| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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8. Word Formation: Plurals, Possessives, Affixes, and Compounds
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| § 48. -ship |
| The suffix -ship has a long history in English. It goes back to the Old English suffix -scipe, which was attached to adjectives and nouns to indicate a particular state or condition: hardship, friendship. In Modern English the suffix has been added only to nouns and usually indicates a state or condition authorship, kinship, partnership, relationship), the qualities belonging to a class of human beings (craftsmanship, horsemanship, sportsmanship), or rank or office (ambassadorship). | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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