-al

See also: Appendix:Variations of "al"

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English -al, from the Latin adjective suffix -ālis, or French, Middle French and Old French -el, -al.

Alternative forms

• -all (obsolete)
• -ual

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əl/, [l̩], [ɫ̩]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Suffix

-al

1. Of or pertaining to. Adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also.

   ‎base + ‎-al → ‎basal

   ‎cranium + ‎-al → ‎cranial

2. Forming nouns, especially of verbal action.

   ‎propose + ‎-al → ‎proposal

   ‎deny + ‎-al → ‎denial

   ‎bestow + ‎-al → ‎bestowal

Usage notes

If the root word contains l, the variant -ar is often used instead (e.g. solar, lunar, columnar, lumbar), unless the root contains r after the l (lateral, plural). Sometimes both forms are found: linear, lineal. One also sees -ial, as in manorial.

As nominalizer, some verbs have two corresponding nouns, one ending in -al and the other in -tion/-sion (more common suffix), with one or the other being more common, sometimes with different nuances. Notable examples: disposition/disposal (dispose), proposition/proposal (propose), submission/submittal (submit), transmission/transmittal (transmit). Some superficial pairs are actually of different origin, notably reversion/reversal (revert/reverse, not both from reverse).

Derived terms

• (of or pertaining to): Category:English terms suffixed with -al
• (forming nouns, especially of verbal action.): arousal, arrival, bestowal, betrothal, denial, disposal, proposal, rental, rival, reversal, removal, subdual, submittal, transmittal
• -ical

See also

• -an
• -ar
• -ate
• -esque
• -ese
• -id
• -ian
• -ing
• -ish
• -like
• -oid
• -ory
• -ous
• -ship
• -tion (-ion, -sion)
• -ure
• -y

Etymology 2

Back-formation from aldehyde.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /æl/

Suffix

-al

1. (organic chemistry) Forms the names of aldehydes.

Translations

aldehyde

• Danish: -al
• Dutch: -al (nl)
• Galician: -al (gl)
• Hungarian: -al (hu)
• Swedish: -al (sv)

Anagrams

• L. A., L.A., LA, La, La-, La., la, lä

Abenaki

Suffix

-al

1. A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.

   pessimen (“currant”) → pessimenal (“currants”)

   wôbigen (“it is white”) → wôbigenal (“they are white”)

Usage notes

• -al is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words, including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a.
• See the usage notes at -ak.

Asturian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈal/, [ˈal]

Suffix

-al (epicene, adjective-forming suffix, plural -als)

1. -al (of or pertaining to)

Derived terms

Asturian terms suffixed with -al

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈal]

Suffix

-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -als)

1. in adjectives, indicating relation

   ‎estructura (“structure”) + ‎-al → ‎estructural (“structural”)

Derived terms

Catalan terms suffixed with -al

Danish

Suffix

-al

1. (organic chemistry) -al

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-al

1. (organic chemistry) -al

Synonyms

• oxo-

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -al

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-al

1. for [...] reason (ending for correlatives of reason)

Derived terms

• alial (“for another reason”)
• ĉial (“for every reason”)
• ial (“for any/some reason”)
• kial (“for what reason, why”)
• nenial (“for no reason”)
• tial (“for that reason, therefore”)

 

French

Etymology

Inherited from Middle French -al, from Old French -al, borrowed from Latin -ālis. Doublet of -el, which is inherited.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al/

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-al (feminine -ale, masculine plural -aux, feminine plural -ales)

1. -al; appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form; often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also

Derived terms

French terms suffixed with -al

Descendants

• Norwegian Bokmål: -al
• → Turkish: -sal (learned)

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [aːl]

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-al

1. pertaining to, using; adjectival suffix appended to nouns

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -al

Hungarian

Etymology

From -a- (linking vowel) +‎ -l (verb-forming suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɒl]

Suffix

-al

1. (verb-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form a verb.

   ‎szárny (“a wing”) + ‎-al → ‎szárnyal (“to soar”)

2. (noun-forming suffix) Added to a verb to form a noun. No longer productive in this role.

   ‎von (“to pull”) + ‎-al → ‎vonal (“line”)

3. (organic chemistry) -al (forms the names of aldehydes)

   etanal ― ethanal

Usage notes

• (verb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -l is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-. Final long vowels may shorten, e.g. ű → ü.

  -ol is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -al is added to other back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -el is added to unrounded (and some rounded) front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -öl is added to most rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ál is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

Note: Certain words take another, synonymous suffix, -z/-oz/-az/-ez/-öz/-áz or -zik/-ozik/-azik/-ezik/-özik.

• (noun-forming suffix) Variants:

  -al is added to back-vowel words

  -el is added to front-vowel words

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -al

Hungarian nouns suffixed with -al

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

K'iche'

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aːl/

Suffix

-al

1. Forms nouns from adjectives

   ‎tew (“cold”) + ‎-al → ‎tewal (“coldness”)

   ‎k’ak’ (“new”) + ‎-al → ‎k’ak’al (“youngster”)

2. Forms nouns from -aj verb suffix

   ‎mujaj (“to shade”) + ‎-al → ‎mujaj (“shadow”)

   ‎q’ebaj (“to go across”) + ‎-al → ‎q’ebal (“large earthen jar”)

3. Forms nouns from adverbs

   ‎nojim (“slowly”) + ‎-al → ‎nojimal (“slowness”)

   ‎nabe (“firstly”) + ‎-al → ‎nabeal (“firstborn”)

4. Forms nouns from nouns

   ‎k’o’x (“gourd cup”) + ‎-al → ‎k’o’xal (“shell of a dead animal”)

   ‎süb (“tamalito of corn”) + ‎-al → ‎sübal (“pot for making tamales”)

References

• Allen J. Christenson, Kʼiche-English dictionary

Latin

Alternative forms

• -āle
• -ar, -āre (when preceded by l)

Etymology

From apocope of final e in -āle, neuter of -ālis.

Suffix

-al n (genitive -ālis); third declension

1. noun-forming suffix

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, “pure” i-stem).

	singular	plural
nominative	-al	-ālia
genitive	-ālis	-ālium
dative	-ālī	-ālibus
accusative	-al	-ālia
ablative	-ālī	-ālibus
vocative	-al	-ālia

Derived terms

Latin terms suffixed with -al

Lepontic

Suffix

-al

1. Romanization of -𐌀𐌋

Malay

Etymology

Borrowed from Dutch -aal and English -al.

Pronunciation

• (English-based) IPA^(key): [-əl]
• (Baku) IPA^(key): [-al]
• Hyphenation: -al

Suffix

-al (Jawi spelling -ل)

1. -al

   konvensional ― conventional

Derived terms

Malay terms suffixed with -al

Manx

Alternative forms

• -ail

Etymology 1

Extracted from goaill.

Suffix

-al f

1. suffix used to form verbal nouns

Etymology 2

Extracted from goaill.

Suffix

-al

1. suffix used productively to form denominative verbs and their associated verbal nouns

   ‎yiarn (“iron”) + ‎-al → ‎yiarnal (“to iron”)

   ‎post (“post”) + ‎-al → ‎postal (“to post”)

Etymology 3

From Middle Irish -amail (compare Irish -úil, Scottish Gaelic -ail, -eil), from Old Irish -amail.

Suffix

-al

1. An adjectival suffix applied to various words, usually nouns, to make an adjective.

Derived terms

Manx terms suffixed with -al

See also

• -ee

Middle English

Alternative forms

• -ale, -all, -alle, -eel, -el, -ele, -ell, -elle

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French -al, -el and its source Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-al/, /-aːl/, /-ɛl/, /-ɛːl/

Suffix

-al

1. (chiefly not productive) Forms adjectives from Latin and Romance vocabulary.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -al

Descendants

• English: -al
• Scots: -al

References

• “-al, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Munsee

Suffix

-al

1. A suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words.

   síipuw (“river”) → siipúwal (“rivers”)

   máxkeew (“it is red”) → maxkéewal (“they are red”)

Usage notes

• -al is the most common suffix used to form the plurals of inanimate words, including most body parts and some words ending in the vowel a.

Norman

Etymology

From Old French -al, from Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-al

1. -al (of or pertaining to; adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form)

Derived terms

Norman terms suffixed with -al

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• -all (pre-1917)

Etymology

From Old Norse -all in adjectives like þagall and gamall, from Proto-Germanic *-alaz.

Suffix

-al (neuter -alt, definite singular and plural -ale, comparative -alare, indefinite superlative -alast, definite superlative -alaste)

1. Forms adjectives from verbs meaning “doing” or “pertaining to doing” the verb.

   ‎våga (“dare”) + ‎-al → ‎vågal (“daring, risky”)

Derived terms

• blåsal
• brekal
• frostal
• grinal
• gråtal
• hatal (“hateful”)
• heftal
• krakal
• lidal
• vågal
• yppal

Related terms

• atal (< atall)
• gamal
• kostal
• tagal

References

• “-al” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• “*all” in Ivar Aasen (1873) Norsk Ordbog med dansk Forklaring

Old French

Alternative forms

• -el

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin -ālis. Compare the inherited -el.

Suffix

-al

1. suffix used to form adjectives from nouns

   mesnal (from mesnee) ― domestic; household

Descendants

• Middle French: -al
  • French: -al

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-aľь.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al/
• Rhymes: -al
• Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]

Suffix

-al m

1. forms masculine nouns, usually augmentative in nature

   ‎nos + ‎-al → ‎nochal

Declension

Animate/personal:

Declension of -al

	singular	plural
nominative	-al	-ale
genitive	-ala	-ali
dative	-alowi	-alom
accusative	-ala	-ali
instrumental	-alem	-alami
locative	-alu	-alach
vocative	-alu	-ale

Inanimate:

Declension of -al

	singular	plural
nominative	-al	-ale
genitive	-alu	-ali
dative	-alowi	-alom
accusative	-al	-ale
instrumental	-alem	-alami
locative	-alu	-alach
vocative	-alu	-ale

Surnames:

Declension of -al

	singular	plural
nominative	-al	-alowie
genitive	-ala	alów
dative	-alowi	-alom
accusative	-ala	alów
instrumental	-alem	-alami
locative	-alu	-alach
vocative	-alu	-alowie

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -al

Further reading

• -al in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈaw/ [ˈaʊ̯]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈal/ [ˈaɫ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈal/ [ˈaɫ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈa.li/

• Rhymes: (Portugal) -al, (Brazil) -aw

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese -al, from Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, plural -ais)

1. appended to noun X, forms adjectives meaning “of or relating to X”

   Synonyms: -ar, -ário, -eal, -eiro, -ial, -ico, -inal

   ‎abismo (“abyss”) + ‎-al → ‎abismal (“abyssal; abysmal”)

   ‎indústria (“factory; industry”) + ‎-al → ‎industrial (“industrial”)

2. forms synonyms of adjectives containing the suffix -ico

   ‎angélico (“angelic”) + ‎-al → ‎angelical (“angelical”)

Suffix

-al m or f by sense (noun-forming suffix, plural -ais)

1. appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a collection X” or “a large quantity of X”

   Synonym: -ário

   ‎ninho (“nest”) + ‎-al → ‎ninhal (“a bunch of nests”)

   ‎edito (“edict”) + ‎-al → ‎edital (“notice board”)

2. appended to noun X, forms nouns meaning “a place where there is plenty of X” or "field where a plant is cultivated"

   Synonyms: -açal, -egal, -eiro

   ‎trigo (“wheat”) + ‎-al → ‎trigal (“wheatfield”)

   ‎sobreiro (“cork oak”) + ‎-al → ‎sobreiral (“an orchard of cork oaks”)

   ‎pedra (“rock”) + ‎-al → ‎pedregal (“a rocky field”)

   ‎colmeia (“beehive”) + ‎-al → ‎colmeal (“a place with many beehives”)

   ‎cátedra (“clergy”) + ‎-al → ‎catedral (“a large or important church building”)

Derived terms

Portuguese terms suffixed with -al

Etymology 2

From the first syllable of álcool (“alcohol”) and aldeído (“aldehyde”).

Suffix

-al m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ais)

1. (chemistry) forms the names of alcohols
2. (chemistry) forms the names of aldehydes

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin -alis. Compare French -al, Italian -ale.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al/

Suffix

-al m or n (feminine singular -ală, masculine plural -ali, feminine and neuter plural -ale)

1. -al; of or pertaining to, forms adjectives from nouns.

   ‎săptămână (“week”) + ‎-al → ‎săptămânal (“weekly”)

Declension

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	-al		-ală		-ali	-ale
	definite	-alul		-ala		-alii	-alele
genitive- dative	indefinite	-al		-ale		-ali	-ale
	definite	-alului		-alei		-alilor	-alelor

Derived terms

Romanian terms suffixed with -al

Related terms

• -aie

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-al m or f (adjective-forming suffix, masculine and feminine plural -ales)

1. indicates relation

   ‎cultura (“culture”) + ‎-al → ‎cultural (“cultural”)

Suffix

-al m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ales)

1. indicates a place where something is grown, or where there is plenty of it

   ‎maíz (“corn”) + ‎-al → ‎maizal (“corn field”)

   ‎naranja (“orange”) + ‎-al → ‎naranjal (“orange grove”)

   ‎escoria (“scoria”) + ‎-al → ‎escorial (“bed of lava”)

See also

• -ar
• -ero

Derived terms

Spanish terms suffixed with -al

Further reading

• “-al”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Swedish

Suffix

-al

1. -al, of or pertaining to; forming an adjective from a noun

Derived terms

Swedish terms suffixed with -al

See also

• -ell
• -ig
• -isk
• -lig
• -sam

Anagrams

• l:a, la