Flectional

/ˈflɛkʃənəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or involving the bending or folding of something, especially in grammar where words change form.

Etymology

From Latin 'flectere' meaning 'to bend,' combined with the suffix '-ional' meaning 'relating to.' This describes grammatical systems where words bend or change their endings to show different meanings.

Kelly Says

Languages like Latin and German are 'flectional' because they bend word endings dramatically—'flectional' systems can tell you the whole job of a word just by its ending! English used to be highly flectional but lost most of these endings after the Norman Conquest.

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