Other root suffixes

In this lesson, we will learn about some other common root suffixes. For ease of reference, we will discuss these suffixes in alphabetical order:

• अ अक अन इन् तृ त्र
  a aka ana in tṛ tra
  

-a

Also known as: ghañ

-a creates abstract nouns that use masculine endings. When we add -a to a root that means “X,” we get words that mean “the state of X-ing”:

• भू → भाव
  bhū → bhāva
  be, become → the state of being or becoming; existence
  

• मृ → मार
  mṛ → māra
  die → death
  

• आनन्द् → आनन्द
  ānand → ānanda
  feel blissful → bliss
  

In this sense, -a often causes a root's final c and j sounds to become k and g:

• युज् → योग
  yuj → yoga
  

• शुच् → शोक
  śuc → śoka
  grieve → grief, sorrow
  

• त्यज् → त्याग
  tyaj → tyāga
  abandon → abandonment, relinquishment
  

-aka

Also known as: ṇvul

aka (feminine ikā) creates adjectives. When we add -aka to a root that means “X,” we get words that mean “one who does X”:

• कृ → कारक
  kṛ → kāraka
  do → doer
  

• पच् → पाचक
  pac → pācaka
  cook → cooker
  

-ana

Also known as: lyuṭ, lyu

-ana usually creates abstract neuter nouns. When we add -ana to a root that means “X,” we get words that mean “the act of doing X”:

• कृ → करण
  kṛ → karaṇa
  do → act of doing; action
  

• इ → अयन
  i → ayana
  go → act of going; journey
  

• मृ → मरण
  mṛ → maraṇa
  die → act of dying; death
  

-ana also creates adjectives (feminine -anī) that mean “one who does X”:

• कृ → करण
  kṛ → karaṇa
  do → one that does or causes; the mean of an action
  

• मृद् → मर्दन
  mṛd → mardana
  crush → one who crushes or pulverizes
  

-in

-in (feminine -inī) creates adjectives that mean “one who does X”:

• कृ → कारिन्
  kṛ → kārin
  do → doing
  

-tṛ

Also known as: tṛc

-tṛ (feminine -trī) creates adjectives that mean “one who does X”:

• कृ → कर्तृ
  kṛ → kartṛ
  do → doer, agent
  

• नी → नेतृ
  nī → netṛ
  lead → leader
  

• युध् → योद्धृ
  yudh → yoddhṛ
  fight → fighter
  

-tra

Also known as: ṣṭran

-tra usually creates neuter nouns with the sense of “the means of doing X”:

• नी → नेत्र
  nī → netra
  lead → by which one is led; an eye
  

• मन् → मन्त्र
  man → mantra
  think → by which thought occurs; a mantra