suffik

Suffik is a term used in linguistics and language construction to denote a class of suffix-like morphemes that encode relational meaning at the clause or noun phrase level. In this usage, suffik attaches to base nouns or pronouns to indicate relations such as possession, material composition, or belonging to a referent, rather than to mark grammatical case or derivational changes. The term derives from a playful blend of 'suffix' and the -ik ending found in some language-name suffixes, and is most common in descriptive typology and conlang circles rather than in mainstream grammar.

Suffik is a bound morpheme; it occurs only as a suffix and may co-occur with other affixes. In languages that use suffik, it may exhibit phonological harmony or assimilation with the host word. Some language sketches distinguish suffik from other relational markers by focusing on their functional domain: ownership, association, or relational status rather than syntactic function alone.

In typological sketches, suffik can appear in noun phrases across various word orders, though their exact placement and allomorphy differ by language. Their semantic scope can be broad, ranging from personal possession to material provenance or social relation.

Examples in illustrative conlangs show a root 'nari' meaning 'child' with suffik '-ik' yielding 'nariik', glossed as 'child-related' or 'child's'. In practice, the interpretation of suffik depends on the surrounding syntax and discourse.