Final answer:
A suffix indicating a reduction of size or quantity isn't universally applied in English, but prefixes like 'milli-' and suffixes like '-less' or '-ness' suggest a lower amount or absence of something. Reduction in English can also reference the process of succinct writing by removing superfluous content. Understanding stems and suffixes helps in analyzing and constructing words with modified meanings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The suffix indicating a reduction of size or quantity can be difficult to pinpoint, as English does not have a single, dedicated suffix that universally applies to this concept. However, in the context of prefixes and measurable quantities, we do have numerical prefixes that denote fractions or reduced amounts, such as 'milli-' in 'millimeter' which signifies one-thousandth of a meter. Additionally, certain suffixes often indicate a decrease or absence of something, such as '-less' in 'hopeless' meaning 'without hope', or '-ness' which is a noun-forming suffix that can refer to a state of being, often applied to adjectives indicating a lesser degree of the adjective.
While there is not a single standardized suffix that consistently means a reduction in size or quantity across all word forms, the editing process in English writing typically involves reducing content to its essentials. This process can be seen as a form of 'textual reduction' where words, phrases, or even whole sentences are removed or simplified to convey the same meaning with fewer words. This is illustrated by the progression of sentences which shows a decrease from a wordy to a more succinct expression by omitting unnecessary elements—essentially a linguistic form of reduction.
When constructing or analyzing words, understanding the function of suffixes (like '-less,' '-ness,' or '-ess') and stems can aid in recognizing the root meaning and any modification in intensity or size. For example, 'analysis' can be broken down into the stem 'analysis-' and the suffix '-is,' while the word 'galleries' was formed by combining the stem 'gallery' with the suffix 'i + es'.