Definition and Etymology of Ability (suffix)

1. Definition

What is, Concept or Meaning

suffix. The “-ability” suffix is used to form nouns that describe a quality or state that is described by an adjective that ends in “-able.” For example, the adjective “comfortable” can be turned into the noun “comfortability,” which describes the quality of being comfortable. Similarly, the adjective “enjoyable” can be turned into the noun “enjoyability,” which describes the quality of being enjoyable.

The “-ability” suffix is commonly used to describe qualities that are desirable or positive, such as “reliability” (the quality of being reliable) or “suitability” (the quality of being suitable). However, it can also be used to describe negative qualities, such as “unpredictability” (the quality of being unpredictable) or “unreliability” (the quality of being unreliable).

In many cases, the nouns formed with the “-ability” suffix are used to describe the degree to which something possesses a particular quality. For example, you might say “The comfortability of this chair is excellent” to describe how comfortable a chair is, or you might say “The enjoyability of this movie was low” to describe how enjoyable you found a movie.

2. Etymology of -ability

The “-ability” suffix is derived from the Latin suffix “-abilitas,” which means “the quality of being.” It is related to the Latin suffix “-abilis,” which means “able” or “capable,” and is ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root “*ghabh-,” which means “to give or receive.”

The “-ability” suffix has been used in English for centuries to form nouns that describe a particular quality or state. It is a productive suffix, meaning that it can be added to a wide variety of adjectives to create new words. For example, the adjective “enjoyable” can be turned into the noun “enjoyability,” and the adjective “reliable” can be turned into the noun “reliability.”

Other words that are formed with the “-ability” suffix include “predictability,” “suitability,” “adaptability,” “affordability,” “recoverability,” and “vulnerability.” These words all describe a particular quality or state that is described by an adjective ending in “-able.”

3. Examples of use

Here are a few examples of how the “-ability” suffix can be used to form nouns that describe a particular quality or state:

• “The comfortability of this chair is excellent.” (describing the quality of being comfortable)
• “The reliability of this car is questionable.” (describing the quality of being reliable)
• “The suitability of this candidate for the job is debatable.” (describing the quality of being suitable)
• “The adaptability of this plant to different environments is impressive.” (describing the quality of being adaptable)
• “The affordability of this apartment is a major selling point.” (describing the quality of being affordable)
• “The recoverability of this data from the damaged hard drive is uncertain.” (describing the quality of being recoverable)
• “The vulnerability of this computer system to hacking attacks is a concern.” (describing the quality of being vulnerable)

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