SERIOUS ENGLISH GRAMMAR QUESTION HERE -- PLEASE HELP ME SETTLE AN ARGUMENT WITH MY COLLEAGUES!

Question

So I've been racking my brain for the past few days, grappling with an answer to this question, but unfortunately I can't seem to find one so maybe you guys can shed some light on the issue at hand for me and my friends? As I'm sure you all know, both of the English words 'patriarchy' and 'hierarchy' bear striking similarities in both their pronounciation and their suffixes. However, once they are changed to their adjectival forms, respectively, 'patriachy' becomes 'patriarchal' while 'hierarchy' becomes 'hierarchichal'. Why is that? The suffixes are both the same in their sustantive forms and, once converted, the prefixes don't change either. I understand that this may be one of the many anomalies found in the English language for which there is not a definite explanation, but if you guys think you have an answer for me then that'd be great.

Thanks

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

So, what is the argument?

Zinger13 · Answer

There was one initially man but we settled it. It was when a friend of mine tried to reference a "patriarchical" society and another friend called her out on her grammar. She was so convinced that she was right and she tried to support her argument at first by using the "hierarchical" example, but we double-checked online and my friend and I were right. It just got us to thinking...why would two words that are so similar with the same suffix change like that? I couldn't find any answers on the internet. I guess there's no argument, I'm just wondering if anybody has any idea as to why that is.

Mister Micawber · Answer

Well, I can't find any definitive answer for you, but the Online Etymology Dictionary does offer some interesting if extraneous information. However, it also reveals that hierarchy has an alternative adjective hierarchal, (and that is backed up by several [url=http://www.onelook.com/?w=Hierarchal&ls=a] dictionaries[/url] – and even [url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/patriarchical?r=66] patriarchical[/url] has a few supporters...which either puts you back at the beginning of the argument or dissolves it completely.

HIERARCHY: mid-14c., from O.Fr. ierarchie, from M.L. hierarchia "ranked division of angels" (in the system of Dionysius the Areopagite), from Gk. hierarkhia "rule of a high priest," from hierarkhes "high priest, leader of sacred rites," from ta hiera "the sacred rites" (neut. pl. of hieros "sacred;" see http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=ire) + arkhein "to lead, rule" (see http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=archon). Sense of "ranked organization of persons or things" first recorded 1610s, initially of clergy, probably influenced by higher. Related: Hierarchal; hierarchical.

PATRIARCH: late 12c., from O.Fr. patriarche "one of the Old Testament fathers" (11c.), from L.L. patriarcha (Tertullian), from Gk. patriarches "chief or head of a family," from patria "family, clan," from pater "father" + archein "to rule." Also used as an honorific title of certain bishops in the early Church, notably those of Antioch, Alexandria, and Rome.

Actually, there are a lot of commoner words that support more than one adjective suffix (e.g. -ic and -ical).

SERIOUS ENGLISH GRAMMAR QUESTION HERE -- PLEASE HELP ME SETTLE AN ARGUMENT WITH MY COLLEAGUES!

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