🔹 Denominal Adjectives Ending in -ar

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The suffix -ar forms mainly relational adjectives from nouns:

espectáculo → espectacular

familia → familiar

músculo → muscular

luna → lunar

The RAE treats -ar and -al as closely related variants. Very roughly, -ar tends to be selected when the base contains /l/ and no intervening /r/: familia → familiar, luna → lunar, músculo → muscular. (RAE, NGLE §7.7k–m)

Ordered approximately by contemporary frequency:

#	Derived Adjective	In English	Base Noun	Base Noun in English
1	popular	popular	pueblo*	people; town
2	familiar	familiar; family-related	familia	family
3	militar	military	milicia*	military; militia
4	escolar	school; school-related	escuela*	school
5	espectacular	spectacular	espectáculo	spectacle; show
6	titular	titular; starting; title-related	título	title
7	solar	solar	sol	sun
8	nuclear	nuclear	núcleo	nucleus
9	circular	circular	círculo	circle
10	celular	cellular	célula	cell
11	molecular	molecular	molécula	molecule
12	muscular	muscular	músculo	muscle
13	vehicular	vehicular	vehículo	vehicle
14	ocular	ocular; eye-related	ojo*	eye
15	angular	angular	ángulo	angle
16	polar	polar	polo	pole
17	lunar	lunar	luna	moon
18	capilar	capillary; hair-related	cabello*	hair
19	pulmonar	pulmonary	pulmón	lung
20	vascular	vascular	vaso*	vessel
21	consular	consular	cónsul	consul
22	estelar	stellar	estrella*	star
23	insular	insular; island-related	isla*	island
24	peninsular	peninsular	península	peninsula
25	auricular	auricular; ear-related	aurícula	auricle
26	medular	medullary; core-related	médula	marrow; medulla
27	tubular	tubular	tubo	tube
28	granular	granular	gránulo	granule
29	glandular	glandular	glándula	gland
30	mandibular	mandibular	mandíbula	jaw; mandible
31	alveolar	alveolar	alvéolo	alveolus
32	ventricular	ventricular	ventrículo	ventricle
33	vestibular	vestibular	vestíbulo	vestibule
34	reticular	reticular	retícula	reticulum; network
35	folicular	follicular	folículo	follicle
36	lobular	lobular	lóbulo	lobe
37	vesicular	vesicular	vesícula	vesicle
38	capsular	capsular	cápsula	capsule
39	valvular	valvular	válvula	valve
40	nodular	nodular	nódulo	nodule
41	ovular	ovular	óvulo	ovum
42	ciliar	ciliary	cilio	cilium; eyelash
43	laminar	laminar	lámina	sheet; layer
44	globular	globular	glóbulo	globule
45	escalar	scalar; scale-related	escala	scale
46	triangular	triangular	triángulo	triangle
47	rectangular	rectangular	rectángulo	rectangle
48	palmar	palmar; palm-related	palma	palm
49	plantar	plantar	planta	sole; plant
50	columnar	columnar	columna	column
51	testicular	testicular	testículo	testicle
52	clavicular	clavicular	clavícula	clavicle
53	escapular	scapular	escápula	scapula
54	corpuscular	corpuscular	corpúsculo	corpuscle
55	fascicular	fascicular	fascículo	fascicle; bundle
56	radicular	root-related; radicular	raíz*	root
57	tutelar	protective; guardianship-related	tutela	guardianship
58	disciplinar	disciplinary; discipline-related	disciplina	discipline
59	capitular	chapter-related; capitular	capítulo	chapter
60	ejemplar	exemplary; example-related	ejemplo*	example
61	secular	secular	siglo*	century; age
62	lanar	wool; wool-producing	lana	wool
63	lagunar	lagoon-related	laguna	lagoon
64	canicular	relating to the dog days / great heat	canícula	dog days
65	auxiliar	auxiliary; supporting	auxilio*	help; assistance

The RAE's clearest examples:

The RAE itself gives many of the clearest members of this class:

alveolar, angular, capilar, ciliar, circular, escalar, familiar, globular, laminar, lanar, lunar, militar, molecular, muscular, ovular, polar, popular, pulmonar, solar.

Asterisks mark forms requiring a historical or suppletive stem, an important feature of this group:

pueblo → popular: popul-
ojo → ocular: ocul-
estrella → estelar: estel-
isla → insular: insul-
cabello → capilar: capil-
escuela → escolar: escol- (compare the stressed diphthong in escuela)

The -al / -ar alternation:

The -al / -ar alternation is especially clear in these pairs:

centro → central but círculo → circular
música → musical but músculo → muscular
hormona → hormonal but pulmón → pulmonar
astro → astral but luna → lunar

That's why -ar is presented as a separate suffix from -al, even though the RAE analyzes them as closely related variants.

Important morphophonological details:

The RAE considers -ar a variant of the same suffix as -al; the choice between them is not predictable in every case, but -ar appears with special frequency when the base contains /l/ without an intervening /r/: familia → familiar, luna → lunar, músculo → muscular.
The asterisk (*) marks a suppletive or historical base, not a transparent addition of -ar.

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