-al

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 494 words | Copyright

-al2 earlier -aile, repr. F. -aille, which was generalized from such words as bataille BATTLE, (e)spousaille(s) (E)SPOUSAL, funeraille FUNERAL, where the orig. L. was a sb. use of the n. pl. of an adj. in -AL1. Among the earliest exx. are acquittal (XV), arrival (XIV); from XVI many derivs. of L. or F. vbs. came into use, e.g. trial; a few have been made on native end-stressed vbs., as bestowal, betrothal, withdrawal. Bridal and burial simulate this ending, though their orig. is different.

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T. F. HOAD. "-al." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "-al." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-al3.html

T. F. HOAD. "-al." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-al3.html

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