🔹 Denominal Adjectives Ending in -ivo / -iva

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The suffix -ivo/-iva can form adjectives from either nouns or verbs. The RAE explicitly gives -ivo: deporte → deportivo, alongside forms such as afecto → afectivo, conflicto → conflictivo, sorpresa → sorpresivo. (RAE, NGLE §7.8l)

An important formal feature is that derived -ivo is normally preceded by -t- or -s-: deport-ivo, afect-ivo, obses-ivo, digest-ivo.

The list is approximately frequency-ordered. The dagger (†) means that the RAE considers a nominal analysis possible, but a competing verbal analysis also exists.

#	Derived Adjective	In English	Base Noun	Base Noun in English
1	ejecutivo †	executive	ejecución	execution
2	deportivo	sports-related; sporting	deporte	sport
3	efectivo †	effective	efecto	effect
4	exclusivo †	exclusive	exclusión	exclusion
5	afectivo	affective; emotional	afecto	affection
6	agresivo †	aggressive	agresión	aggression
7	obsesivo	obsessive	obsesión	obsession
8	inclusivo †	inclusive	inclusión	inclusion
9	explosivo †	explosive	explosión	explosion
10	conflictivo	conflictive; troublesome	conflicto	conflict
11	televisivo	television-related	televisión	television
12	digestivo	digestive	digestión	digestion
13	posesivo	possessive	posesión	possession
14	adoptivo	adoptive	adopción	adoption
15	compasivo	compassionate	compasión	compassion
16	defensivo †	defensive	defensa	defense
17	ofensivo †	offensive	ofensa	offense
18	impulsivo †	impulsive	impulso	impulse
19	progresivo †	progressive; gradual	progreso	progress
20	depresivo †	depressive	depresión	depression
21	expansivo †	expansive	expansión	expansion
22	decisivo †	decisive	decisión	decision
23	abusivo †	abusive; excessive	abuso	abuse
24	opresivo	oppressive	opresión	oppression
25	cognitivo	cognitive	cognición	cognition
26	cualitativo	qualitative	cualidad	quality
27	cuantitativo	quantitative	cantidad	quantity
28	repulsivo	repulsive	repulsión	repulsion
29	recesivo	recessive	recesión	recession; recession/receding
30	delictivo	criminal; offense-related	delito	crime; offense
31	sorpresivo	unexpected; surprising	sorpresa	surprise
32	instintivo	instinctive	instinto	instinct
33	festivo	festive; holiday-related	fiesta	celebration; festivity
34	olfativo	olfactory	olfato	sense of smell
35	conclusivo †	conclusive	conclusión	conclusion
36	evasivo †	evasive	evasión	evasion
37	sucesivo †	successive	sucesión	succession
38	regresivo †	regressive	regresión	regression
39	abortivo †	abortive	aborto	abortion; abortive outcome

An important grammatical issue:

The most important grammatical issue here is that noun-based and verb-based formations overlap heavily. The RAE explicitly compares:

aborto → abortivo / abortar → abortivo
abuso → abusivo / abusar → abusivo
impulso → impulsivo / impulsar → impulsivo

So these should not be presented as unquestionably denominal. (RAE, NGLE §7.8ñ)

By contrast, the RAE particularly favors the nominal analysis in forms such as obsesión → obsesivo, repulsión → repulsivo, recesión → recesivo, digestión → digestivo, opresión → opresivo and especially televisión → televisivo. With nouns ending in -ión, haplology removes part of the ending: obses(ión) + -ivo → obsesivo. (RAE §7.8o)

Important morphophonological details:

Clearly verbal formations such as decorativo, educativo, administrativo, explicativo, llamativo, competitivo, prohibitivo, distributivo, productivo and creativo are not included in this table. Those belong to the deverbal group.

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