Botanic or botanical? (More on suffixes: -ic and -ical)

Botánico, Plantas, Fondo, PasatiempoDo you find the use of these suffixes confusing?

That makes two of us.

Not long ago, I published two posts dealing with some of the differences between historic/historical and classic/classical. In this post, I’ll deal with other common words ending with the suffixes -ic and -ical.

Botanic and botanical

Magic and magical

Comic and comical

Electric and electrical

Economic and economical

Let’s get the ball rolling!

Jardín Botánico de Santa Catalina | Patrimonio Cultural País Vasco | Turismo Euskadi - Turismo en Euskadi, País Vasco

Botanic and botanical

Can I use both? Yes, but botanical is more common nowadays.

“The botanical garden puts on a yearly summer night play illustrating the local history.”

 

Smilies, Caras, Sonrisa, Reír, PlacerComic and comical

Comical means amusing and absurd.

“The way I fell down the slope could only be described as comical.”

If you want to talk about things that make you laugh, like the work of a comedian, use comic. 

“She was pigeon-holed as a comic actress, but her acting skills went so much further.”

Careful: comical actress would be wrong here.

 

Bombilla, Ocurrencia, Creatividad, BaseElectric and electrical

Electric is used before some nouns to indicate that it uses electricity.

” When he moved out, an empty space remained where his electric toothbrush used to be.”

 

Other words that collocate with electric are:

  • Electric heater
  • Electric car
  • Electric guitar and other instruments
  • Electric shock

Electrical has a more general sense. It is used to express the idea of producing or using (as well) electricity. It collocates with certain words such as:

  • Electrical power/energy
  • Electrical equipment
  • Electrical component
  • Electrical generator
  • Electrical storm
  • Electrical appliance

In conclusion

When it comes to the use of electric and electrical, I think it’s best to memorise some useful collocations and check a good dictionary when in doubt.

Note that the “e” in the word e-book comes from electronic.

 

Fantasía, Mariposas, Champiñones, BosqueMagic and magical

Both are adjectives but magic is also a noun.

The picture on the right could be described as magical.

 

 

Conejo, Soportar, Truco De Magia, MagoMagic is the illusion that a magician creates during a magic show by performing magic tricks.

They use a magic wand among other magic props.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Albus Dumbledore, Dumbledore

Another use of magic happens in literature. In books such as Harry Potter, magic represents the use of special powers.

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” – Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

 

 

On another note, magic refers to having a special quality, like when we talk about the magic of a place, for example, the magic of Kyushu, or an actor’s performance:

“There is magic in the way she expresses the emotions of the characters she’s playing.”

These ideas could also be expressed with the adjective magical.

“The active volcanoes in Kyushu give the island a magical feel.”

 

Estadísticas, Grafico, Gráfico, DatosEconomic and economical 

Economic is related to economy, as in:

“The country is going through an economic recession.”

 

 

 

Hucha, Ahorrar, Cerdito, EconómicoEconomical, on the other hand, conveys the idea of being frugal, not wanting to spend a lot of money.

“When they realised that trying to keep up with the Joneses would get them into serious debt, they resorted to a more economical way of life. “