form", kirtenledge "to beautify", wonderledge "to make wonderful".


-lest

-lest gives the meaning "a lack or devoidness":

Belieflest "lack of belief", sorrowlest "freedom from sorrow", recklest "carelessness", loaflest "lack of loaf", angetlest "lack of understanding", roomlest "lack of room", lorelest "lack of lore", hyelest "thoughtlessness", sleeplest "sleeplessness", yeamlest "carelessness", waylest "a trackless place", waterlest "lack of water", wifelest "lack of women", mindlest "mindlessness, madness", witlest "lack of wit", havenlest or havelest "poverty" witelest "freedom from punishment", lifelest "loss of life, death", mainlest "lack of strength".


-lock

-lock has a meaning toward "doing" or "giving":

Wedlock "a pledging", reaflock "robbery", evenlock "evening sacrafice", bridelock "bridegift, bridal", brewlock "brewing", fightlock "fighting", liblock "use of a drug or charm" dwimmerlock "magic play", witelock "punishment", masslock "an offering at mass", quicklock "a living sacrafice", burnlock "a burnt offering", wroughtlock "accusation", bodelock "decree", heamedlock "coition", shinlock "magic", wordlock "speech", wifelock "cohabitation".


-low

-low means "liar" or "breaker":

Truelow "pledgebreaker", wedlow "violator of an agreement", wordlow "liar", oathlow "oathbreaker", theedlow "arch-liar", warlow "trothbreaker, traitor" (-low spelt as -lock in warlock).


-ly

-ly means "like" or "having the qualities of":

Sheeply "of a sheep", herdly "pastoral", sealy "marine", wively "feminine", werely "masculine", lorely "educational", headly "capital", liftly "aerial", waterly "aquatic", stowly "local", childy "childish", thewly "customary, moral", summerly "of summer", harvestly "autumnal, of harvest", leethly "versified", shopely "poetic", bookly "of books, biblical", soothly "true", dreamly "joyous", herely "martial", winly "pleasant", churchly "ecclesiastical", bishoply "episcopal", minsterly "monastic", tidely "timely", lichhamely "bodily", deedly "active", monkly "monastic", floatly "nautical", downly "of a mountain", houndly "canine", giddenly "of a goddess", fierdly "martial", wiely "warlike", fieldly "rural", theedly "national", folkly "public", mightly "possible", ealy "of a river", unmightly "impossible", deadly "mortal", undeadly "immortal", mornly "matutinal", evenly "of the evening", sunly "solar", moonly "lunar", craftly "technical", flitcraftly "logical".


-meal

-meal indicates "by the measure of":

Stoundmeal "moment by moment", bitmeal "bit by bit", dealmeal "part by part", sheafmeal "in bundles", throwmeal "at times", heapmeal "heap by heap", stitchmeal "little by little", flockmeal "flock by flock", limbmeal "limb by limb", wreadmeal "in companies", dropmeal "drop by drop", showermeal "shower by shower, stormily", sneadmeal "piece by piece", burthenmeal "a burden at a time", threatmeal "in swarms", acremeal "acre by acre", stepmeal "step by step", prickmeal "point by point", namemeal "name by name", poundmeal "pound by pound", weekmeal "week by week", yearmeal "year by year", knotmeal "'strictim' unthoroughly", sundermeal "seperately", footmeal "step by step", flitmeal "contentiously", thousandmeal "in thousands".


-mood

-mood means "-minded or spirited":

Eathmood "humbleminded", sorrimood "sorrowful", highmood "highspirited", drearimood "dreary-mooded", angmood "sorrowful", thildmood "patient", hardmood "hardspirited", longmood "patient", gladmood "gladspirited", stithmood "resolute", blithemood "happy-spirited", onemood "unanimous", sweermood "sad", thanklemood "thoughtful", fastmood "firm in mind", tornmood "angry", littlemood "pusilanimous", overmood "proud, haughty", swithmood "stoutspirited", ormood "despondant", golemood "wanton", heavimood "oppressive".


-red

-red means "a state or condition":

Kindred "kinfolk", hatred "state of hate", lovered "state of love", beadred "prayer, intercession", housered "household", hieldred "fidelity", leedred "country", forethingred "intercession", huered "family", friendred "friendship", fiendred "emnity", gossipred "sponsorial obligation", herdred "custody, keeping", thingred "intercession", thoftred "fellowship", maithred "relationship", writred "written condition", manred "allegience, homage", thanered "service", ferered "companionship", folkred "people", mastenred "right of feeding swine in mast pastures", wortkindred "the vegetable world", truered "fidelity", worldred "condition of the world", witered "punishment", teenred "abuse or injury", wiered "state of war", brotherred "fellowship", couthred "familiarity", fellowred "fellowship", neighbourred "neighbourhood", holdred "loyal service", sibred "affinity", theedred "fellowship".


-s

The possessive s (as in George's) is used to make adverbs and prepositions. When used thus it doesn't include an apostrophe.

Always "of all ways", needs "of necessity", eftsoons "soon again" adays or days "by day", anights or nights "by night", besides "furthermore", lifes "with life, alive", words "by word", deeds "by deed", unawares and unwares "in unawareness", sunderlipes "seperately, untharfs "without cause", alls "entirely", nalls "not at all, by no means", forthrights "without a break", sungangs "moving with the sun", westrights "due west", eastrights "due east", northrights "due north" southrights "due south", thanks "thankfully", daylongs "for a day", nightlongs "for a night", yearlongs "for a year", howgates "in what manner", somes "in some degree", rights "rightly, straightly", atrights "almost, nearly", anonrights "right at once", betimes "in good time", towards "in the direction", wills "willingly", unwills "unwillingly", selfwills "of one's own will"; also once (= ones) "at one time", else (=els) "otherwise".

A few words often have t following the s:

Whiles or whilst "in the while, meanwhile", amids or amidst "in the middle of", tomids or tomidst "in the middle of", agains or against "in opposition to", togains or togainst "in opposition to", alongs or alongst "by the side or length of", amongs or amongst "in the midst of".


-spel

-spel gives the meaning "discourse, newss, tidings":

Gospel "good news", woespel "woeful discourse", rightspel "rightful discourse", soothspel "true discourse", oldspel "old saying", mornspel "morning news", liefspel "pleasant discourse", loathspel "loathsome discourse", fearspel "dreadful discourse", leasespel "false discourse", bookspel "tale in a book", balespel "baleful message", lorespel "educational discourse", nightspel "charm said at night", sorespel "sorrowful discourse", byspel "proverb, parable", forthspel "declaration", liespel "false discourse", gouthspel "tidings of war".


-staff/-staves

-staff or its plural -staves implies "a condition of":

Orestaff "kindness", weirdstaff "decree of fate", wraughtstaff "accusation", sorrowstaff "sorrow", harmstaff "harm", fokenstaff "treachery", edwitestaff "reproach, disgrace", inwitstaff "wickedness", endstaff "end, conclusion".


-ware *

-ware means "inhabitants, people"

Earthware"inhabitants of earth", heavenware "inhabitants of heaven", upware "inhabitants of heaven", hellware "inhabitants of hell", marshware "inhabitants of marshes", Kentware "inhabitants of Kent", chesterware "citizens", evenchesterware "fellow citizens", churchware "congregation", boroughware "citizens", holiware "saints", leedenware "latin people, Romans", Romeware "inhabitants of Rome".



* -ware "inhabitants" may be related to ware "goods", but it is very different in meaning.


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