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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.

308 / 336
A hairdresser trims a seated client's hair, with scissors and comb visibly working on a lifted section above a salon cape.
adjective

tonsorial

tahn-SOR-ee-ul/tɑnˈsɔriəl/

Relating to cutting or styling hair.

Etymology
tonsoriLatinrelating to shearing or shaving
+alLatinof, relating to

Latin tonsorius describes shearing or shaving, connecting the adjective with a barber’s work. In English, tonsorial applies to barbering or hairdressing, generally with a humorous air.

Full entry

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