ENGLISH(5)							    ENGLISH(5)



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 cap
       italization,  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 --> dogs

       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)