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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.

245 / 336
A massive earth-crusted boulder hangs unsupported above a grassy hollow, with a broad, unmistakable air gap and its shadow directly beneath it—an ordinary natural object behaving impossibly.
adjective

preternatural

pret-er-NATCH-rul/ˌpretərˈnætʃrəl/

Beyond what is normal or natural, often in an uncanny way.

Etymology
preterLatinbeyond
+naturLatinnature
+alLatinof, relating to

Literally “beyond nature,” the word describes something outside nature’s ordinary course. It can mark an extraordinary departure from what is normal, as well as something beyond ordinary natural explanation.

Full entry

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