suffixally

Suffixally is an adverb derived from the adjective suffixal, meaning “in a suffix-related manner” or “by means of a suffix.” In linguistic analysis, suffixally describes processes or analyses that emphasize suffixation in word formation rather than prefixes, infixes, or other morphological operations. The term is most common in discussions of derivation and inflection, where attention is placed on the role of derivational or inflectional suffixes in creating new forms or grammatical categories.

Etymology: Suffixal comes from suffix + -al, with -ly forming the adverb. The noun suffix refers to a morpheme attached at the end of a word; -al is a common adjectival suffix, producing “suffixal” to mean “pertaining to a suffix.” The adverb suffix -ly is then added to form suffixally.

Usage: It is uncommon in everyday speech and most often appears in linguistic writing or scholarly discussions about morphology. In general prose, writers typically substitute expressions such as “by means of a suffix” or “suffix-based” instead of suffixally. For example: “English forms words suffixally by adding derivational suffixes such as -ness or -ment.” In formal text, suffixally can modify verbs or adjectives to indicate that a process relies on suffixation.

See also: suffix, affix, affixation, derivation, inflection, morphology.