Frederic Mistral Part 3

This suffix is the equivalent of the French -age, and is a suffix of frequent occurrence in forming new words. _oulivage_ is a synonym of _oulivado_, mentioned above. A rather curious word is the adverb arrage, meaning _at random, haphazard_. It appears to represent a Latin adverb, _erratice_.

Mourtau, mourtalo, _mortal_, gives the noun mourtalage, _a ma.s.sacre_.

-agno (fem.).

An interesting example of the use of this suffix is seen in the word eigagno, _dew_, formed from aigo, _water_, as though there had been a Latin word _aquanea_.

-aio (fem.).

This ending corresponds to the French -aille.

poulo, _a hen_.

poulaio, _a lot of hens_, _poultry_.

-aire (masc.).

This represents the Latin -ator (_one who_). The corresponding feminine in Mistral's works has always the diminutive form -arello.

toumba, _to fall_.

toumbaire, toumbarello, _one who falls_ or _one who fells_.

ouliva, _to gather olives_.

oulivaire, oulivarello, _olive gatherer_.

canta, _to sing_.

cantaire, cantarello, _singer_.

panie, _basket_.

panieraire, _basket maker_.

caligna, _to court_.

calignaire, _suitor_.

paternostriaire, _one who is forever praying_.

Like the corresponding French nouns in -eur, these nouns in -aire, as well as those in -eire, are also used as adjectives.

-aire = -arium.

The suffix sometimes represents the Latin -arium. A curious word is _vejaire_, meaning opinion, manner of seeing, as though there had been a Latin word _videarium_. It sometimes has the form _jaire_ or _chaire_, through the loss of the first syllable.

-an, -ano.

This suffix is common in the Romance languages. Fihan, _filial_, seems to be peculiar to the Provencal.

-anci (fem.).

This is the form corresponding to the French -ance. _Abundance_ is in Mistral's dialect _aboundanci_.

-ant, -anto.

This is the termination of the present participle and verbal adjective derived from verbs in -a. These words sometimes have a special meaning, as toumbant, _declivity_.

-ard, -ardo.

Gaiard is Provencal for the French _gaillard_.

-ari.

This represents the Latin -arius. Abouticari is Provencal for _apothecary_.

-as.

This is an augmentative suffix of very frequent use.

porc, _hog_.

pourcas, _great hog_.

serp, _snake_.

serpatas, _great serpent_.

casteu, _fort_.

castelas, _fortress_.

rouco, _rock_.

roucas, _great rock_.

-a.s.so.

This is a pejorative suffix.

vido, _life_.

vida.s.so, _wretched life_.

-astre.

In French this suffix has the form -atre.

oulivastre (Fr. olivatre), _olive in color_.

-at.

Coustat is in French _cote_ (side).