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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
              ... --> ...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. s, x, z, or h, ...# --> ...#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
              *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)

                                                                    ENGLISH(5)