ation

Ation is a productive suffix in English used to form abstract nouns from verbs, denoting action, process, or result. It comes from the Latin suffix -atio, passed into English through Old French, and is related to other Latin-derived endings such as -tion and -sion. Most -ation nouns are created by adding -ation to a verb stem, especially verbs ending in -ate: activate → activation, celebrate → celebration, create → creation, inform → information, form → formation, calculate → calculation, transform → transformation.

Phonology and orthography: The suffix is typically pronounced as -eɪʃən in many dialects (for example activation, information, transformation) with the preceding consonant cluster influencing syllabification. Spelling is regular in many cases but not universal: not every English noun with -ation is formed directly from a visible -ate base; some come from Latin informatio or follow older historical paths.

Semantics and usage: -ation nouns usually denote either the action or process of the verb (creation, calculation, formation) or the result or product of that action (a formation as a thing). They are often countable when referring to concrete instances (two formations, several calculations) but can refer to a general quality or field of study in uncountable use (information, education).

Relation to other forms: English also uses -ization to express processes of making or turning into a state (realization, socialization). Words ending in -tion/-sion often descend from Latin -tio/-sio, with -ation a common pathway for -ate verbs. The suffix -ation is widely productive, but not all -ation words have transparent modern verb pairs.