32.2753, Qs: -adjacent as a suffix

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-32-2753. Thu Aug 26 2021. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 32.2753, Qs: -adjacent as a suffix

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Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2021 07:24:02
From: Kevin Connors [kevinforrestconnors at gmail.com]
Subject: -adjacent as a suffix

 
I have recently begun to notice the usage of -adjacent as a suffix, attached
to nouns primarily of identity.  Unsurprisingly, it is not easy to research
usages of this suffix because the word adjacent is so general, and is a
standalone word.  The only documented use of the suffix I have found here
https://www.translanguageprimer.org/primer/#trans-adjacent and does not
exactly reflect how I believe it is used in other contexts.  Here, the suffix
is used to mean someone "actively engaged" in a community without necessarily
directly being a member.  However, in my observations "in the wild" (mostly on
TikTok video comments) I have seen it used moreso as a way of classifying
someone or some thing, sometimes insultingly.  Unfortunately, I don't have
examples as I only started to notice that the suffix can be used with
basically any noun.  It's somewhat like -ish, but with slightly different
semantics that I can't exactly put into words.  It's almost like it means
"this is like that, but different in a way that the broader context makes
clear"

My query: has anyone taken note of this suffifx?  I believe it to be a
relatively new language construct, and I'm interested in documented examples,
from any medium.

Note that i've seen both "X-adjacent" and "X adjacent" forms, I don't know if
this qualifies as a true suffix or if it's just an adjective being used in a
new way.  I'm more interested in the semantics than whether it's really a
suffix.
 

Linguistic Field(s): Semantics

Subject Language(s): English (eng)



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