Hello folks! I hope you enjoyed last week with your hostesses Donna and Jackie. I had an enjoyable break with most of my family down in the steamy hot state of Jalisco, in the city of Puerto Vallarta. While I was off swimming with sting rays, dolphins, and humpback whales, my mom was at home watching over our dogs. Interestingly, she was one of the only people that sent in a question while I was gone. She asked, “If a mom is maternal, a dad is paternal, and a brother is fraternal—what is a sister?”
I started to think about other Latin words with these prefixes (matricide, patricide, fratricide, homicide, insecticide, suicide—I know, very dark) and took a stab at it based on the word for “sister killing,” which is sororicide. I checked the dictionary for sororal, and indeed this wor means “of, relating to, or characteristic of a sister.” Additionally, Merriam-Webster tells us the suffix “-al” is added to words to mean “of, relating to, or characterized by.”
I’m sure you can think of other words formed by adding this suffix “-al” to mean related to or characterized by something:
· nocturnal (active during the night)
· diurnal (of, related to the daytime)
· floral (related to flowers)
· hierarchical (of, relating to, or arranged in a hierarchy)
· subdural (situated beneath the dura mater [part of brain])
For a huge list of words ending in this suffix, see this Wiktionary article.
Kara Church
Senior Technical Editor
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
NOTICE: This electronic mail message and any files transmitted with it are intended
exclusively for the individual or entity to which it is addressed. The message,
together with any attachment, may contain confidential and/or privileged information.
Any unauthorized review, use, printing, saving, copying, disclosure or distribution
is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please
immediately advise the sender by reply email and delete all copies.
Editor's Corner 
Leave a Reply