Affixes: -ista

Affixes: the building blocks of English

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-ista

A supporter of a person or organization.

[Spanish -ista, derived from Latin.]

The Spanish suffix is that language's equivalent of English -ist. It became known in the latter part of the twentieth century through several Spanish terms for political groupings, especially Sandinista, a member of a left-wing Nicaraguan political organization, named after a similar group founded by Augusto César Sandino (1893–1934); Fidelista, an adherent of Fidel Castro in Cuba; and Peronista, a supporter of Juan Perôn in Argentina.

A small number of English colloquial terms have been created using it, always with derogatory implications: Blairista, a supporter of the British prime minister, Tony Blair; Guardianista, a reader of the Guardian newspaper or one whose opinions correspond to its liberal outlook; Portillista, a follower of or someone sympathetic to the views of the British Conservative politician Michael Portillo.

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