Affixes: -ade

Affixes: the building blocks of English

Home Introduction About the author Types of affixes Thematic indexes Search the site A B C D E F G H I JK L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Previous entry Next entry Up to index of A

-ade

Denoting an action, its result, or something associated with it.

[From Portuguese, Provençal, or Spanish words ending in -ada, or Italian words ending in -ata, derived from the Latin -atus, made of.]

Words in -ade have usually come into English through French. The derivation is often less than obvious, as with barricade, from Spanish barrica for a barrel or cask, as barrels were often used to build barricades. Similarly, arcade, a covered passage with arches along one or both sides, is based on Latin arcus for a bow, in allusion to the curve of the arches. A cavalcade, a kind of procession, ultimately derives from Latin cavalcare, to ride. Lemonade is from French limonade; in imitation English has other names for drinks, such as cherryade, gingerade, limeade, and orangeade.