The suffix -mal indicates which meaning?

The suffix -mal indicates which meaning?

• A. Color
• B. Enlargement
• C. Destruction
• D. Bad

Answer: (D)

The main idea is how affixes carry meaning. The element -mal comes from Latin malus, meaning bad, and it signals a negative quality or defect in many English words. That negative sense shows up in terms like abnormal (not normal), malady (illness), and malfunction (not functioning properly). Because this affix consistently conveys something bad or wrong, the meaning it indicates is “Bad.” The other options aren’t connected to negative quality and don’t fit with how -mal is used.

The main idea is how affixes carry meaning. The element -mal comes from Latin malus, meaning bad, and it signals a negative quality or defect in many English words. That negative sense shows up in terms like abnormal (not normal), malady (illness), and malfunction (not functioning properly). Because this affix consistently conveys something bad or wrong, the meaning it indicates is “Bad.” The other options aren’t connected to negative quality and don’t fit with how -mal is used.