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)

                                                                                                      ENGLISH(5)