Question

What does the affix ous indicate about the word joyous in this?

Answer 1

It indicates that the word is an adjective. Joy is a noun. Joyous is an adjective.

"The man is filled with joy."

"The man is joyous."

:)

Answer 2

The affix "ous" indicates the following about the word "joyous":

It is an adjective which derives from the noun "joy".

Step-by-step explanation:

Whenever we add the affix "ous" to a noun, it becomes an adjective. We are not talking about any nouns, but abstract ones only, such as "fame", "adventure", "anonymity", "generosity", "jealousy", "disaster", "hazard", etc. Therefore, by adding the suffix "ous" (affixes: prefixes and suffixes) to the abstract noun "joy", it becomes an adjective which means that person or thing we are talking about is characterized by joy.