[211]. -ōn-, N. -ō-: err-ōn-, N. err-ō, stroller (errā-re); especially in compounds: praed-ō, robber (praedā-rī); praec-ō for *praevocō, herald (prae-vocā-re); combib-ō, fellow-drinker (com-, √bib-, drink).

[II. THE ACTION.]

[212]. The suffixes -ā-, -io-, -iā-; -min-; -i-ōn-, -ti-ōn-; -lā-; -mā-, -nā-; -tā-, -tu-; -er-, -or-, -ōr-, are used to denote the Action: as,

Stem.Nominative.From.
od-io-odium, hateod-, hate
āc-tiōn-āctiō, actionāg-, do
ques-tu-questus, complaintques-, complain
fur-ōr-furor, ragefur-, rave

[213]. Words denoting action ([1470]) in a substantive form have a wide range of meaning; they may denote, according to the connection, action intransitive, transitive, or passive, complete or incomplete; if the verb denotes condition or state, the word of action often comes very near to denominatives of quality; furthermore the idea of action is often lost, and passes over to result, concrete effect, means or instrument, or place.

(1.) -ā- (N. -a); -io- (N. -iu-m); -iā- (N. -ia), -iē- (N. -iē-s).

[214]. -ā-, N. -a, is rare in words of action: fug-ā-, N. fug-a, flight (√fug-, fly); most words are concrete: mol-a, mill (√mol-, grind); tog-a, covering (√teg-, cover).

[215]. -ūr-ā-, N. -ūr-a, is rare: fig-ūrā-, N. fig-ūra, shape (√fig-, shape).

[216]. -tūr-ā-, N. -tūr-a, or -sūr-ā-, N. -sūr-a ([159], [202]), akin to the agent in -tōr- (-sōr-): armā-tūrā-, N. armā-tūra, equipment (armā-re); pīc-tūra, painting, i.e., act of painting or picture (√pig-, paint). Words parallel with official personal names ([206]) denote office: cēn-sūra, taxing, censor’s office (cf. cēnsōr-); prae-tūra, praetorship (cf. praetōr-).

[217]. -io-, N. -iu-m, sometimes denotes the effect or the object. The line cannot always be drawn very sharply between these stems in -io- (many of which may be formed through a presumed noun stem), and denominatives in -io- ([249]).