Science and Curiosity
Building and shortening words
Learn how suffixes build longer words, and how clipping makes them shorter.
Suffixes build nouns:
- -ship: a position, state or relationship: professorship, mentorship, leadership, membership, partnership, citizenship;
- -ment: an action or its result, from a verb: achievement, government, entertainment, agreement;
- -hood: a state or a group: childhood, brotherhood, neighbourhood, motherhood.
Acronyms are short forms made from first letters and read as one word: ISRO, STEM, and:
- NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
- AIIMS: All India Institute of Medical Sciences;
- AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy;
- NIPER: National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research;
- WHO: World Health Organization.
Clipping makes a short word from a long one. Three kinds:
- back clipping keeps the front: exam (examination), lab (laboratory), ad (advertisement), gas (gasoline), memo (memorandum), gym (gymnasium), photo (photograph);
- front clipping keeps the end: phone (telephone), net (internet), bike (motorbike);
- middle clipping keeps the middle: flu (influenza), fridge (refrigerator).
Back clipping keeps the front, front clipping keeps the end, middle clipping keeps the middle.
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