english - flag format for English ispell dictionaries

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 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

ispell(1), ispell(5)