Suffijtsuffix

Suffijtsuffix is a theoretical term in linguistic morphology that refers to a suffix which attaches to a word or form that already ends in another suffix, creating a second-order suffixal unit. In this sense, it describes the situation where affixation proceeds in layers, with a new suffix acting on an already suffixed host. The term is not widely established in mainstream linguistics, but it is used in discussions of morpheme hierarchies and affix stacking to illuminate how multiple suffixes can interact.

In languages with productive suffixation, suffijtsuffix-like processes illustrate how derivational and inflectional suffixes can nest. A suffijtsuffix may alter or constrain the meaning supplied by the host suffix, or it may modify the entire word formed by the host, depending on a language’s morphotactics. Phonological adjustments may occur at the junction between layers, including vowel or consonant changes and potential stress shifts.

Examples help clarify the concept. In a hypothetical language, the base verb run plus the suffix -ner yields runner. A suffijtsuffix -ship attached to runner yields runnership, a noun meaning the state or role of being a runner. In another case, base friend plus -ly yields friendly; a suffijtsuffix -ness attached to friendly yields friendliness, illustrating how a suffix can apply to a word already derived by another suffix. A third example uses act + -ion to form action, with a suffijtsuffix -able attached to action to yield actionable, showcasing suffix-to-suffix layering.

The suffijtsuffix concept is primarily descriptive, aiding theorists in modeling layered affixation without prescribing concrete morphemes. It relates to broader topics such as affix stacking, derivational morphology, and the interaction of morphology with phonology and semantics.