-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.

208 / 291

adjective / noun

placental

pluh-SEN-tl/pləˈsentl/

Relating to the organ connecting a developing fetus to the uterus.

The placental villi form an interface that nourishes the developing fetus.

Placental villi and their connection to the fetus illustrate the nourishing placental interface.

Etymology

placentLatinflat cake

+alLatinof, relating to

Latin placenta meant a flat cake; the organ was called a “uterine cake” because of its shape. The adjective means relating to that organ, which nourishes the fetus.

In context

Shankar IAS Academy1:15

in which the complete embryo development happens inside the mother in mammals while inside the mother the embryo is nourished by an organ called an placenta so both marsupial and placental mammal groups give birth to live young ones

The Hindu Daily News Analysis || 03rd April 2022 || UPSC Current Affairs ||Prelims'22 & Mains'22

More examples

Doctors monitor placental function during a high-risk pregnancy.
A whale is a placental, just like a human.
Most living mammals are placentals, including dogs and elephants.

Forms

placental · placentals

placenta noun — Organ linking a fetus to the uterus.