Formatives (Hungarian: képző) are particles or affixes which are joined to the word in order to give it another signification.
A distinction is to be made between the affixes used for declension and conjugation, and the formatives (affixes for forming new words). Those modify only the meaning expressed in the crude (uninflected) form; while the latter create new ideas; as, ház, house; házaló, pedlar; házasság, matrimony, marriage, &c.
Furthermore, a word being inflected cannot take a formative, and so form new ideas; while a word with a formative affix constitutes a new word, capable of being inflected according to the part of speech to which it then belongs.
Derivatives may also take formatives and form again new words, in which case the derivative is called the primitive of the new word. In the following example each preceding word is the primitive or stem-word of the following derivative:—
- harc (substantive), battle.
- harci (adjective), pertaining to battle.
- harcias (adjective), valorous, warlike.
- harciaskod-(ni) (verb), to battle, to be engaged in war.
- harciaskodás (abstract substantive), struggle, the state of being in war, challenging.
- harciaskodási (adjective), pertaining to struggle, war or fighting.
