ística

The suffix ística is a derivational ending used in several Romance languages, notably Spanish, Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan, to form nouns and adjectives that express relation to a field of study, discipline, or a quality associated with a root word. It derives from Greek -istikí (or -istikos) and has been transmitted into Romance languages via Latin as -istica or -ística, where it remains productive today.

In use, ística often yields abstract nouns naming sciences, arts, or systematic fields, as well as adjectives describing something as pertaining to that field or quality. Common examples include estadística (statistics), lingüística (linguistics), mística (mysticism), artística (artistic), and periodística (journalistic). The feminine form is typically produced with the ending -ística, while corresponding masculine adjectives or nouns may end in -ístico (e.g., periodístico) or in other gendered variants.

The suffix is especially prevalent in terms related to knowledge, inquiry, and cultural fields, reflecting a scholarly or descriptive sense. It can also form words describing broader or generalized qualities associated with a root concept. While many such terms are integral to academic and professional vocabularies, ística remains a recognizable, though specialized, productive suffix in everyday usage within relevant linguistic communities.

Spelling conventions align with the orthography of each language, but the underlying pattern—root plus ística to denote a field or quality—is consistent across Spanish, Portuguese, Galician, and Catalan.