a suffix used to form adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -tor, or -tory2, : gladiatorial; purgatorial.
Origin
Middle English-oriale. See -or2, -ory2, -al1
Related Words
gressorial
natatorial
reportorial
-orial adjective suffix
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Latin -orius -ory + Middle English -al
: of, belonging to, or connected with combinatorial
-oriala compound suffix, consisting of the suffix -al1, L. -āl-is, added to L. -ōri-, in -ōri-us, -a, -um(see -ory). The termination is originally adjectival (substantival only by ellipsis), and app. arose in connexion with ns. in -ōrium, -ōrius, Eng. -ory; thus late L. had territōri-āl-is from territōrium. But it has been extended in Eng. to form derivatives from L. adjs. in -tōrius, -sōrius, from agent-nouns in -tor, -sor, as cursori-al, dictatori-al, pictori-al, piscatori-al, procuratori-al, professori-al, sartori-al, senatori-al, and others formed directly on agent-nouns themselves or on the cognate ppl. stem of the vb., as equatorial, mediatorial. In sense, these adjs. in -orial are usually identical with those in -ory, and the two forms are not rarely found side by side (e.g.piscatorial, piscatory); but the former is preferred for the adj. when there is a n. in -ory (purgatory, purgatorial). Words in -orial from agent-nouns are chiefly of Eng. formation, the compound suffix being rare in Fr.
-o·ri·al \|ōrēəl, |ȯr-\adjective suffix Etymology: Middle English -oriale, from Latin -orius -ory + Middle English -ale -al : of, belonging to, or connected with < gressorial > < insessorial >