Ancient Greek

Suffix

-τῐκός • ‎(-tikós) ‎(feminine -τῐκή, neuter -τῐκόν)

1. Added to verbal stems to form adjectives: relating to, suited to, skilled in, able to, -ive

   ποιέω ‎(poiéō, “to make”) + ‎-τικός ‎(-tikós) → ‎ποιητικός ‎(poiētikós, “creative”)

2. Added to other stems to form adjectives, particularly those ending in vowels

   ἔξω ‎(éxō, “outside”) + ‎-τικός ‎(-tikós) → ‎ἐξωτικός ‎(exōtikós, “foreign”)

   ναυ-ς ‎(nau-s, “ship”) + ‎-τικός ‎(-tikós) → ‎ναυτικός ‎(nautikós, “seafaring”)

Usage notes

Certain sound changes happen before the suffix, as before other derivational or inflectional suffixes beginning in τ ‎(t). Labial stops β, π, φ ‎(b, p, ph) become π ‎(p), dental stops δ, θ, τ ‎(d, th, t) become σ ‎(s), velar stops γ, κ, χ ‎(g, k, kh) become κ ‎(k).

• βλαβ- ‎(blab-, “harm”) + ‎-τικός ‎(-tikós) → ‎βλαβ-τικός → βλαπτικός ‎(blab-tikós → blaptikós, “harmful”)
• πείθω ‎(peíthō, “persuade”) + ‎-τικός ‎(-tikós) → ‎πειθ-τικός → πειστικός ‎(peith-tikós → peistikós, “persuasive”)
• πρᾱγ- ‎(prāg-, “do”) + ‎-τικός ‎(-tikós) → ‎πρᾱγ-τικός → πρᾱκτικός ‎(prāg-tikós → prāktikós, “pertaining to action”)

Contracted verbs, which have stems ending in a vowel, use the long form of the vowel – this happens, for instance, in the example above: ποιέ-ω ‎(poié-ō) → ποιη-τικός ‎(poiē-tikós).

Declension

Derived terms

References

• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920), “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 858