The suffixes -al and -ary indicate which meaning?

• A. Pertaining to
• B. Creating an entrance to
• C. Between two
• D. Within

Answer: (A)

Suffixes -al and -ary attach to a base noun to form adjectives that describe relation to that noun. They indicate that something is related to, connected with, or pertaining to the root word. In medical terms, this shows up as terms like pulmonary (pertaining to the lungs), laryngeal (pertaining to the larynx), or regional (pertaining to a region). So the meaning conveyed by these suffixes is “pertaining to.” The other ideas—such as between two or within—are represented by different prefixes (like inter- or intra-) rather than these suffixes.