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    -abel, -ibel
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    -abel /'a.bəl/ is a non-native productive stress-bearing cohering suffix found in adjectives based on non-native roots and (occasionally) nouns. The roots found in -abel formations often occur in verbs in -eer as well. In the case of a corresponding verb, the meaning of the -abel formation can be described as V-able (the verb without the -eer suffix), e.g. acceptabel acceptable (cf. accepteren to accept), variabel variable (cf. variëren to vary). There is also a variant -ibel /'i.bəl/ found in adjectives such as flexibel flexible and compatibel compatible. Various forms in -abel and -ibel may be loans.

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    -abel /'a.bəl/ is a non-native productive suffix found in adjectives based on non-native roots and (occasionally) nouns. The roots in -abel formations are often found in verbs in -eer as well; Smessaert (2013: 98) describes the relation between -abel formations and -eer formations in terms of affix substitution. In the case of a corresponding transitive verb, the meaning of the -abel formation can be described as V-able, able to be V'd, e.g. acceptabel acceptable (cf. accepteren to accept); if the verb is intransitive (unergative), the semantics is being able to V, e.g. variabel variable (cf. variëren to vary) Haas (1993: 340). As Haas (1993: 341) point out, -abel derivations corresponding to transitive verbs tend to modify the corresponding direct object (men accepteert de uitslag one accepts the outcome - de uitslag is acceptabel the outcome is acceptable), whereas -abel derivations corresponding to intransitive verbs tend to modify the subject (de werktijden variëren working times vary - de werktijden zijn variabel working times are variable). The suffix can be considered to be the non-native counterpart of native -baar (cf. here).

    extra

    Sometimes one finds derivations both with non-native -abel and native -baar corresponding to the same verb in -eer, e.g. both variabel variable and varieerbaar variable are attested, hust like acceptabel acceptable and accepteerbaar acceptable. In the first case, there appears to be a subtle meaning difference: varieerbaar suggests the existence or necessity of an external agent or cause.

    Occasionally, the suffix attaches to nouns, e.g. professorabel having the potential to become a professor (< professor) and ministeriabel having the potential to be elected Minister (with the variant iabel).

    There is also a variant -ibel /'i.bəl/ found in adjectives such as flexibel flexible and compatibel compatible.

    The suffixes -abel and -ibel are stress-bearing (stress on the first syllable of the suffix) (acceptabel /ɑk.sɛp.'ta.bəl/ acceptable, compatibel /kɔm.pa.'ti.bəl/ compatible). As the transcriptions show, the affixes are cohering: syllabification does not respect the morphological structure.

    Adjectives in -abel show standard adjectival inflection and can be used both attributively (een acceptabele voorstelling an acceptable performance) and predicatively (de voorstelling was acceptabel the performance was acceptable). Comparative and superlative forms are rare, probably for semantic reasons, but possible (Zwangerschapsduur variabeler dan verwacht length of pregnancy more variable than expected); nonimalizations with (non-native) -iteit (e.g. acceptabiliteit acceptability.

    extra

    Various forms in -abel and -ibel may be loans, e.g. variabel (Etymologiebank) and miserabel miserable (Etymologiebank).

    As Haas (1993: 341) point out, loans like capabel capable (Etymologiebank), formidabel formidable (Etymologiebank) and abominabel abominably (Etymologiebank) can perhaps considered to be formally complex, containing the suffix as well.

    References
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Haas, Wim de & Trommelen, Mieke1993Morfologisch handboek van het Nederlands. Een overzicht van de woordvormingSDU Uitgeverij
    • Smessaert, Hans2013Basisbegrippen morfologieBasisbegrippen taalkundeLeuven/Den HaagACCO
    About this article
    Author(s): Ton van der Wouden
    Category: Dutch Morphology
    Keywords: derivationadjectivenon-native
    Version: 1.0, December 2015
    Version history:
    version editor(s) date remarks
    1.0 Ton van der Wouden December 2015
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