"-an" meaning in English

See -an in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Suffix

IPA: /ən/ [British, Southern, Standard] Forms: more -an [comparative], most -an [superlative], -ans [plural], -ian [alternative], -n [alternative]
Etymology: From Middle English -an, regularly -ain, -ein, -en, from Old French -ain, -ein, or before i, -en (modern French -ain, -en, feminine -aine, -enne), from Latin -ānus (feminine -āna), which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun, being -nus [cognate with Ancient Greek -νος (-nos)] preceded by a vowel, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós. Cognate with English -en. Compare with -in, -ine. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:inh|enm:-an<ety:der<fro:-ain>>}} [Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjective", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "verbal adjective", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-nós", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*-nos", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "-nus", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "-ānus", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Old French", "term" : "-ain", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "fro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-an", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-an", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="-an">, {{inh|en|enm|-an}} Middle English -an, {{der|en|fro|-ain}} Old French -ain, {{cog|fr|-ain}} French -ain, {{der|en|la|-ānus}} Latin -ānus, {{cog|grc|-νος}} Ancient Greek -νος (-nos), {{der|en|ine-pro|*-nós}} Proto-Indo-European *-nós, {{cog|en|-en}} English -en Head templates: {{en-adj}} -an (adjective-forming suffix, comparative more -an, superlative most -an), {{en-noun|s}} -an (noun-forming suffix, plural -ans)
  1. Of or pertaining to; an adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. (Often added to words of Latin origin, but also used with words of other origins. When a word ends in a, -n is used instead.) Tags: morpheme Translations (occupational suffix): -ász (Hungarian), -ész (Hungarian), -ikus (Hungarian), -ano [masculine] (Interlingua), -ana [feminine] (Interlingua) Translations (of or pertaining to): ـِيّ (-iyy) (Arabic), (Catalan), -ský (Czech), -lainen (Finnish), -läinen (Finnish), -an [masculine] (Galician), -á [feminine] (Galician), -isch (German), -i (Hungarian), -s (Hungarian), -an- (Ido), -an (Interlingua), -ano (Italian), -ānus (Latin), -ão [masculine] (Portuguese), -ano [masculine] (Portuguese), -ana [feminine] (Portuguese), -ano (Spanish), -sk (Swedish), -isk (Swedish)
    Sense id: en--an-en-suffix-Inp-WrmW Categories (other): English links with redundant target parameters, English links with redundant wikilinks, English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages using etymon with no ID, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Catalan translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Galician translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Ido translations, Terms with Interlingua translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 51 23 26 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 49 26 25 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 53 20 27 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 11 4 5 2 2 2 2 2 0 15 9 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 13 8 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 59 17 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Catalan translations: 57 18 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 58 18 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 57 18 25 Disambiguation of Terms with Galician translations: 57 18 25 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 57 18 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 64 17 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Ido translations: 62 20 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Interlingua translations: 57 20 24 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 57 20 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 79 10 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 63 16 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 59 18 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 58 18 24 Synonyms: -al, -ar, -ese, -esque, -ic, -id, -ish, -like, -oid, -ous, -y Disambiguation of 'occupational suffix': 86 6 8 Disambiguation of 'of or pertaining to': 100 0 0
  2. One from, belonging to, relating to, or like. Tags: morpheme
    Sense id: en--an-en-suffix-EpjLipXm
  3. Appended to nouns to form an occupation. (When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -an, females -(i)enne.) Tags: morpheme
    Sense id: en--an-en-suffix-4vWKExP4

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "-ain"
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      "expansion": "Latin -ānus",
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      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "-νος"
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      "expansion": "Ancient Greek -νος (-nos)",
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  "forms": [
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      "form": "more -an",
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      "form": "most -an",
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        "Of or pertaining to; an adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. (Often added to words of Latin origin, but also used with words of other origins. When a word ends in a, -n is used instead.)"
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          "word": "-al"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ar"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ese"
        },
        {
          "word": "-esque"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ic"
        },
        {
          "word": "-id"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ish"
        },
        {
          "word": "-like"
        },
        {
          "word": "-oid"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ous"
        },
        {
          "word": "-y"
        }
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        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "lang_code": "ar",
          "roman": "-iyy",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "ـِيّ"
        },
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          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "lang_code": "ca",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-à"
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          "code": "cs",
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          "lang_code": "cs",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-ský"
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          "code": "fi",
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          "lang_code": "fi",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
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          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "lang_code": "fi",
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          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "lang_code": "gl",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
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          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "lang_code": "gl",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "tags": [
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          ],
          "word": "-á"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "lang_code": "de",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-isch"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-i"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-s"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "io",
          "lang": "Ido",
          "lang_code": "io",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-an-"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "ia",
          "lang": "Interlingua",
          "lang_code": "ia",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-an"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "lang_code": "it",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-ano"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "lang_code": "la",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-ānus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "-ão"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "-ano"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "lang_code": "pt",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "-ana"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "lang_code": "es",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-ano"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-sk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "100 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "lang_code": "sv",
          "sense": "of or pertaining to",
          "word": "-isk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "86 6 8",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "occupational suffix",
          "word": "-ász"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "86 6 8",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "occupational suffix",
          "word": "-ész"
        },
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          "_dis1": "86 6 8",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "lang_code": "hu",
          "sense": "occupational suffix",
          "word": "-ikus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "86 6 8",
          "code": "ia",
          "lang": "Interlingua",
          "lang_code": "ia",
          "sense": "occupational suffix",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "-ano"
        },
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          "_dis1": "86 6 8",
          "code": "ia",
          "lang": "Interlingua",
          "lang_code": "ia",
          "sense": "occupational suffix",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "-ana"
        }
      ]
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      ],
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        "morpheme"
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      ],
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      "ipa": "/ən/",
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "Southern",
        "Standard"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "-an"
}
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    "Terms with Czech translations",
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    "Terms with Latin translations",
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    "Terms with Swedish translations"
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-ain"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French -ain",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "fr",
        "2": "-ain"
      },
      "expansion": "French -ain",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-ānus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin -ānus",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "grc",
        "2": "-νος"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek -νος (-nos)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*-nós"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *-nós",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-en"
      },
      "expansion": "English -en",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English -an, regularly -ain, -ein, -en, from Old French -ain, -ein, or before i, -en (modern French -ain, -en, feminine -aine, -enne), from Latin -ānus (feminine -āna), which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun, being -nus [cognate with Ancient Greek -νος (-nos)] preceded by a vowel, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós. Cognate with English -en. Compare with -in, -ine.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "more -an",
      "head_nr": 1,
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most -an",
      "head_nr": 1,
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ans",
      "head_nr": 2,
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-ian",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "-n",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "-an (adjective-forming suffix, comparative more -an, superlative most -an)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "s"
      },
      "expansion": "-an (noun-forming suffix, plural -ans)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "suffix",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English links with redundant target parameters",
        "English links with redundant wikilinks"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Rome + -an → Roman",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Of or pertaining to; an adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. (Often added to words of Latin origin, but also used with words of other origins. When a word ends in a, -n is used instead.)"
      ],
      "head_nr": 2,
      "links": [
        [
          "-n",
          "-n#English"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "-al"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ar"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ese"
        },
        {
          "word": "-esque"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ic"
        },
        {
          "word": "-id"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ish"
        },
        {
          "word": "-like"
        },
        {
          "word": "-oid"
        },
        {
          "word": "-ous"
        },
        {
          "word": "-y"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "One from, belonging to, relating to, or like."
      ],
      "head_nr": 2,
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    },
    {
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "comedy + -an → comedian",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "text": "history + -an → historian",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Appended to nouns to form an occupation. (When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -an, females -(i)enne.)"
      ],
      "head_nr": 2,
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ən/",
      "tags": [
        "British",
        "Southern",
        "Standard"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "lang_code": "ar",
      "roman": "-iyy",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "ـِيّ"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "lang_code": "ca",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-à"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "lang_code": "cs",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-ský"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-lainen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "lang_code": "fi",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-läinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "-an"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "lang_code": "gl",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "-á"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "lang_code": "de",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-isch"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-i"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-s"
    },
    {
      "code": "io",
      "lang": "Ido",
      "lang_code": "io",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-an-"
    },
    {
      "code": "ia",
      "lang": "Interlingua",
      "lang_code": "ia",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-an"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "lang_code": "it",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-ano"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "lang_code": "la",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-ānus"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "-ão"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "-ano"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "lang_code": "pt",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "-ana"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "lang_code": "es",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-ano"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-sk"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "lang_code": "sv",
      "sense": "of or pertaining to",
      "word": "-isk"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "occupational suffix",
      "word": "-ász"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "occupational suffix",
      "word": "-ész"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "lang_code": "hu",
      "sense": "occupational suffix",
      "word": "-ikus"
    },
    {
      "code": "ia",
      "lang": "Interlingua",
      "lang_code": "ia",
      "sense": "occupational suffix",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "-ano"
    },
    {
      "code": "ia",
      "lang": "Interlingua",
      "lang_code": "ia",
      "sense": "occupational suffix",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "-ana"
    }
  ],
  "word": "-an"
}

Download raw JSONL data for -an meaning in English (8.2kB)

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1698",
  "msg": "unrecognized head form: adjective-forming suffix",
  "path": [
    "-an"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "suffix",
  "title": "-an",
  "trace": ""
}

{
  "called_from": "form_descriptions/1698",
  "msg": "unrecognized head form: noun-forming suffix",
  "path": [
    "-an"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "suffix",
  "title": "-an",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-07-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-07-06 using wiktextract (d9fa233 and 9e92f4b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.