拉丁后缀-ate是个原生词缀。它有3种构词功能：1)加缀在名词词根或词干上构成形容词，表示of ~(…的）；having ~(有 …的）；like〜（像…的）等意思。2)加缀在形容词、名词、动词词根或词干后面构成动词：当它与形容词词根缀合时，意为to become〜（成为…）或to cause to be〜（使成为…）；当它与名词词根缀合时，其意思为to produce〜（生成…），to treat with〜（用 …处理），to combine with〜（与…结合）等；当它与动词词根结合时，她只起表明词性或加强词义的作用。3)有时，它能构成 名词。

下面先介绍几个有代表性的以-ate结尾的形容词。

collegiate [ collegi = college 大学；-ate=>“of or having to do with college与大学有关的”→]a. ①of a college大学的，学院的/ She works in a collegiate library. 她在一家大学图书馆工作。② of or having to do with college students 大学生的 / He will never forget his hard collegiate life. 他永远不会忘记他那艰苦的大学生时代的生活。

fortunate [fortun = luck 好运气；-ate→]a. having or bringing good luck; lucky 幸运的；带来好运的 / You are fortunate in having such a fine family. 你有这样美满的家庭，真是幸运。

stellate [ stell = star 星；-ate =>“like a star 像星的”→]a. star shaped; spreading out like the points of a star 星形的；放线状的 / This kind of plant has stellate leaves. 这类植物长星状叶。

下面再看看-当动词后缀的词例。

liberate [ liber = free 自由的；-ate=>“to cause to be free 使自由”→ ] v. set free; free 解放；使获自由 / Lincoln liberated the slaves. 林肯使奴隶获得了自由。

liberation n. 解放