-al
pertaining to
From Latin -alis, of or relating to
Meaning
What does -al mean?
-al is a suffix meaning pertaining to. It comes from Latin -alis, of or relating to.
The everyday adjective ending: renal, nasal, abdominal; Latin swapped it for -ar when the root already had an l, as in ocular.
In real words
Medical words with -al
relating to the kidneys
relating to the abdomen, the part of the body between the chest and the hips
situated between the ribs, as the intercostal muscles and spaces
relating to the nose, or given through the nose
relating to the anus
relating to the mouth, or given or taken by mouth
relating to the ear or to the sense of hearing
relating to a fetus, the unborn offspring from about nine weeks after fertilization until birth
Don't mix it up
Parts easily confused with -al
Sources
Checked against
Written for biofideX in plain words, after checking these references:
- -AL Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
- Medical Terminology With Adjective Suffixes - GlobalRPH
- AL Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
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Endings that make nouns and adjectives
-al is one of 14 parts in this lesson. Learn them together, then take real words apart.
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