DictionaryRoot: -alis
Latin

-alis

of, relating to

Forms

  • -alis
  • -aris — Latin variant especially used when the stem already contained l, avoiding a repeated l sound.
  • -al — English ending borrowed through French or directly from Latin.
  • -ar — English ending continuing Latin -aris.

Origin

An older Latin adjective-forming suffix; its more remote ancestry is uncertain.

Note

Expresses a relationship without specifying its kind: material, place, purpose, and other connections are possible.

54 / 336
A newly married man and woman in wedding clothes share a quiet affectionate moment, their joined left hands and matching wedding bands prominent.
adjective

conjugal

KAHN-juh-gul/ˈkɑːndʒəɡl/

Relating to marriage or the relationship between spouses.

Etymology

The underlying image is of partners yoked together. The marriage meaning comes through Latin coniunx, “spouse,” a word related to the verb for joining together.

Full entry

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