-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.

145 / 291

adjective / noun

manual

Controlled by a person's hands rather than automatically.

The camera has a manual focus ring around its lens.

Etymology

manualLatinof the hand

Latin manualis means of the hand. Manual operation preserves that literal connection by placing control in a person’s hands instead of an automatic mechanism.

More examples

Use the manual override if the automatic doors stop working.
She drives a manual and changes gears with a clutch.
A manual can opener works even when the power goes out.

Forms

manual · manuals

manually adverb — By hand rather than through automatic operation.

Similar words

hand-operated: Specifically describes equipment controlled or powered by hand.
nonautomatic: Emphasizes the absence of automatic operation, not necessarily hand control.