Verbs with the -en Suffix

Many English verbs consist of the suffix -en. This suffix usually combines with adjectives, but in certain cases with nouns. Here is a list of verbs:

blacken
brighten
darken
deafen
deepen
flatten
freshen
frighten
harden
lighten
redden
ripen
sadden
sharpen
shorten
soften
straighten
strengthen
sweeten
thicken
threaten
weaken
whiten
widen
worsen

The suffix -en usually combines with adjectives, but in a few cases the root is a noun. This is the case with strengthen and threaten.

The root never ends in a nasal or in a vowel. For example, the roots of blacken, deepen and deafen all end with consonants. The root often ends with the sound [t] as in bright, flat, fright, light, short, straight, sweet, threat and white.

In many cases only one word in a pair of opposites occur. For example, the word sick combines with the suffix -en to form sicken, but the suffix doesn't combine with healthy. Wide combines with the suffix to form widen, but not with the word narrow.

The colours black, red and white combine with the suffix to form blacken, redden and whiten, but this isn't the case with other colours such as green, pink and yellow.

The suffix -en combines with adjectives and nouns to form verbs. The root always ends in a consonant to the exclusion of nasals. Opposite pairs can be formed such as darken and lighten, but in certain cases such as thicken, only one word in the pair combines with the suffix -en.

Cardamom Cake

Cardamom is a very popular spice in Scandinavian baking. This Swedish recipe is delicious and easy to make. Here's the recipe:

7 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon cardamom
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Blend the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and cardamom.
Mix the flour and baking powder.
Gradually add to the mixture with the milk so that all the ingredients are well blended.
Coat a baking dish with butter and breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Planetary Phrases

The planets from nearest to farthest from the sun are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto was considered the ninth planet in our solar system until it was declassified as a planet. To remember the planets many phrases have been composed.

A popular phrase to remember the planets in order from proximity to the sun is My very educated mother just served us noodles. When Pluto was considered a planet, a popular phrase was My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas. 

Phrases have been constructed to remember the planets of the solar system. The phrase My very educated mother just served us nine pizzas was once popular. However, with the changed status of Pluto, it's now more popular to use My very educated mother just served us noodles.

Gypsy Steak

Gypsy Steak is a Hungarian recipe that's very easy to prepare. It combines pork with paprika, garlic and bacon. Here's the recipe:

4 pork chops
bacon
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
4 pieces garlic cloves
1 teaspoon paprika
vegetable oil

Chop the garlic finely and put it in a pan with a few tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper.
Cut a few strips of bacon into thin slices.
Fry the bacon and sprinkle paprika on top.
Remove the bacon and add the pork chops.
Add a little oil if necessary and fry the pork over medium heat.
Fry on both sides until done.
Garnish each pork chop with bacon.
This is often served with french fries.

Oatmeal Cake

This Swedish recipe for oatmeal cake has an oatmeal topping. Here's the recipe:

7 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

Topping:

3 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix all the cake ingredients.
Coat a pan with butter and breadcrumbs.
Pour the batter into the pan.
Mix the ingredients for the topping and spread over the batter.
Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Adjectives with the -ive Suffix

A number of adjectives with the suffix -ive are derived from verbs. The verbs end with the sound /d/. This changed to /s/ as a result of spirantization.

Here is a list of adjectives formed from verbs:

comprehensive
conclusive
decisive
defensive
divisive
expansive
explosive
offensive
persuasive
responsive

The adjectives exhibit spirantization:

comprehend + ive = comprehensive
conclude + ive = conclusive
decide + ive = decisive
defend + ive = defensive
divide + ive = divisive
expand + ive = expansive
explode + ive = explosive
offend + ive = offensive
persuade + ive = persuasive
respond + ive = responsive

Many adjectives with the suffix -sive are derived from base verbs which have final syllable stress and end in /d/. The /d/ later changed to /s/, a sound change known as spirantization. Spirantization is a type of palatalization, one in which a plosive changes into a fricative before a high vowel. This sound change is one of many in English.

Oven-Baked Omelette

This Danish recipe for an oven-baked omelette is very tasty and easy to prepare. It can be prepared in a minimal amount of time. Here's the recipe:

5 strips bacon
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
chives

Fry the bacon until crispy.
Whisk the flour, milk and eggs.
Add the spices and put in a pan.
Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for approximately 30 minutes.
When the omelette is ready, sprinkle some chives on top.