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ENGLISH(5) File Formats Manual ENGLISH(5)

NAME

english - flag format for English ispell dictionaries

DESCRIPTION

English dictionaries for ispell(1) supports 3 prefix and 14 suffix flags. For a detailed description of how ispell handles flags and capitalization, see ispell(5). This manual page only describes flags usable in dictionaries built using the english.aff affix file.
In the following discussion of the flags, let # and @ be "variables" that can stand for any letter. Upper case letters are constants. "..." stands for any string of zero or more letters, but note that no word may exist in the dictionary which is not at least 2 letters long, so, for example, "fly" may not be produced by placing the "Y" flag on "f". Also, no flag is effective unless the word that it creates is at least 4 letters long, so, for example, "wed" may not be produced by placing the "D" flag on "we".
In the following list, an asterisk indicates that a flag participates in cross-product formation (see ispell(5)).
The meaning of the prefix flags is as follows:
*A

... --> re... as in cover --> recover
*I

... --> in... as in firm --> infirm
*U

... --> un... as in able --> unable
The meaning of the suffix flags is as follows:
V

...e --> ...ive as in create --> creative
 
if # .ne. e, ...# --> ...#ive as in prevent --> preventive
*N

...e --> ...ion as in create --> creation
 
...y --> ...ication as in multiply --> multiplication
 
if # .ne. e or y, ...# --> ...#en as in fall --> fallen
*X

...e --> ...ions as in create --> creations
 
...y --> ...ications as in multiply --> multiplications
 
if # .ne. e or y, ...# --> ...#ens as in weak --> weakens
H

...y --> ...ieth as in twenty --> twentieth
 
if # .ne. y, ...# --> ...#th as in hundred --> hundredth
*Y

...y --> ..ily as in messy --> messily
 
if # .ne y, ...# --> ...#ly as in quick --> quickly
*G

...e --> ...ing as in file --> filing
 
if # .ne. e, ...# --> ...#ing as in cross --> crossing
*J

...e --> ...ings as in file --> filings
 
if # .ne. e, ...# --> ...#ings as in cross --> crossings
*D

...e --> ...ed as in create --> created
 
 
if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --> ...@ied as in imply --> implied
 
if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --> ...@#ed as in cross --> crossed or convey --> conveyed
T

...e --> ...est as in late --> latest
 
if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --> ...@iest as in dirty --> dirtiest
 
if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --> ...@#est as in small --> smallest or gray --> grayest
*R

...e --> ...er as in skate --> skater
 
if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --> ...@ier as in multiply --> multiplier
 
if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --> ...@#er as in build --> builder or convey --> conveyer
*Z

...e --> ...ers as in skate --> skaters
 
if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --> ...@iers as in multiply --> multipliers
 
if # .ne. e or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --> ...@#ers as in build --> builders or slay --> slayers
*S

if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --> ...@ies as in imply --> implies
 
if # .eq. c, s, or t, ...#h --> ...#hes as in lash --> lashes
 
if # .ne. c, s, or t, ...#h --> ...#hs as in cough --> coughs
 
if # .eq. s, x, or z, ...# --> ...#es as in fix --> fixes
 
if # .ne. s, x, z, h, or y, or (# = y and @ = a, e, i, o, or u) ...@# --> ...@#s as in bat --> bats or convey --> conveys
P

if @ .ne. a, e, i, o, or u, ...@y --> ...@iness as in cloudy --> cloudiness
 
if # .ne. y, or @ = a, e, i, o, or u, ...@# --> ...@#ness as in late --> lateness or gray --> grayness
*M

... --> ...'s as in dog --> dog's
To summarize more briefly:
Prefixes: 
*A - re
*I - in
*U - un
Suffixes: 
V - ive
*N - ion, tion, en
*X - ions, ications, ens
H - th, ieth
*Y - ly, ily
*G - ing
*J - ings
*D - ed
T - est
*R - er
*Z - ers
*S - s, es, ies
*P - ness, iness
*M - 's

SEE ALSO

ispell(1), ispell(5)