If you answered that the word orthodontist has one affix, you were correct. The last part of the word, -ist, is its suffix. What does the suffix -ist mean, and what part of speech does it give to the word orthodontist?

Question

If you answered that the word orthodontist has one affix, you were correct.  The last part of the word, -ist, is its suffix.  What does the suffix -ist mean, and what part of speech does it give to the word orthodontist?

GPT-4o mini · Answer

The suffix **-ist** generally refers to a person who specializes in or practices a certain field or profession. In the case of the word **orthodontist**, the suffix indicates that the person is a specialist in orthodontics, which is a branch of dentistry focused on diagnosing, preventing, and treating dental and facial irregularities. As for the part of speech, the suffix **-ist** typically converts the base word into a **noun**. Therefore, **orthodontist** is a noun that refers to a person who practices orthodontics.