-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.

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adjective

glacial

GLAY-shul/ˈɡleɪʃl/

Of glaciers and their cold, slow-moving ice.

Glacial ice fills the valley between the rocky slopes.

A crevassed valley glacier lies between rocky slopes above a meltwater stream.

Etymology

glaciLatinice

+alLatinof, relating to

Originally describing something icy, glacial came to mean “pertaining to glaciers.” Their slow advance then supplied the image for anything proceeding at an extremely slow rate.

In context

Silence of the Earth49:24

the extreme cold of the deep water combined with the pressure slows down a creature's metabolism to an almost glacial [music] pace.

Mariana Trench: Secrets of Earth’s Deepest Abyss | Documentary for Sleep

More examples

Glacial erosion leaves deep scratches in the exposed rock.
The lake fills with glacial meltwater each spring.
Scientists study glacial deposits to trace the ice sheet's former extent.

Forms

glacial

glacier noun — A large, slowly moving mass of ice.

glaciation noun — Formation or spread of glaciers over land.

Similar words

icy: Describes frozen or ice-covered things, not necessarily involving glaciers.
glaciated: Specifically describes land covered or shaped by glaciers.