Word Formation

Word Class of Affixed Words

Prefixes do not alter the word class of the affixed word. On the other hand, suffixes do and are defined as either adjective/adverb suffixes or noun/verb suffixes.

Grammatical Affixes

-su: possessive adjectives
-li: turns nouns into adjective/adverbs (of, relating to)
-mo: turns adjectives into adjective/adverb-modifying adverbs
-ya: turns adjectives into abstract nouns
-gi: transitivity marker
-cu: intransitivity marker
be-: passive voice
du-: gerund; habitual/continuous verb aspect

Prefixes

aw-: absent, away
- awidi - leave, go away (idi - go); awglu - drink up (glu - drink); awpel - drive away (pel - drive/push, impulse/impetus)
awto-: auto- (automatic) [awtomati - automatic]
- awtosahigi - autocorrect (sahi - correct, right; sahigi - correct)
dis-: disperse, scatter
- disgibe - distribute (gibe - give)
eko-: eco-
- ekologi - ecology (logi - specialty, discipline), ekosistema - ecosystem (sistema - system)
fin-: finish, to the end
- findoxo - end of, finish reading to the end (doxo - read); finyam - finish eating everything (yam - eat)
fron-: forwards [fronta - forehead, front]
- fronkadam - progress (kadam - step)
ja-: immediately adjacent [jara - neighbor]
- jale - just (have) (le - past tense verb particle); jaxa - about to (xa - future tense verb particle); jaledin - yesterday (din - day); jaxadin - tomorrow (din - day)
nen-: un-, in-, im-, ir-
- nenmuhim - unimportant (muhim - important); nenkompleto - incomplete (kompleto - complete); nenible - impossible (ible - possible); okonenible - invisible (oko - see); imanunenible - unbelievable, incredible (imanu - believe); nensomno - insomnia (somno - sleep)
pos-: opposite [opos - opposite]
- possahay - hinder (sahay - help); possukses - failure/fail (sukses - success); posdongwi - disagree (dongwi - agree); posgami - divorce (gami - spouse/marry)
pre: here/there, present (as opposed to away, absent)
- preata - arrive (ata - come); preporta - bring, take (porta - carry)
ri-: re- (again)
- rieskri - rewrite (eskri - write); riadresu - forward (adresu - address); ridoxo - reread (doxo - read)
ru-: retro-, re- (back) [ruke - back/rear]
- ruata - come back, return (ata - come); ruidi - go back, return (idi - go); rugibe - give back, return (gibe - give); ruaksyon - react/reaction (aksyon - act/action)
xor-: start of, beginning of
- xorsomno - fall asleep (somno - sleep); xoraham - realize, come to understand (aham - understand)

Adj/Adv Suffixes

-do: in an inactive state of (turns nouns into inactive adjectives)
- kasirudo - broken (kasiru - break); klosido - closed (klosi - close); estodo - stopped (esto - stop)
-ne: in the active process of (turns verbs into active adjectives)
- somnone - sleeping (somno - sleep); interesne - interesting (interes - interest); amusane - amusing, fun (amusa - amuse)
-ple: multiple
- duaple - double (dua - two); tigaple - triple (tiga - three); careple - quadruple (care - four)
-yum: ordinal numbers
- unyum - first (un - one); duayum - second (dua - two); tigayum - third (tiga - three)

Noun Suffixes

-gon: -agon (geometric figure) [gono - angle]
- tigagon - triangle (tiga - three); limagon - pentagon (lima - five); ocogon - octagon (oco - eight); ortogon - rectangle (orto - upright)
-ina: -ine
- kafeina - caffeine (kafe - coffee)
-je: degree [daraje - degree, level]
- dayje - size (day - big/large); velosije - speed (velosi - fast); telije - distance (teli - far); laoje - age (lao - old); termoje - temperature (termo - heat); gaoje - height (gao - tall/high)
-sa: language; animal cries [basa - language]
- Globasa - Globasa (globa - world); Englisa - English (Engli - England); Espanisa - Spanish (Espani - Spain)
- bwawsa - bark (bwaw - dog); myawsa - meow (myaw - cat); umasa - neigh (uma - horse); singasa - roar (singa - lion)

Function Words as Quasi-Prefixes in Compound Words

anti: against, counter, anti-
- antidokya - antidote (dokya - poison); antijento - fight against (jento - fight); antiaksyon - counteract (aksyon - act/action)
bax: under, sub-, vice-
- baxgeoli - subterranean (geo - earth, ground); baxpresidiyen - vice-president (presidiyen - president)
pas: through
- pasdoxo - read through (doxo - read); pasjiwa - live through (jiwa - live, life); paspasa - traverse, pass through (pasa - pass)
ex: out
- exidi - exit (idi - go); exporta - export (porta - carry); exnasyonli - foreign (nasyon - nation)
in: in
- inidi - enter (idi - go); inporta - import (porta - carry); inhare - contain (hare - have)
infra: infra-, hypo-
- infratermo - hypothermia (termo - heat); infraroso - infrared (roso - red); infraidi - descend (idi - go)
intre: between, inter-
- intrenasyonli - international (nasyon - nation); intrepala - conversation (pala - speak, talk); intreaksyon - interact/interaction (aksyon - act/action); intrediskusi - dialogue (diskusi - discuss/discussion)
le: past
- lefe - before (fe - at); legami - ex-spouse (gami - spouse); lepresidiyen - ex-president (presidi - preside)
lefe: pre-, fore-
- lefeoko - foresee (oko - see); lefeloga - foretell, predict (loga - say/tell)
moy: every, all
- moyabil - almightly, omnipotent (abil - able, capable); moydinli - daily, everyday (din - day)
of: off (of), from, fractions
- offolo - depend on (folo - follow); un ofdua - half, one out of two (dua - two)
se: self-
- semorgi - suicide (morgi - kill); sebawe - self-defense (bawe - defense)
supra: above, super-, hyper-
- suprarealsim - hyperrealistic (real - real; realsim - realistic); supraidi - ascend (idi - go)
ton: together, co-
- tonaksyon - cooperate (aksyon - act/action); tonergo - collaborate (ergo - work)
tras: across, trans-
- trasporta - transport/transportation (porta - carry)
ultra: beyond
- ultrajiwa - survive (jiwa - life); ultranaturali - supernatural (natura - nature); ultrapasa - surpass (pasa - pass)
xa: future
- xafe - after (fe - at)
xafe: post-
- xafeplasi - postpone (plasi - put); xafemorculi (preferably expressed more succinctly as a prepositional phrase - xafe morcu) - postmortem, posthumous (morcu - death); xafexengili (preferably expressed more succinctly as a prepositional phrase - xafe xengi) - postpartum (xen - born; xengi - give birth)

Noun/Verb Words as Quasi-Prefixes in Compound Words

gami: spouse, marry; in compounds: in-law
- gamisodar - brother-in-law, sister-in-law (sodar - sibling); gamiatre - in-laws (atre - parent)
hawa: air; in compounds: aero-
- hawanavi - aircraft (navi - ship)

Adj/Adv Words as Quasi-Prefixes in Compound Words

Many adjective/adverbs may be used to create compounds. The following list includes the most commonly used adjective/adverbs in compounds.

bon: good; in compounds: eu-, objectively or morally good/well
- bonata - welcome (ata - come); bonxanse - good luck (xanse - chance, luck); bonlexi - euphemism (lexi - word); bonmorcu - euthanasia (morcu - death); bonoko - observe, watch (oko - eye/see/look); bonore - listen (ore - ear/hear)
bur: bad; in compounds: objectively or morally bad
- burnini - brat (nini - kid); bursolo - lonely (solo - alone); burlexi - swearword (lexi - word)
colo: ugly; in compounds: ugly
- coloeskri - scribble (eskri - write)
cuyo: main, chief, primary; in compounds: main, chief, primary, master, arch-
- cuyodolo - main street (dolo - street); cuyoyawxe - master key (yawxe - key)
day: big, large; in compounds: augmentative
- daybon - excellent, great, awesome (bon - good); dayday - huge, gigantic (day - big, large); daylil - tiny (lil - small, little); dayxaher - metropolis (xaher - town, city); daybaytu - mansion (baytu - house)
fem: female
- femgami - wife (gami - spouse); femnini - girl (nini - kid/child); femixu - woman (ixu - adult, man/woman); femwangu - queen (wangu - monarch, king/queen)
godo: - excessive, excessively, too much, too many; in compounds: too
- godojaldi - premature (jaldi - early)
juni: young; in compounds: offspring
- junibwaw - puppy (bwaw - dog); junimyaw - kitten (myaw - cat); junisinga - cub (singa - lion); juninini - infant, toddler (nini - kid, child)
kwasi: seeming(ly); in compounds: quasi-, step-
- kwasisodar - step-brother, step-sister (sodar - sibling)
lama: ancient [ opp neo]
- lamahistori - ancient history (histori - history)
lao: old [opp juni]
- laoatre - ancestor, forefather, foremother (atre - parent); laonini - teen, adolescent (nini - kid, child); laodaypatre/laodaypapa - great grandfather/great grandpa (daypatre - grandfather; daypapa - grandpa)
lil: small, little; in compounds: diminutive
- lilhaha - giggle (haha - laugh); lilbaytu - hut, cottage (baytu - house); lilnahir - stream (nahir - river)
mal: wrong; in compounds: mis-
- malaham - misunderstand (aham - understand); malhesabu - miscount (hesabu - count)
man: male
- mangami - husband (gami - spouse); mannini - boy (nini - kid/child); manixu - man (ixu - adult, man/woman); manwangu - king (wangu - monarch, king/queen)
meli: beautiful, pretty
- melieskri - calligraphy (eskri - write)
midi: middle; in compounds: mid-
- midinuru - noon (nuru - daytime); midinoce - midnight (noce - night); mididay - medium
neo: new; in compounds: new, neo-
- neoklasiko - neoclassical (klasiko - classic, classical)
semi: sort of, kind of, partly; in compounds: half-; semi-, -ish
- semisodar - half-brother/half-sister (sodar - sibling); semikijawi - greenish (kijawi - green); seminudi - semi-nude (nudi - nude)

Numerals as Quasi-Prefixes in Compound Words

Numerals may also be used to create compounds.

unbasayen - monolingual (basa - language)
duacalun - bicycle (calun - wheel)

Adj/Adv Words as Quasi-Suffixes in Compound Words

abil: can, able; in compounds: can, -ive
- kreaabil - creative (krea - create); okonenabil - blind (oko - see)
bimar: ill, sick
- sikobimar - mentally ill (siko - mind)
bon: good
- xetocubon - delicious (xetocu - taste); xansebon - lucky, fortunate (xanse - odds)
bur: bad
- xansebur - unlucky, unfortunate (xanse - odds)
ible: possible; in compounds -able/-ible
- yamible - edible (yam - eat); doxoible - legible (doxo - read); okoible - visible (oko - see)
fil: inclined to, prone
- ergofil - diligent, industrious (ergo - work); fobifil - fear-prone (fobi - fear); dinifil - religious (dini - religion)
kal: empty; in compounds: -less
- legakal - illegal, lawless (lega - law); ergokal - unemployed (ergo - work); pesakal - poor (pesa - money); luminkal - dark (lumin - light); yamkal - hungry (yam - eat/meal); suikal - thirsty (sui - water)
kolordo (kolor-do): shade, colored (See also -sim.)
- asmankolordo - sky blue (asman - sky)
laye: worthy
- xinloylaye - trust-worthy (xinloy - trust); memorilaye - memorable (memori - memory/remember); doxolaye - worth reading (doxo - read)
musi: must, have to; in compounds: (active) must; (passive) must be, imperative
- active: triunfamusi - who must win (triunfa - win/triumph)
- passive: beokomusi - must-see (oko - see; beoko - be seen)
peldo (pel-do): driven
- somnopeldo - sleepy (somno - sleep)
pul: full; in compounds: -ful
- kimapul - costly, pricey, expensive (kima - price); yampul - full, satiated (yam - eat/meal); jawgupul - careful (jawgu - take care); brilapul - shiny (brila - shine); pesapul - rich (pesa - money); hataripul - dangerous (hatari - danger); legapul - legal, lawful (lega - law); bawlupul - violent (bawlu - violence)
sim: similar; in compounds: -like, -ish, shade of color
- dostesim - friendly (doste - friend); ninisim - childish (nini - child); dahabusim - golden (dahabu - gold); realsim - realistic (real - real); femsim - female-like (fem - feminine)

Nouns as Quasi-Suffixes in Compound Words

bol: ball
- pedabol - soccer/football (peda - foot); basketobol - basketball (basketo - basket)
din: day
- Soladin - Sunday (Sola - Earth's sun); Lunadin - Monday (Luna - Earth's moon); Marihidin - Tuesday (Marihi - Mars); Bududin - Wednesday (Budu - Mercury); Muxtaridin - Thursday (Muxtari - Jupiter); Zuhuradin - Friday (Zuhura - Venus); Xanidin - Saturday (Xani - Saturn); Kristodin - Christmas (Kristo - Chirst); xencudin - birthday (xencu - birth)
dom: place
- kitabudom - library (kitabu - book); mehmandom - hostel (mehman - guest); dinidom - church, temple (dini - religion)
doku: document
- pasadoku - passport (pasa - pass); xencudoku - birth certificate (xen - born, xencu - birth)
dukan: store
- kitabudukan - bookstore (kitabu - book); yamdukan - grocery store (yam - food)
ente: inanimate agent
- medisente - medicine, medication (medis - medicine); antigutonente - analgesic, pain-killer (guton - pain)
fon: -phone, audio tool
- telifon - telephone (teli - far); infon - microphone (in - in); exfon - speakers (ex - out); orefon - earphones (ore - ear); radyofon - radio transmitter (radyo - radio)
hole: sheath, holder
- xamahole - candlestick (xama - candle); pamtulhole - holster (pamtul - gun)
grafi: recording; in compounds; recording, -graphy
- jiwagrafi - biography (jiwa - life); radyagrafi - x-ray image (radya - radiation); teligrafi - telegram (teli - far)
ismo: -ism
- kapitalismo - capitalism (kapital - capital); komunismo - communism (komun - communal); Budaismo - Buddhism (Buda - Buddha)
ista: -ist (meaning limited to adherent to -ism)
- kapitalista - capitalist (kapital - capital); komunista - communist (komun - communal); Budaista - Buddhist (Buda - Buddha)
itis: inflammation (-itis)
- artroitis - arthritis (artro - joint); mogeitis - encephalitis (moge - brain)
kaxa: container
- anjenkaxa - safebox (anjen - safe); pesakaxa - purse (pesa - money); bezekaxa - beehive (beze - bee)
kamer: room
- banyokamer - bathroom (banyo - bath); somnokamer - bedroom (somno - sleep); darsukamer - classroom (darsu - lesson, class)
kef: boss, leader, chief
- navikef - captain (nave - ship); xaherkef - mayor (xaher - city)
krasi: government
- demokrasi - democracy (demo - people, public)
kumax: (piece of) cloth
- banyokumax - towel (banyo - bath); mesakumax - tablecloth (mesa - table); nasakumax - handkerchief (nasa - nose); muntekumax - napkin (munte - mouth)
lari: collective group
- drevolari - forest (drevo - tree); insanlari - humanity (insan - human being); darsulari - course (darsu - lesson/class); mumulari - herd of cattle (mumu - bull/cow, cattle); lexilari - vocabulary (lexi - word); menalari - dictionary (mena - meaning, definition); navilari - fleet of ships (navi - ship); yumawlari - plumage (yumaw - feather)
lexi: word
- namelexi - noun (name - name); falelexi - verb (fale - do); sifalexi - adjective (sifa - characteristic); manerlexi - adverb (maner - manner)
logi: specialty, study of
- biologi - biology (bio - life/organisms); sikologi - psychology (siko - mind)
maso: meat
- mumumaso - beef (mumu - bull/cow, cattle); kukumaso - chicken (kuku - hen/rooster); swinimaso - pork (swini - pig, hog); mahimaso - fish (mahi - fish)
medis: medicine (practice)
- dentamedis - dentistry (denta - tooth); sikomedis - psychiatry (siko - mind); hewanmedis - veterinary medicine (hewan - animal); ninimedis - pediatrics (nini - child); pifumedis - dermatology (pifu - skin)
meter: measuring device
- termometer - thermometer (termo - heat); satumeter - clock, watch (satu - hour)
mon: element or part of a whole
- talujimon - snowflake (taluji - snow); watumon - period (watu - time); atexmon - flame (atex - fire)
mosem: season
- bardimosem - winter (bardi - cold); bijamosem - spring (bija - seed/sow); termomosem - summer (termo - heat); xuhamosem - autumn (xuha - reap/harvest)
osis: pathology
- sikoosis - psychosis (siko - mind)
pel: drive, push
- seksopel - sex drive, libido (sekso - sex); amirupel - control (amiru - command); tehdidupel - coerce (tehdidu - threat)
tim: team; in compounds: team, body
- asosyatim - association (asosya - associate); komuntim - community (komun - communal); organisatim - organization (organisa - organize); jangetim - military (jange - war); krasitim - government (krasi - rule/govern); ergotim - staff (ergo - work); oretim - audience (ore - ear/hear)
tora: machine, device, apparatus; in compounds: -ator, machine, device, apparatus
- komputatora - computer (komputa - compute); liftitora - elevator, lift (lifti - lift); woxatora - washing machine (woxa - wash); tayputora - typewriter (taypu - type)
tul: tool
- eskritul - writing utensil (eskri - write); katatul - knife (kata - cut); yuxitul - toy (yuxi - play/game)
xey: thing, object; in compounds: thing, object, substance
- yamxey - food (yam - meal, eat); kreaxey - (a) creation (krea - create); kostruixey - building (kostrui - build)
yen: being (any living being or personified object); in compounds: -ist, -er, -an
- noun/verb roots: estudiyen - student (estudi - study); danseyen - dancer (danse - dance); medisyen - physician (medis - medicate, medicine); arteyen - artist (arte - art); alimyen - teacher (alim - teach); polisiyen - police officer (polisi - police); legayen - lawyer/attoney (lega - law); poemayen - poet (poema - poem)
- adjective roots: juniyen - young man/woman, gal/guy (juni - young)
- nationalities: Italiyen - Italian (Itali - Italy); Mexikoyen - Mexican (Mexiko - Mexico)
- physicians: dentamedisyen - dentist (denta - tooth); sikomedisyen - psychiatrist (siko - mind); hewanmedisyen - veterinarian (hewan - animal); ninimedisyen - pediatrician (nini - child); pifumedisyen - dermatologist (pifu - skin)

Proper Noun Compounds

Proper nouns may also be joined to create compounds. They may be spelled in one of three ways as seen below.

Ceskieslovaki or CeskiEslovaki or Ceski-Eslovaki - Czechoslovakia
Serbihervatskasa or SerbiHervatskasa or Serbi-Hervatskasa - Serbo-Croatian
Kinsasakongo or KinsasaKongo or Kinsasa-Kongo - Kongo-Kinshasa

Likewise, proper nouns with utara, sude, dongu, garebi and centro may also be spelled in one of three ways.

Sudehangu or SudeHangu or Sude-Hangu - South Korea

Proper nouns with ji may also be alternatively joined as follows.

Antigwa ji Barbuda or AntigwaBarbuda or Antigwa-Barbuda - Antigua and Barbuda

Derived compounds consisting of two distinct proper nouns must be joined with a hyphen or dash.

Mexiko-Usali byen - Mexico-U.S. border

Descriptive Noun Compounds

Noun compounds such as the above may be expressed as adjectives simply by attaching the suffix -li.

xencudinli hadya - birthday gift

Alternatively, the descriptive word may be used in a prepositional phrase with fe as an equivalent of -li. In fact, this is the prefered method when the compound word already consists of three or more morphemes, such as xencudin (xen-cu-din).

hadya fe xencudin - birthday gift (literally, gift of birthday)

This method is especially useful for forming more complex descriptive noun phrases:

maydoyen fe hadya fe xencudin - birthday gift seller (literally, seller of gifts of birthday)

Object-Verb Adjectives

Object-Verb Adjectives are adjectives that consist of two nouns (object and verb) plus an adjective suffix.

mogeyamne ameba - brain-eating amoeba
fikirprovokane idey - thought-provoking idea