In English, we use certain suffixes for nouns referring to persons and certain other suffixes for practices or philosophies.
Consider
| Person | Practice | Adjective |
| Misanthrope | Misanthropy | Misanthropic |
| Misogynist | Misogyny | Misogynous/misogynistic |
| Monogamist | Monogamy | Monogamous |
| Bigamist | Bigamy | Bigamous |
| Polygamist | Polygamy | Polygamous |
| Polygynist | Polygyny | Polygynous |
| Polyandrist | Polyandry | Polyandrous |
| Philanthropist | Philanthropy | Philanthropic |
| Anthropologist | Anthropology | Anthropological |
As you can see, -ist is the common suffix for a person, -y is the common suffix for the practice and –ic or –ous is the suffix for an adjective.
Do you understand the meaning of these words? Here is a simple exercise.
Vocabulary Exercise
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