词根：-act-, -ag-, -ig-

【词根含义】：做,行动; 驾驶,引导

【词根来源】：来源于拉丁语动词ago, agere, egi, actus(行动)。

【同源单词】：act, acting, action, activate, active

词根词缀：ag-, agen-, act-, agi-, agit-

【来源及含义】Latin: to set in motion, to hurry, to shake; to drive; to do, to act; to lead, to conduct, to guide

【同源单词】Ab actu ad posse valet illatio, Ab agendo, act, acta, Acta est fabula, acta sanctorum

词根词缀：-ess

【来源及含义】Greek -issa > Late Latin -issa > Old French -esse > Middle English -esse: a suffix that forms nouns meaning a female +++, as in lioness, tigress, heiress, hostess, and sculptress

【相关描述】When -ess is added to a noun ending in -tor, -ter, the vowel before r is generally elided (eliminated or left out), as in actress (actor + -ess); and such a derivative with the ending -tress (often equivalent to French ) is usually considered a reduced form of Latin -trix, -tricem and popularly regarded as the equivalent of -tor + -ess.

In Middle English many words in -esse were adopted from French; such as, countess, duchess, mistress, and princess, or formed on nouns in -er; such as, enchantress and sorceress.

The suffix -ess is diminishing from English usage, with trends or tendencies toward avoiding any unnecessary references to gender or sexual categorizing (feminine or masculine.

The suffixes -er and -or are no longer gender-specific in modern English: an author or manager, like a doctor or writer, may be male or female, so the words authoress and manageress are considered redundant.

Some -ess words remain in use; for example, heiress and actress, although actor is being used more often now for both men and women.

【同源单词】actress, adulteress, adventuress, ancestress, auditress, aviatress