10.4: §71. The Perfect Participle Base suffix -IO as Abstract Noun
- Page ID
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Of all ways to create abstract nouns from Latin verbs, the overwhelming favourite was the addition of the suffix -io to the perfect participle base (or less commonly to the present infinitive base). For example, from dicere, dictus (“speak”), Latin could create an abstract noun dict-io, dict-ionis, which meant “speech” (or “the act of speech,” “the process of speaking,” etc.). Notice that this is a perfectly regular 3rd declension noun, whose base is diction-. Here, then, is the explanation for all those -ion derivatives that we noticed in the last chapter. Historically, English forms in -ion can be traced back through Old French to medieval accusative forms like dictionem, which were prevalent in vulgar Latin at a time when the nominative forms had all but disappeared. For practical purposes, however, we can equate the English -ion spelling with the BASE form of Latin nouns in -io, -ionis.[1] This is a valid historical approach, because the majority of the -ion forms came into Modern English after the Renaissance, drawn directly from Latin nouns on the analogy of the older -ion derivatives. New examples are still being coined today.
To the student of English vocabulary, this circumstance is nothing less than a godsend. Although you may never have stopped to think how many -ion nouns there are in our language, you can be sure that there are enough to keep you counting for hours on end. Almost without exception (ex-cept-io), they will have a Latin derivation (de-rivat-io), and that knowledge should be reason[2] for great satisfaction (satis-fact-io)—perhaps even be an occasion (oc-cas-io) for exultation (ex-sultat-io). There can be few aspects of English etymology that are more dependable: virtually every -ion noun that you meet can now send you scurrying in search of a Latin perfect participle, whose meaning is almost guaranteed to unlock the semantic secrets of that English noun.
If you want to test that assertion (ad-sert-io), you can take another quick tour of the Latin verbs on Tables 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, and 9.4, applying the -ion test to the perfect participles. What you will now be uncovering is a series of Latin 3rd declension abstract nouns in -io, -ionis, probably the largest single category of Latin derivatives in English.
- This -ion noun base may be further extended in Latin forms like diction-arium, E dictionary, “a place for words.” (There was also a medieval Latin expression, liber dictionarius, “word-book.”) ↵
- Reason is a word which has lost its -ion in the French transmission (< trans-missio, “a sending across”). The doublets reason and ration are both derived from ratio, a noun formed from the past participle of reri, ratus (“think”). Similar doublets are fashion (Fr. façon) and faction, both from factio. ↵