-ity

From Middle English -ite, -itee, from Old French -ite, -ete, -eteit (“-ity”), from Latin -itātem, from -itās, from Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts (suffix). Cognate with Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa, “-th”), Old High German -ida (“-th”), Old English -þo, -þu, -þ (“-th”). More at -th.

absurd + -ity → absurdity (“the quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment”)

anonym(ous) + -ity → anonymity (“the quality or state of being anonymous”)

modern + -ity → modernity (“the quality of being modern or contemporary”)

precar(ious) + -ity → precarity (“a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare”)

Used to form an uncountable noun from an adjective; especially, to form the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description.

absurd + -ity → [an] absurdity (“that which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction”)

anonym(ous) + -ity → [an] anonymity (“that which is anonymous”)

insipid + -ity → [an] insipidity (“something that is insipid; an insipid utterance, sight, object, etc.”)

odd + -ity → [an] oddity (“an odd or strange thing or opinion; a strange person; an oddball”)

Used to form a countable noun from an adjective, referring to someone or something that conforms to the adjective's description.

Used to form other nouns, especially abstract nouns.


-ity

Variant of -ety, likely an alteration of -edy, equivalent to -ed + -y.

hip + -ity → hippity, hippity-hop


-able

Inherited from Middle English -able, borrowed from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis, from -a- or -i- + -bilis (“capable or worthy of being acted upon”), from Proto-Indo-European i-stem form *-dʰli- of *-dʰlom (“instrumental suffix”). Not closely related etymologically, though currently related semantically, to able. Displaced native Old English -endlīc.

-tava

expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense

movable: able to be moved

amendable: able to be amended

breakable: liable to broken

blamable: fit to be blamed

salable: fit to be sold

An adjectival suffix; forms adjectives meaning:

-abel

for words from Latin or Romance languages

fashionable: relevant to fashion

seasonable: suitable to season

Relevant to or suitable to, in accordance with.

-kas

relevant or suitable to, in accordance with

pleasurable: giving pleasure

peaceable: inclined to peace

reportable: subject to be reported

taxable: subject to be taxed

payable: due to be paid


-logy

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *leǵ-
Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos)
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
Ancient Greek -ῐ́ᾱ (-ĭ́ā)
Ancient Greek -λογῐ́ᾱ (-logĭ́ā)bor.
Latin -logialbor.
French -logiebor.
English -logy
The English -logy suffix originates with loanwords from the Greek, usually via Latin and French, where the suffix -λογία (-logía) is an integral part of the word loaned. E.g. astrology from astrologia, since the 16th century.
The French -logie is a continuation of Latin -logia, ultimately from Ancient Greek -λογία (-logía). Within Greek, the suffix is an -ία (-ía) abstract from λόγος (lógos, “account, explanation, narrative”), itself a verbal noun from λέγω (légō, “I say, speak, converse, tell a story”).
Within English, the suffix becomes productive, especially to form names of sciences or departments of study, analogous to names of disciplines loaned from the Latin, such as astrology from astrologia or geology from geologia. Original compositions of terms with no precedent in Greek or Latin become common beginning in the later 18th century, sometimes imitating French or German templates (e.g. insectology, attested 1766, after French insectologie; terminology, attested 1801, after German Terminologie).
In a third stage, from the 19th century, the suffix becomes productive enough to form nonce combinations with English terms with no Greek or Latin origin, such as undergroundology (1820), hatology (1837).
Finally, from the second half of the 19th century, the suffix has also been used as a simplex as ology (plural ologies) and logy (plural logies), in parallel with and often alongside ism (plural isms).

etymon

Examples: biology, geology, genealogy

A branch of learning; a study of a particular subject.

Examples: haplology, eulogy, trilogy, apology

Speech, or a way of speaking, a narrative, logical discourse.


-kun

(anime and manga fandom) Appended to a young man's name or nickname to indicate familiarity.


-sama

(anime and manga fandom) Appended to a person's name or nickname to convey honour and respect.


-san

August 1, 1983, Time
Tanaka-San’s Decline and Rise

December 16, 2008 , Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122938932478509075.html
Barack Obama-san

January 31, 2009, WalletPop, https://web.archive.org/web/20090512161949/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/01/31/obama-san-presidents-book-of-speeches-is-a-huge-hit-in-japan
Obama-san! President's book of speeches is a huge hit in Japan

Honorific ending used to indicate a person is Japanese or talking with Japanese, or treated like Japanese.

桑 (-sāng) (rare, usually translated with honorific titles as in English - Mr, Mrs, Miss)


-chan

From the Japanese honorific ちゃん (-chan).

Coordinate term: -kun

(anime and manga fandom) Appended to a person's name (usually a female, child, a close friend, or an intimate) to add politeness. It is sometimes used to denote cuteness or familiarity.


-chan

In reference to 4chan, in turn from Futaba Channel (cf. its URL, www.2chan.net, or its alternate names ふたばちゃん and 双葉ちゃん found on its homepage); hence, derived from Japanese チャンネル (channeru), from English channel.

(Internet slang) Used in the names of imageboards, usually ones that try to emulate 4chan.


j

(stenoscript) a suffix or final syllable /ʃən/ (-tion, -sion, etc.)


-ably

suitably

Used to form adverbs corresponding to adjectives that end in -able.


-um

From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous neuter Latin second declension nouns.

-um

Latinate singular grammatical number suffix

(chemistry) Forms the ends of the names of certain elements (such as molybdenum and platinum).


-um

Having finished her return of deaths, she went on to say "Black fellow sick—white lady fowl sendum—white lady kangaroo sendum—master all self eatum—" but here she paused and made an exception in favour of the matron, expressed by the words " Missis not eatum—missis good fellow."

1871, Mrs. Edward Millett, An Australian parsonage; or, The settler and the savage in Western Australia, page 129:

"Givum dinner; smokum pipe," was all that we could get out of Quatchett.

1896, F J Stimsom, King Noanett: A Story of Old Virginia and the Massachusetts Bay, page 254:

Denotes transitive verbs in the trade pidgins used between English-speakers and indigenous populations; used derogatorily by extension in English by addition to any verb, transitive or not.


-ian

From Latin -iānus, which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun.

(as an adjective) From, related to, or like.

(as a noun) One from, belonging to, relating to, or like.

(as a noun) Having a certain profession.


-ist

From Middle English -ist, -iste, from Old French -iste and Latin -ista, from Ancient Greek -ιστής (-istḗs), from -ίζω (-ízō, “-ize, -ise”, verbal suffix) + -τής (-tḗs, agent-noun suffix). Equivalent to -ism + -t.

ـِيّ

One who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory

-գետ

A member of a profession or one interested in something

botanist, one who studies plants

psychiatrist, one who practices psychiatry

a person who studies or practices a particular discipline;

violinist, one who plays a violin

bicyclist, one who rides a bicycle

autoist, one who drives an automobile

pianist, one who plays the piano

vapist, one who uses a vaping device

a person who uses a device of some kind;

adventurist, one who takes risks or goes on adventures

artist, one who makes art

bigamist, one who commits bigamy

terrorist, one who causes terror

tourist, one who tours

Note, many of these are related to -isms: adventurism, terrorism, tourism

one who engages in a particular type of activity;

autist, egoist

Note, these are related to -isms: autism, egoism

one who suffers from a specific condition or syndrome

Buddhist, Baptist, monotheist

Note, these are related to -isms: Buddhism, monotheism

one who subscribes to a particular theological doctrine or religious denomination;

Marxist, modernist, nihilist, existentialist, fascist, pacifist, activist, environmentalist,

Note, these are related to -isms: Marxism, modernism, nihilism, existentialism, fascism, pacifism

one who has a certain ideology or set of beliefs;

capitalist; industrialist

Note, these are related to -isms: capitalism; industrialism

Added to words to form nouns denoting:
one who owns or manages something;

sexist, racist: Note, these are related to -isms: sexism, racism

a person who holds bigoted, partial views.


-ism

Etymology tree
Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der.
English -ism
Ultimately from Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós), a suffix that forms abstract nouns of action, state, condition, doctrine, from stem of verbs in -ίζειν (-ízein) (whence English -ize). Doublet of -ismus.
Many English nouns in -ism are loans of Greek nouns in -ισμός (-ismós), often via Latin and French, such as Judaism, a learned English formation from Latin attested from c. 1500 and ultimately from Ancient Greek Ἰουδαϊσμός (Ioudaïsmós). In Late Latin, the -ismus suffix became the ordinary ending for names of religions and ecclesiastical or philosophical systems or schools of thought, thus chrīstiānismus (whence 16th c. Christianism) in Tertullian, a trend continued in Medieval Latin, with e.g. pāgānismus attested by the 8th century. From the 16th century, such formations became very common in English, until the early 18th century mostly restricted to either root words of Greek or Latin origin (heroism, patriotism) or proper names (Calvinism, Lutheranism).
Productivity from root words with evidently non-Latin and non-Greek origin dates to the late 18th century (e.g. blackguardism). Reflecting this productivity, use of ism as a standalone noun is attested in Edward Pettit (1680) and becomes common from the mid-18th century. The narrowed sense of forming terms for ideologies based on the belief of superiority is based on coinages such as racism (1932) or sexism (1936) and productive since the 1970s.

etymon

baptism (1300), aphorism (1528), criticism (1607), magnetism (1616)

Used to form nouns of action, process, or result based on the accompanying verb ending in -ise or -ize.

Lutheranism (1560), Calvinism (1570), Protestantism (1606), Congregationalism (1716), Mohammedanism (1815),: Palamism (1949)

Used to form the name of a school of thought, system, or theory based on the name of its subject or object or alternatively on the name of its founder (When de-capitalized, these overlap with the generic "doctrines" sense below, e.g. Liberalism vs. liberalism.)

atheism (1587), ruffianism (1589), giantism (1639), fanaticism (1652), theism (1678), religionism (1706), patriotism (1716), heroism (1717), despotism (1728), old-maidism (1776), capitalism (1792), nationism (1798), romanticism (1803), conservatism (1832), sexualism (1842), vegetarianism (1848), externalism (1856), young-ladyism (1869), opportunism (1870), blackguardism (1875), jingoism (1878), feminism (1895), dwarfism (1895)

Howard didn't care much for beer, but that night he helped himself to three cans of Vi's new find nevertheless. Vi commented on it, said that if she had known he was going to like it that much, she would have stopped by the drugstore and gotten him an IV hookup. Another time-honored Vi-ism.

WE ARE EXPERIENCING BROADCAST NOOBISM

2020, Ministry of Broadcast, Hitcents, Nintendo Switch, scene: game over:

Used to form names of a tendency of action, behaviour, condition, opinion, or state belonging to a class or group of persons, or the result of a doctrine, ideology, or principle or lack thereof.

Atticism (1612), Gallicism (1656), archaism (1709), Americanism (1781), colloquialism (1834), newspaperism (1838), Shakespearianism (1886)

Note that these sayings attributed to Yogi Berra might be apocryphal […] These sayings remain, however, quintessential Berraisms.

2010, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, New York: Random House, →ISBN, page 136:

Used to form countable nouns indicating a peculiarity or characteristic of language

racism (1932), sexism (1936), classism (1971), speciesism (1975), heterosexism (1979), ableism (1981)

Used to form names of ideologies expressing belief in the superiority of a certain class within the concept expressed by the root word, or a pattern of behavior or a social norm that benefits members of the group indicated by the root word. (Based on a late 20th-century narrowing of the "terms for a doctrine" sense.)

-イズム

loanwords, vowel "i" can be merged into kana of the previous consonant

aleydigism, daturism, senilism, teratism, cocainism, climatism, humorism

(medicine) Used to form names of conditions (syndromes, diseases, disorders, defects, addictions) and therapeutical methods or doctrines.


-tion

→ Malay: -syen, -sen

From Middle English -cioun, borrowing from Old French -tion, -cion, borrowed from the stem of Latin -tiō. The Middle English -cioun became -tion in Modern English under the influence of the Middle French -tion and original Latin spellings.

ignore + -tion → ignortion

scrimp + -tion → scrimption

(non-productive) Used to form nouns meaning "the action of (a verb)" or "the result of (a verb)". Words ending in this suffix are almost always derived from a similar Latin word; a few (e.g. gumption) are not derived from Latin and are unrelated to any verb. More often, -ation is used.

-sie

producing a noun meaning the action or effect of a verb

-zione

unless previous letter was "s", when "t" remains as is, like in "digestione", "questione"

-ção (unless previous letter was "s", when "t" remains as is, like in "digestão", "questão")

-țiune

unless previous letter was "s", when "t" remains as is, like in "digestie", "chestiune"

-ción (unless previous letter was "s", when "t" remains as is, like in "digestión", "cuestión")

-siyon

used for borrowed words, like in edukasiyon


-est

From Middle English -est, from Old English -ost, -est, from Proto-Germanic *-istaz, *-ōstaz, related to comparative -er. Cognate of Afrikaans -ste, Dutch -st, German -(e)st, Danish -(e)st, Swedish -(a)st.

longest, biggest, fastest, motliest

Used to form the superlative of adjectives and adverbs.

més

before the adjective or adverb, after the definite article

plus

before the adjective, after the definite article

一番

いちばん, ichiban; placed before the adjective

mai

before the adjective or adverb, after the demonstrative article

-а́йший (-ájšij) (suffixes follow an adjective form)


-est

From Middle English -est, -st, from Old English -est, -ast, -st, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *-zi, from Proto-Indo-European *-si. The -t was by transfer from inverted order where thou followed the verb, which also occurred in most dialects of Middle Dutch and Middle High German (compare modern German -st).

goest, makest, wentest, madest

present tense
Appendix:Glossary#present tense

(archaic, dialectal) Used to form the second-person singular present tense and past tense of verbs. (if thou is the subject; not used with you)

-eš

second-person singular present tense of verbs

-i

for regular -are and -ere verbs and for those -ire verbs that don't take -isc-


-er

Etymology tree
Latin -ariusbor.
Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz
Proto-West Germanic *-ārī
Old English -ere
Middle English -er
English -er
Inherited from Middle English -ere, -er, from Old English -ere, from Proto-West Germanic *-ārī, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, usually thought to have been borrowed from Latin -ārius. However, Gąsiorowski suggests that *-ārijaz is a native formation; he derives it from earlier *-azrijaz, which he etymologises as a zero-grade form of *-sōr suffixed with *-ih₂, creating a suffix *-sr-ih₂ for forming feminine agent nouns, which was then masculinised by attaching *-ós.
Cognates
Cognate with Saterland Frisian -er, West Frisian -er, Dutch -er, German Low German -er, German -er, Danish -er, Swedish -are and Icelandic -ari.
Compare the synonymous but unrelated Old French -or, -eor (Anglo-Norman variant -our), from Latin -(ā)tor, from Proto-Indo-European *-tōr.

-er

(used to form agent nouns) person or thing that does...

-тель

-а́тель m (-átelʹ) / -я́тель m (-játelʹ) / -и́тель m (-ítelʹ)

-'er

following an abbreviation, or sometimes following a number

read + -er → reader

cook + -er → cooker

compute + -er → computer

run + -er → runner

toast + -er → toaster

swim + -er → swimmer

do good + -er → do-gooder

(added to verbs) A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb; used to form an agent noun.

look + -er → looker (“an attractive person”)

keep + -er → keeper (“a person or thing worth keeping”)

(added to verbs, informal) A person or thing to which the root verb is done or can be done satisfactorily.

astrology + -er → astrologer

baby boom + -er → baby boomer

conlang + -er → conlanger

cricket + -er → cricketer

trumpet + -er → trumpeter

zine + -er → ziner

(added to nouns, chiefly denoting occupations) A person whose occupation is the root noun; (more broadly, occasionally with adjectives) a person characterized by the root.

often translated as joueur m/joueuse f de followed by the name of the instrument or game played

but some words have specific translations

giocatore m/giocatrice f di followed by the name of the sport

-ák

(with numbers, measurements or quantified sets) ranked by or having...

six + -er → sixer

six foot + -er → six-footer

three-wheel + -er → three-wheeler

first grade + -er → first grader

(added to numbers, measurements or nouns denoting quantified sets) A person or thing to which a certain number or measurement applies.

percent + -er → percenter (“commission agent”)

one hand + -er → one-hander (“one-man show”)

oat + -er → oater (“a Western-themed movie”)

(slang, chiefly entertainment, with few limitations) Used to form nouns shorter than more formal synonyms.

birth + -er → birther

flat earth + -er → flat-earther

truth + -er → truther

woke + -er → woker

(added to nouns) A person who is associated with, or supports a particular theory, doctrine, or political movement.

bacon + -er → baconer (“pig raised for bacon”)

chocolate chip + -er → chocolate chipper (“cookie containing chocolate chips”)

sternwheel + -er → sternwheeler (“vessel driven by a sternwheel”)

(added to nouns or occasionally adjectives, generally) A thing that is related in some way to the root, such as by location or purpose.

piss + -er → pisser (“a hilariously funny happenstance or situation”)

(slang, added in slang speech to verbs or adjectives, generally) Indicates a correspondence or coincidence between the action or condition indicated by the root and the noun being described.


-er

From Middle English -ere, from Old English -ware (suffix denoting residency or meaning "inhabitant of"), from Proto-West Germanic *-wari, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz (“defender, inhabitant”), from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to close, cover, protect, save, defend”).

der

New York + -er → New Yorker

London + -er → Londoner

Dublin + -er → Dubliner

New England + -er → New Englander

(added to a proper noun) Suffix denoting a resident or inhabitant of (the place denoted by the proper noun); used to form a demonym.

(used form a demonym) resident or inhabitant of...

often translated as habitant m/habitante f de followed by the name of the place

island + -er → islander

highland + -er → highlander

eastend + -er → eastender

Suffix denoting residency in or around a place, district, area, or region.


-er

From Middle English -re, -er, from Old English -ru (plural suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-izō (plural suffix). Cognate with Dutch -er (plural ending), German -er (plural ending). See also -ren.

childer, calver, lamber, linder ("loins")

(obsolete, no longer productive) Suffix used to form the plural of a small number of English nouns.


-er

From Middle English -er, representing various noun-suffixes in Old French and Anglo-Norman, variously -er, -ier and -ieur, from Latin -aris, -arius, -atorium. As a productive suffix, now merged with the occupational sense of Etymology 1.

bottle + -er → butler


-er

From Middle English -ere, from Old English -ra, from Proto-West Germanic *iʀō, *-ōʀō, from Proto-Germanic *-izô or Proto-Germanic *-ōzô (a derivative of Etymology 6, below); related to superlative -est.

hard + -er → harder

wet + -er → wetter

motley + -er → motlier

eerie + -er → eerier

clayey + -er → clayier

(added to certain adjectives and adverbs, now especially short ones) More; used to form the comparative.

used to form the comparative of adjectives

mwy

used before the adjective only if polysyllabic


-er

From Middle English -er, from Old English -or, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōʀ, Proto-Germanic *-ōz.

(added to certain adverbs) More; used to form the comparative.


-er

From Middle English -eren, -ren, -rien, from Old English -erian, -rian, from Proto-West Germanic *-rōn, *-iʀōn, from Proto-Germanic *-rōną or *-izōną. Cognate with West Frisian -erje, Dutch -eren, German -eren, -ern, Danish -re, Swedish -ra.

twitter, clamber, bicker, mutter, wander, flutter, flicker, slither, smother, sputter

(added to a verb or imitative sound) Frequently; used to form frequentative verbs.


-er

From Middle English -er, from Anglo-Norman -er, Old French -er, the infinitive verbal ending.

disclaim + -er → disclaimer

remit + -er → remitter

misname + -er → misnomer

rebut + -er → rebutter

attain + -er → attainder

(chiefly law, added to a verb) Instance of (the verbal action); used to form nouns from verbs.


-er

From Middle English -er, -ere (diminutive suffix). Compare -el.

shive + -er → shiver

slive + -er → sliver

splint + -er → splinter

(added to a verb or noun) Used to form diminutives.


-er

Attested in the UK since the 19th century. Originally Rugby School slang. Later adopted by Oxford University and then wider British society.

association + -er → soccer (“association football”)

football + -er → footer (“association football”)

rugby + -er → rugger

Radcliffe + -er → Radder (“a building at Oxford University”)

(originally school slang) Used to form slang or colloquial equivalents of words.


-er

From Middle English -er, from Old English -er, -or, from Proto-Germanic *-raz. Compare -le.

clive + -er → cliver (“apt to cleave or adhere to, tenacious, expert as seizing”)

slip + -er → slipper (“tending to make slip, slippery”)

wake + -er → waker (“tending to wake, watchful”)

(now chiefly dialectal) A suffix creating adjectives from verbs, indicating aptitude, proneness, or tendency toward a specified action:


-er

Li’er said hello to his father.

Yue’er began to laugh again and her tears shimmered like dew on a lotus leaf disturbed by a breeze. Then we heard a sound. It was Man’er.

The fish was laid out on the table, but Ping’er had not come back, nor had his father.

2002 [1934], Xiao Hong, “The Field of Life and Death”, in Howard Goldblatt, transl., The Field of Life and Death & Tales of Hulan River, →ISBN, page 32:

Ying’er was not yet three years old. Li’er had always been the one to play with her or to carry her places on his back.

2014 [1959], Zhong Lihe, “The Little Ridge”, in T. M. McClellan, transl., From the Old Country: Stories and Sketches of China and Taiwan, →ISBN, page 202:

(Chinese literature) Junior, child, younger person. (Attached to a name, usually one syllable of the given name.)


-ie

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English -ie
Variant spelling of -y.

etymon

"Polly, I wish you 'd let me call you Marie," said Fanny one day, as they were shopping together.
"You may call me Mary, if you like; but I won't have any ie put on to my name. I'm Polly at home and I'm fond of being called so; but Marie is Frenchified and silly."
"I spell my own name with an ie, and so do all the girls."
"And what a jumble of Netties, Nellies, Hatties, and Sallies there is. How 'Pollie' would look spelt so!"

1869, Louisa May Alcott, An Old-Fashioned Girl:

dear → dearie

sweet → sweetie

smile → smilie (also smiley)

Catherine → Cathie (also Cathi, Cathy); Katherine → Kathie (also Kathi, Kathy)

Bill → Billie (also Billi, Billy)

Forming diminutive or affectionate forms of nouns or names.

bike → bikie

road → roadie

surf → surfie

town → townie

(occasionally derogatory) Forming colloquial nouns signifying the person associated with suffixed noun or verb.


-y

-less

antonym(s) of “form “having quality of” adjectives”

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
From Middle English -y, -i, from Old English -iġ (“-y, -ic”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-īgaz (“-y, -ic”), from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ikos, *-iḱos (“-y, -ic”).
Cognate with Scots -ie (“-y”), West Frisian -ich (“-y”), Dutch -ig (“-y”), Low German -ig (“-y”), German -ig (“-y”), Swedish -ig (“-y”), Gothic -𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-igs, “-y”), Latin -icus (“-y, -ic”), Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika). Doublet of -ac and -ic.

mess + -y → messy

mouse + -y → mousy

blue + -y → bluey

clay + -y → clayey

lank + -y → lanky

Tim keeps trying to make it all more impressionistic, less computer-y.

2003, Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Macmillan, →ISBN:

Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving the referent” or “analogous to it”.

-al

form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “involving the referent”

-esque

form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “analogous to the referent”

run + -y → runny

stick + -y → sticky

fiddle + -y → fiddly

Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".


-y

Cognate with Scots -ie, being inherited directly from the same source Middle English -ie, -i, from Old English -iġ (“-ie, -y”, diminutive suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-ij-, *-j- (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch -je (diminutive suffix), German Low German -je (diminutive suffix), German -i (diminutive suffix).

cog

granny, pinny, tummy

Andy, Billy, Johnny, Jonesy, lovey

Forming familiar names, pet names, nicknames and terms of endearment.

Added for metrical reasons to songs, often in children's music where it may carry diminutive associations.


-y

Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂
Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā)der.
Ancient Greek -εύς (-eús)?
Ancient Greek -ιᾰ (-iă)
Ancient Greek -εια (-eia)der.
Latin -ia
Old French -ieder.
Middle English -ie
Middle English -y
English -y
From Middle English -y, -ie, -ee, -e, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French -ie and -é, from Latin -ia, -ium, -tās, Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā), -ειᾰ (-eiă), -ιον (-ion).
Cognate (as far as Latin -ia is involved) with German -ei and Dutch -ij.

etymon

modest + -y → modesty

honest + -y → honesty

-nym + -y → -nymy

as in toponym + -y → toponymy

-logue + -y → -logy

as in analogue + -y → analogy

Forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state.

Italy, Germany, Saxony, Hungary, Sicily, Lombardy, Tuscany, Albany, Brittany, Gascony, Burgundy, Picardy, Normandy, Romandy, Savoy, Muscovy, Tartary, Arcady, Thessaly, Troy, Turkey.

Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin.

-ie

used in the name of some locations ending in -ia in Latin


-illion

Back-formation from million, then used in billion, trillion, quadrillion, each from French, ultimately from Italian mille (“thousand”) and the augmentative suffix -one. -illion was segmented from million as if mi- was a prefix, and -illion the stem.

bi- + -illion → billion

tri- + -illion → trillion

Combined with Latin prefixes for names of integers in order to form names of powers of a million.

-իլիոն

suffix forming names of powers of a million or of a thousand greater than 1,000,000

bajillion, gazillion

Added to various nonsense syllables to indicate an arbitrarily very large number.


-ous

From Middle English -ous, from Old French -ous, -os, -us, from Latin -ōsus (“full of”). Doublet of -ose and -wise in unstressed position. Many English adjectives ending in -ous were taken from preexisting French or Latin adjectives that end in one of the above suffixes (e.g. envious corresponds directly to Old French envious which in turn corresponds directly to Latin invidiōsus). In addition, -ous (or the variant form -ious) has at times been attached to English nouns to form derived adjectives that lack precedents in French or Latin, such as slumberous from slumber or blizzardous from blizzard. It has also been used in some cases as a means of adapting adjectives borrowed from Latin that originally ended simply in -us, -a, -um (for example, obvious and previous are derived from Latin obvius and praevius, not *obviōsus or *praeviōsus).

bulb + -ous → bulbous

Used to form adjectives from nouns, to denote:

courage + -ous → courageous

joy + -ous → joyous

poison + -ous → poisonous

riot + -ous → riotous

presence of a quality in any degree (typically an abundance)

aptonym + -ous → aptonymous

arrhenotoky + -ous → arrhenotokous

chemical nomenclature
chemical nomenclature#English

chemical compound
chemical compound#English

chemical element
chemical element#English

oxidation number
oxidation number#English

(chemistry) Used in chemical nomenclature to name chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a lower oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ic. For example sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H₂SO₃). See Inorganic nomenclature.


-one

Clipping of ketone, which was analogous to margarone. Further etymology is unclear.

any similar compound containing a carbonyl functional group


-ish

From Middle English -ish, -isch, from Old English -isċ (“-ish”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-isk, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos.
Cognate with Dutch -s; German -isch (whence Dutch -isch); Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish -isk or -sk; Lithuanian -iškas; Russian -ский (-skij); and the Ancient Greek diminutive suffix -ίσκος (-ískos). Doublet of -esque and -ski.

Her face had a girlish charm.

[…] ; for she had recently developed a magpie[-]ish tendency to appropriate and conceal trifling matters; […]

1859, Harriet Parr (as Holme Lee), Against Wind and Tide, volume 1, p. 273

(of adjectives from common nouns) Typical of, similar to, being like.

ـِيّ

appended to roots denoting names of nations or regions

-ass

being like; restricted to casual registers

-like

being like; forms adjectives from nouns only

Her face had a bluish tinge.

By one o'clock the place was choc-a-bloc. […] The restaurant was packed, and the promenade between the two main courts and the subsidiary courts was thronged with healthy-looking youngish people, drawn to the Mecca of tennis from all parts of the country.

1935, George Goodchild, chapter 5, in Death on the Centre Court:

(of adjectives from adjectives, with a diminutive force) Somewhat, rather.

We arrived at tennish. We arrived tennish. ― We arrived sometime around ten.

I couldn't tell his precise age, but he looked fiftyish.

(of adjectives from numbers, especially of times and ages) About, approximately.

British, Cornish, Danish, English, Finnish, Irish, Jewish, Kentish, Polish, Scottish, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish etc.

(of adjectives from roots of proper nouns denoting names of nations or regions) Of, belonging, or relating to (a nationality, place, language or similar association with something).


-ish

From Middle English -ishen, -ischen, -issen, from Old French -iss-, -is- (a termination of the stem of some forms [present participle, etc.] of certain verbs), from Latin -ēscere, -īscere (an inchoative suffix), the formative -esc-, -isc- (-sc-, Greek -σκ- (-sk-)) being ultimately cognate with English -ish (Etymology 1). See -esce, -escent, etc.

(non-productive) An ending found on some verbs; see usage notes.


-itis

-itides (plural sometimes)
rarely -itises (plural sometimes)

itis

From New Latin -itis, from Ancient Greek -ῖτις (-îtis, “pertaining to”). This is the feminine form of adjectival suffix -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs). The English suffix derives from the feminine form due to its use with the feminine noun νόσος (nósos, “disease”), particularly with ἀρθρῖτις (νόσος) (arthrîtis (nósos), “disease of the joints”) (one of the earliest English borrowings from which the suffix was extracted and abstracted). Humorous sense by generalization.

der

(pathology) Suffix denoting diseases characterized by inflammation, itself often caused by an infection.

-ιτις

suffix denoting diseases characterized by inflammation

-и́т

suffix denoting fictitious afflictions or diseases

What to Do About Senioritis: Make Your Senior Year Count, College Board. Accessed April 4, 2008.

(humorous) Used to form the names of various fictitious afflictions or diseases.


-ase

Derived from ending of diastase; a libfix


-gon

From Ancient Greek γωνία (gōnía, “corner, angle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu (“knee”).

bor

A pentagon has five sides.

a 17-gon

(geometry) Forms the names of plane figures containing a given number of angles, and thus bounded by that number of line segments (polygons). If the number is large enough, it can take the hyphenated suffix directly.


-hedron

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame--hedron.wav

From Ancient Greek ἕδρα (hédra, “face of a geometrical solid”).

der

(geometry) Forms the names of solid figures bounded by a certain number of planes (polyhedra).


-eth

From Middle English -eth, -th, -ith, from Old English -eþ, -aþ, -þ, from Proto-Germanic *-þi, *-di, from Proto-Indo-European *-ti.

Pride goeth before a fall... The good Lord giveth and the good Lord taketh away...

third-person singular
third-person singular#English

present indicative
present indicative#English

(archaic) Used to form the third-person singular present indicative of verbs.

Hark, the assistant manager doth emaileth ye... But thou saideth!... Rolling a natural 20, he killedeth the kobolds... Verily, I am shooketh...

(humorous) Used broadly with various verb forms for ironic pseudoarchaic or pseudoecclesiastical effect.


-eth

From Middle English -th, -eth, -the, -ethe, from Old English -þa, -þe, -oþa, from Proto-Germanic *-þô, *-tô, *-udô, *-dô, from Proto-Indo-European *-tós.

used to create ordinal numbers from cardinal numbers ending in -y, namely the multiples of ten (other than ten itself): 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90; e.g. twentieth, thirtieth.


-hedral

used to form adjectives describing related nouns ending in -hedron or -hedra


-ology

From -o- (interconsonantal vowel) + -logy.

Alternative form of -logy, used for phonological reasons when the preceding morpheme ends in certain consonant sounds.

Qell, he knows all about mineralogy, and geology, and astrology, and every thing a'most, except what he ought to know, and that is dollar-ology.

1843, Thomas Chandler Haliburton, The Attache; or, Sam Slick in England:

...so long as a mere human word-ology is suffered to remain here, clogging all with its deadly impotence...

1857, Delia Bacon, The Philosophy of the Plays of Shakespeare Unfolded:

It seems he'd been making original researches in anthropology, or folk-lore-ology, or something like that.

1916, Jack London, The Little Lady of the Big House:

He gets an -ology and says he failed!

1998, British Telecom advert from 1988 with Maureen Lipman - Ology:

Yet it is interesting to research the tattoo-ology of Katona right after a yoga class.

2010 October 17, Hadley Freeman, “Tattoos: what makes one spiritual and another Katona-esque?”, in The Guardian:

(often humorous) added to an ordinary English word to create a name for a (possibly non-existent) field of study.


-phobia

From New Latin, from Latin, from Ancient Greek -φοβία (-phobía), from φόβος (phóbos, “fear”).

e.g. claustrophobia

Used to form nouns meaning fear of a specific thing.

e.g. homophobia, xenophobia, chemophobia

Used to form nouns meaning hate, dislike, or repression of a specific thing.


-phobe

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame--phobe.wav

From French -phobe, from Latin -phobus, from Attic Greek -φόβος (-phóbos), combining form of φόβος (phóbos), ablaut variant of φέβεσθαι (phébesthai), middle infinitive of φέβομαι (phébomai), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰegʷ. Cognates include Russian бегать (begatʹ, “run, flee”), Slovak bežať (“run”), Polish biec (“run”), Lithuanian bėgti (“run”), Albanian dëboj (“throw out, drive away, expel, banish”). Compare German -phob.

-fob

used to form nouns denoting a person who hates or despises a specific thing

claustrophobe

Risk is everywhere.[…]For each one there is a frighteningly precise measurement of just how likely it is to jump from the shadows and get you. “The Norm Chronicles”[…]aims to help data-phobes find their way through this blizzard of risks.

2013 June 22, “Snakes and ladders”, in The Economist, volume 407, number 8841, page 76:

Used to form nouns denoting a person having a fear of a specific thing.

-fob

used to form nouns denoting a person having a fear of a specific thing

homophobe

Used to form nouns denoting a person who hates or dislikes a type of person, thing, etc.


-phobic

From -phobia (from Late Latin -phobia, from Koine Greek -φοβία (-phobía), from φόβος (phóbos, “fear”)) + -ic.

claustrophobic

Used to form adjectives indicating a fear of a specific thing.

bibliophobic

homophobic

Used to form adjectives indicating a dislike or aversion.

Used as a synonym of -phobe to form nouns.


-logist

From -logy (“study of”) + -ist (“(agent)”).

A person who studies or is an expert in the related -logy.


-ly

From Middle English -ly, -li, -lik, -lich, -like, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-West Germanic *-līk, from Proto-Germanic *-līkaz (“having the body or form of”), from *līką (“body”) (whence lich). In form, probably influenced by Old Norse -ligr (“-ly”) (Norwegian Bokmål -lig, Faroese -ligur, Icelandic -legur). Cognate with Dutch -lijk, German -lich, Danish -lig and Swedish -lig. Doublet of -like, more at like.

-lig

forming adjectives from nouns, in the sense "occurring at such intervals"

-ttainen (combination of two suffixes for adjectives; only the first suffix for adverbs)

man + -ly → manly

friend + -ly → friendly

Used to form adjectives from nouns, the adjectives having the sense of "behaving like, or having a nature typical of what is denoted by the noun" Similar in meaning to -like but most often paired with animate nouns.

地

forming adjectives from nouns, in the sense "similar to, like, characteristic of"

bloom + -ly → bloomly

priest + -ly → priestly

Used to form adjectives from nouns, the adjectives having the sense of "appearing like, resembling, or having the likeness of what is denoted by the noun".

month + -ly → monthly

day + -ly → daily

Used to form adjectives from nouns specifying time intervals, the adjectives having the sense of "occurring at such intervals".


-ly

From Middle English -ly, -li, -liche, from Old English -līċe.

sudden + -ly → suddenly

eerie + -ly → eerily

year + -ly → yearly

Used to form adverbs from adjectives and nouns.

地

similar function, but used in different ways

-t (or, with some adjectives, no suffix at all)

no change in form)

(the adverb is usually the same as the adjective

-n (extent: the genitive form of the adjective)

-erweise

forms adverbs that modify phrases or sentences

-ως

each replacing the final syllable of the adjective

ב-

adverbs are formed from nouns, rather than adjectives


-ing

Inherited from Middle English -ing, from Old English -ing, -ung (“-ing”, suffix forming nouns from verbs), from Proto-West Germanic *-ingu, *-ungu, from Proto-Germanic *-ingō, *-ungō. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -enge (“-ing”), West Frisian -ing (“-ing”), Dutch -ing (“-ing”), Low German -ung, -unk (“-ing”), German -ung (“-ing”), Danish -ing (“-ing”), Swedish -ing (“-ing”), Icelandic -ing (“-ing”).

southern North West England, northern West Midlands, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, Kent

(with no suffix, verbs can be used as nouns)

My hearing is not good.

I have had several meetings with him.

Used to form nouns or noun-like words (or elements of noun phrases) from verbs, denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action.

Smoking is bad for your health.

She has a habit of sleeping late.

I like meeting people.

Use το (to) να (na) + second person singular present verb form

Roofing is material that is used to roof.

Clothing is material with which one is clothed.

The piping is a system of pipes considered collectively.

Used to form nouns denoting materials or systems of objects which are used or employed in an action, or considered collectively.


-ing

From Middle English -inge, -ynge, alteration of earlier -inde, -ende, -and (see -and), from Old English -ende (present participle ending), from Proto-West Germanic *-andī, from Proto-Germanic *-andz (present participle ending), from Proto-Indo-European *-onts.
Cognate with West Frisian -end, Dutch -end, German -end, Swedish -and, Icelandic -andi, Gothic -𐌰𐌽𐌳𐍃 (-ands), -𐍉𐌽𐌳𐍃 (-ōnds), Latin -ans, -ant-, Ancient Greek -ων (-ōn), Sanskrit -अन्त् (-ant). More at -and.

Rolling stones gather no moss.

You are making a mess.

a. 2001, Brian Hall, “Beej's Guide to Network Programming”, “Using Internet Sockets”
If you are connect()ing to a remote machine […] you can simply call connect(), it'll check to see if the socket is unworthy, and will bind() it to an unused local port if necessary.

Used to form present participles of verbs.

-ente

second- and third-conjugation present participle


-ing

From Middle English -ing, from Old English -ing, from Proto-West Germanic *-ing, from Proto-Germanic *-ingaz. Akin to Old Norse -ingr.

Ealing, Dorking, Reading, Worthing

Browning, Channing, Ewing

Middle English *bunt + -ing → bunting

skill + -ing → shilling

fourth + -ing → farthing

(no longer productive) Forming derivative nouns (originally masculine), with the sense ‘son of, belonging to’, as in placenames, patronymics or diminutives; -ite.

sweet + -ing → sweeting

white + -ing → whiting

geld + -ing → gelding

Forming nouns having a specified quality, characteristic, or nature; of the kind of


-gamy

Used to form nouns describing forms of marriage.

(biology) Used to form nouns describing forms of fertilization, pollination or reproduction.


-gamous

From Ancient Greek γάμος (gámos, “union, marriage”), equivalent to -gamy + -ous.

der

Having the specified number or form of marriage.

-avioinen

having the specified number or form of marriage

Having the specified form of reproduction, or reproductive organs.


-fold

From Middle English -fold, -fald, -fauld, from Old English -feald (“-fold”), from Proto-Germanic *-falþaz (“-fold”), from Proto-Indo-European *-poltos (“-fold”), from *pel- (“to fold”). Cognate with Dutch -voud, Swedish -faldig (“-fold”), Latin -plus, -plex, Ancient Greek -παλτος (-paltos), -πλος (-plos), -πλόος (-plóos). More at fold.

a threefold increase - un accroissement de trois fois

פִּי

as a separate word, before that of number

פְּעָמִים (pe'amím) (pl.) (as a separate word, after another numeral + the word of modified number)

a threefold increase - háromszoros növekedés

a threefold increase - un aumento di tre volte

a threefold increase - um aumento de três vezes

a threefold increase - un aumento de tres veces

to increase threefold - accroitre trois fois

-szörösére

-szoros/-szeres/-szörös combined with -an/-en or -a+-ra / -e+-re

to increase threefold - háromszorosára növekszik (or háromszorosan megnövekszik)

to increase threefold - aumentare tre volte

There has been a threefold increase in inflation ( = inflation is three times what it was before)

The cancer tissue in two of the ... specimens ... exhibited a dramatic 23-fold increase in the laminin-receptor-mRNA levels.

1991, Vittoria Cioce; Vince Castronovo; Barry M. Shmookler; et. al, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, "Increased Expression of the Laminin Receptor in Human Colon Cancer" [1]

"[Use] of a decimal without a zero to the left of the decimal (ie .5 instead of 0.5) has resulted in 10-fold error[.]

2011, Joel. E. Houghlum, Principles of Pharmacology for Athletic Trainers:

Ezekiel outlines the harlotry of Judah followed by a thirty-two-fold judgment.

2013, Jerome Strong, Spiritual Musings II: Sermons, Musings & Exegesis:

Inflation has increased threefold ( = inflation is three times what it was before)

A publication ... entitled "The Sixth Financial and Economical Annual of Japan" ... issued in 1906 ... says: ¶ "...[O]ur export trade had in ... thirty-two years increased thirty-four-fold with Asia, twenty-three-fold with America, and five-fold with Europe[.]

c. 1906, Silk Association of America, XXXV Annual Meeting of the Silk Association of America:

His potatoes yielded forty-onefold in 1816 and his barley thirty-twofold in 1818.

2011, James R. Gibson, Farming the Frontier:

In contrast, the number of Asian foreign born would increase twenty-two-fold to more than 11 million, and the number of Latin American foreign born would increase twenty-three-fold to 22 million.

2014, Thomas R. Oliver, Guide to U.S. Health and Health Care Policy:


-gate

→ Chinese: 門 /门 (mén) (semantic loan)

→ French: -gate

→ German: -gate

→ Korean: 게이트 (geiteu)

List of "-gate" scandals and controversies

Back-formation from Watergate, an American political scandal from 1972–1974 which led to resignation of president Richard Nixon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the suffix first appeared in a 1973 article in the National Lampoon magazine which referenced a rumoured "Volgagate". The suffix was promoted by New York Times columnist William Safire, who coined several -gate words beginning in 1974.

Back in college, [Maddi] Filliater said she tweeted at a local sandwich shop about some alleged brown lettuce, and the business responded angrily: Why didn't she bring up the problem in person instead of attacking them on the Internet? Her friends refer to the incident as "LettuceGate."

2022 March 30, Tatum Hunter, “How to leave a bad online review without being a jerk”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-03-30:

Combined with a relevant place, person, activity, etc. to form the names of scandals.


-ee

From Middle English -ee, -ē, from Anglo-Norman and Old French -ee, French -é, -ée, endings forming past participle of verbs ending in -er. Doublet of -ate. More distantly related to inherited English -ed.

-të

forming words meaning a person to whom or a thing to which an action is done

-eur

forming words meaning a person who or a thing that does an action, especially where a passive sense of the verb is implied

examine + -ee → examinee

interview + -ee → interviewee

train + -ee → trainee

employ + -ee → employee

Added to transitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the object of that verb (i.e., to whom or to which an action is done).

absent + -ee → absentee

respond + -ee → respondee

stand + -ee → standee

post + -ee → postee

Less commonly added to intransitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the subject of that verb (that is, who or that does an action).

assign + -ee → assignee

legate + -ee → legatee

mortgage + -ee → mortgagee

(law) Used to form words meaning a person who is the other party to a contract or other transaction involving a person described by the corresponding word ending in -or.

laryngectomy + -ee → laryngectomee

(medicine) Used to form words meaning a person who has undergone a particular medical procedure.

barge + -ee → bargee

tender + -ee → tenderee

venereal + -ee → venerealee

Irregularly added to nouns to mean a person somehow associated with the object denoted by the noun.


-ee

boot + -ee → bootee

goat + -ee → goatee

settle + -ee → settee


-ee

"No stealee. You no thinkee? Chinaman no thinkee stealee!" he said, earnestly.

1897, The Outlook, volume 56, page 1044:

A Chinaman had a toothache, and phoned a dentist for an appointment. Doctor: "Two-thirty all right?" Chinaman: "Yes, tooth hurtee, all light. What time I come?"

1938, Minnesota Journal of Education, volume 19, page 52:

(offensive, derogatory) Used in mimicking English as stereotypically spoken by the Chinese.


-ese

From Middle English -eys, from Old French -eis, from Latin -ēnsis and, less often, Late Latin -iscus. Generally used in place of more common equivalent suffixes such as -er and -an on the model of equivalent terms in Italian and Portuguese, particularly for Italian, Portuguese African, and East Asian places first widely discussed in Portuguese and Latin.

Faroese, Maltese, Milanese, Parmese, Portuguese, Viennese; Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese; Beninese, Congolese, Togolese,

Used to form adjectives and nouns describing things and characteristics of a city, region, or country, such as the people and the language spoken by these people.

-ees

forming adjectives and nouns describing things characteristic of a particular place

journal + -ese → journalese

legal + -ese → legalese

translation + -ese → translationese

Used to form nouns meaning the jargon or language used by a particular profession or being or in a particular context.

-i

forming nouns meaning the jargon used by a particular profession


-ess

From Middle English -esse, borrowed from Old French -esse, from Late Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa). Displaced Old English -en (feminine suffix of nouns).

noncog

actor + -ess → actress

chanter + -ess → chantress

duke + -ess → duchess (“female ruler of a duchy”)

god + -ess → goddess

lion + -ess → lioness

prince + -ess → princess (“daughter of monarch (holding this title in her own right, who would become a queen regnant); the female equivalent of a prince”)

alderman + -ess → aldermaness (“alderman’s wife”)

duke + -ess → duchess (“duke’s wife”)

mayor + -ess → mayoress (“mayor’s wife”)

priest + -ess → priestess (“priest’s wife”)

prince + -ess → princess (“prince’s wife (who would become a queen consort)”)

squire + -ess → squiress (“squire’s wife”)


-ess

From Old French -esse, from Latin -itia.


-ette

Inherited from Middle English -ette, a borrowing from Old French -ette, from Latin -itta, the feminine form of Latin -ittus.

cigar + -ette → cigarette

kitchen + -ette → kitchenette

disk + -ette → diskette

(diminutive) Used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something.

major + -ette → majorette

bachelor + -ette → bachelorette

smurf + -ette → Smurfette

Used to form nouns meaning or implying the female equivalent of.

leather + -ette → leatherette

Used to form nouns meaning an imitation or substitute of something.

You may have vada'd one of our tiny bijou masterpiecettes, heartface.

1967, Barry Took, Marty Feldman, “Gaslight Son of Flicker”, in Round the Horne, spoken by Sandy (Kenneth Williams):

'Shame, eh, my little cherry? I was really bonar for him and all. It'll be a lonely old arthur for me tonight as usual. Ah well, let's have another little drinkette then, shall we? And perhaps, Poppett,' he sighed histrionically. 'I'll learn to keep my queeny old polari for them what appreciates it. Or for them what admints it,'

2002, Gilda O'Neill, The Sins Of Their Fathers (Eastend Trilogy; 1):

(Polari) Used to form nouns with a Polari context or an association with gay subculture.


-ed

From Middle English -ede, -eden, from Old English -ode, -odon (class 2 weak past ending), from Proto-Germanic *-ōd-, *-ōdēdun. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -ede (“-ed”, first person singular past indicative ending), German Low German -de (“-ed”, first and third person singular past indicative ending), Swedish -ade (“-ed”), Icelandic -aði (“-ed”).

cog

point + -ed → pointed

He pointed at the dog.

Used to form past tenses of (regular) verbs. In linguistics, it is used for the base form of any past form. See -t for a variant.

-d -î

for most intransitive verbs and a few transitive verbs


-ed

From Middle English -ed, from Old English -od (class 2 weak past participle), from Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -ed.

inh

point + -ed → pointed

He has pointed at the dog.

Used to form past participles of (regular) verbs. See -en and -t for variants.


-ed

From Middle English -ed, from Old English -od (adjective suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-ōdaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂tos. While identical in appearance to the past participle of class 2 weak verbs, this suffix was attached directly to nouns without any intervening verb. Cognate with Latin -ātus (whence also a doublet -ate).

point + -ed → pointed

horn + -ed → horned

hoof + -ed → hooved

possessional adjective
possessional adjective#English

Used to form possessional adjectives from nouns, in the sense of having the object represented by the noun.

-ig

having an object of a particular quality

red + hair + -ed → red-haired

left + hand + -ed → left-handed

two + prong(s) + -ed → two-pronged

As an extension of the above, used to form possessional adjectives from adjective-noun pairs.


-or

From Middle English -our, from Old French -eor, from Latin -ātor; reinforced by Old French -or and its source, Latin -tor, -tōrem.

Coordinate term: (converse form; one who receives from the actor) -ee

settle + -or → settlor

survive + -or → survivor

Creates an agent noun, often from a verb, indicating a person or object (often machines or parts of them) that do the verb or part of speech with which they are formed.

Resistors possess resistance and inductors possess inductance.

extensive property
extensive property#English

(electrical science) Appended to the names of members of classes of components, especially those that have an extensive property name of the same root suffixed with -ance


-or

err + -or → error

Used to form nouns of quality, state, or condition.


-head

From Middle English -hed, -hede, attested from the 12th century, continuing a hypothetical Old English *-hǣdu (“-hood”), from Proto-Germanic *haidį̄ (“state, condition”), related to Proto-Germanic *haiduz (“manner, character, quality, state”). Doublet of -hood, which see.

cog

Used to create nouns indicating a state; -hood.


-head

motor + -head → motorhead

pot + -head → pothead

(sometimes derogatory) Used to form words for people who regularly have their mind focused upon a particular subject, activity, or a specified drug or other substance, or who are addicted in some way.

jazz + -head → jazzhead

metal + -head → metalhead

Beatle + -head → Beatlehead

Used to form words to describe people who are dedicated fans of something, especially music.

block + -head → blockhead

shit + -head → shithead

geek + -head → geekhead

(derogatory) Used with other words to form generic insults or epithets to indicate stupidity.


-ade

Borrowed from Spanish -ado, from the Latin -ata, (feminine form of -atum used to create adjectives, nouns, and sometimes verbs from words ending in -a).

Used to form nouns denoting action, or a person performing said action.

lemonade, limeade, orangeade

Indicating a drink made from a given fruit.

-άδα

indicates drinks made from a given fruit


-a

From the homographic case endings of the nominative, accusative, and vocative forms of numerous Latin neuter second declension nouns.


-a

Representing the nominative singular case ending of Latin first-declension feminine nouns.

Marks singular nouns, with a foundation in Greek or Latin, often implying femininity, especially when contrasted with words terminating in -us.


-a

magnesium + -a → magnesia

Changes an element or substance into an oxide.


-a

who'da thunk it?

shoulda

coulda

woulda


-a

Equivalent to Etymology 2, representing Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish feminine nouns.

donna

signora

Marks nouns, with a foundation in Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese, implying femininity.


-a

Added especially for metrical reasons, or as an empty filler syllable. Also used to imitate an Italian accent.

A merry heart goes all the day
Your sad tires in a mile-a

c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

I love to sing-a / about the moon-a and the June-a and the spring-a, / I love to sing-a / about a sky of blue-a, or a tea for two-a.

1936 July 18, Leon Schlesinger (producer) / Norman Spencer (music), I Love to Singa

I wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna wanna really wanna be just like the Lord
So every day Im gonna gonna read the Book and rest upon-a God's own holy Word
Of good in me there's none-a none-a that's okay because I'm gonna trust upon the work that's done-a on the Cross
and Jesus is the one-a one-a God the Father's Son-a Son-a and my sin He cures!

1980s, Herb Owen (lyrics and music), “Wanna”, in Kids Sing Praise, performed by Kids Sing Praise:

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six-foot-four and full of muscle
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich […]

1981, Colin Hay, Ron Strykert, performed by Men At Work, Down Under:

"I'm-a tell-a you why you better be. I named you in my will, Franco."

2014, Don Pendleton, California Hit, Open Road Media, →ISBN:

Added for metrical reasons to songs, poetry and verse, or as an empty filler syllable to other speech.


-a

buncha, cuppa, kinda, loadsa, lotta, sorta

"Jesus Christ! Was my folks refined. My mam she wouldn't think-a lettin' us young'uns call a pee pot a pee pot. A chamber's what she called it... And by God! Us young'uns had ter call the pee pot a chamber or git our God damn necks wrang."

1946, Elizabeth Metzger Howard, Before the Sun Goes Down, page 31:

(slang) Clitic form of o' (contraction of of).


-a

oughta

wanna

gotta

gonna


-a

what-a

Yeah, Flav, I'm tired of them dissing brothers in the P.E. out there, we got to do something about this/(What-a we do? What-a we do?)

1988, Living Colour (lyrics and music), “Funny Vibe”, Epic:

-er

which, in various non-rhotic dialects, reduces to -a, e.g. fatha, burna


-ible

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin -ibilis.

convertible

An adjective suffix, now usually in a passive sense; forms adjectives meaning "able to be", "relevant or suitable to, in accordance with", or expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense.


-ible

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin -i- + -bulum (instrumental suffix) or -bula (instrumental suffix), from Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom. Related to Latin suffixes -brum (candelabrum) and -bra (vertebra).

crucible, mandible, thurible

An instrumental suffix; forms nouns representing:


-ric

From Northern Middle English -rike (Southern -riche), from Old English -rīċe (“-ric”), from rīċe (“realm, domain, jurisdiction”), from Proto-Germanic *rīkiją (“realm, power”). Cognate with Dutch -rijk, German -reich.

bishopric

archbishopric

(no longer productive) A termination denoting jurisdiction, or a district over which government is exercised.


-ium

From Latin -um (neuter singular morphological suffix), based on Latin terms for metals such as ferrum (“iron”).

der

(chemistry) Used to form the names of metal elements, after the style of early-named elements, as well as the isotopes of hydrogen.

systematic element name
systematic element name#English

(chemistry) Used to form the temporary systematic element name of a metallic or nonmetallic element which is postulated to exist, or which has been newly synthesized and has not yet been assigned a permanent name.

(chemistry) Used to form the name of polyatomic cations.

According to the FAQ, a site's coolness can be attributed to a trace element called coolium.

1997, Bryan Pfaffenberger, Official Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 book, page 34:

Stupidium: Exposure to this Element can cause very silly behavior.

2007, Jason Lethcoe, Wishing Well, appendix, page ii:

We're at the North Pole, aren't we? Let's just call the new element Santa Clausium!

(by extension, humorous) Appended to common words to create scientific-sounding or humorous-sounding fictional substance names.


-ium

head

-ium (plural -iums, irregular plural -ia)

Reanalysis from multiple Latin or New Latin compounds suffixed with -ium, whose function, among others, is to derive parasynthetic compounds.

epithelium, pollinium

Used to form the name of an aggregation or mass of something, such as biological tissue

clinanthium, periodontium

Forms the name of biological structures and parts.


-ium

-ium (plural -iums, irregular plual -ia)

Reanalysis of Latin words suffixed with -tōrium, -ārium and -ium.

auditorium, gymnasium, planetarium

Used to indicate the setting where a given activity is carried out


-ium

Reanalysis of ammonium or from -onium of the same source.

Alternative form: -onium

quaternary ammonium compound
quaternary ammonium compound#English

neuromuscular blocking agent
w:neuromuscular-blocking drug

(pharmacology) Used to form names of quaternary ammonium compounds used as neuromuscular blocking agents, cholinergic agents, anticholinergic agents, antibacterials/antiseptics, or other agents.


-n

From Middle English -n, from Old English -n, rare alternative form of Old English -en (“-en”). More at -en.

silver + -n → silvern


-n

Etymology tree
Middle English -n
English -n

etymon

Java + -n → Javan

Burma + -n → Burman

Minnesota + -n → Minnesotan

Russia + -n → Russian

Alternative form of -an, adjective or noun suffix meaning "of or pertaining to", used with words which already end in a.


-n

From Middle English -n, -en, from Old English -n, -en and Old Norse -inn, both from Proto-Germanic *-anaz, *-inaz, past participle ending of strong verbs. Cognate with Dutch -en, German -en, Swedish -en, Icelandic -inn.

grow + -n → grown

show + -n → shown

slow + -n → slown

Alternative form of -en (past participle ending)


-an

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.

-ian

euphonic variant, also spelled -aean or -æan

Rome + -an → Roman

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.)

comedy + -an → comedian

history + -an → historian

Appended to nouns to form an agent noun. (When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -an, females -(i)enne.)


-al

From Middle English -al, from the Latin adjective suffix -ālis, or French, Middle French and Old French -el, -al.

base + -al → basal

cranium + -al → cranial

Of or pertaining to. Adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also.

propose + -al → proposal

deny + -al → denial

bestow + -al → bestowal

Forming nouns, especially of verbal action.

arousal

forming nouns, especially of verbal action.


-al

(organic chemistry) Forms the names of aldehydes.


-ar

pole + -ar → polar

line + -ar → linear

molecule + -ar → molecular

alveolus + -ar → alveolar

column + -ar → columnar

Of, near, or pertaining to; adjective suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also.


-ar

Forming nouns such as vicar, exemplar, bursar, etc.


-ar

From Middle English -ar, -are, variant of Middle English -ere, from Old English -ere. More at -er.

beggar, liar, pedlar


-ar

Clipping of star.; modelled after the earlier coinages pulsar and quasar.

(astronomy) Used to form names of star types, such as magnetar, collapsar, etc.


-like

From Middle English -like, -lik, from Middle English like, lik (“same, similar, alike”), from Old English ġelīc and Old Norse líkr (“same, similar, alike”). Reinforced by like (preposition). Doublet of -ly. Compare also Dutch -lijk (“-ly, -like”).

كَـ

Even at 13 years old, she still had a childlike voice.

I saw the snake-like coils of the garden hose peeking out from under the deck.

1996, Kevin Siembieda, Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game page 128 under "Dark"
Damage: Those with normal, human-like vision are blind

What other television show would feature a gorgeously designed sequence where a horrifically mutated Pierre and Marie Curie, their bodies swollen to Godzilla-like proportions from prolonged exposure to the radiation that would eventually kill them, destroy an Asian city with their bare hands like vengeance-crazed monster-Gods?

2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:

Resembling, having some of the characteristics of (used to form adjectives from nouns).

(dialectal) Used to form adverbs from adjectives or nouns; alternative of -ly.


-ary

Back-formation from unary and similar, from Middle English -arie, from Latin adjective suffixes -āris and -ārius; compare related -arian, and -adic. Doublet of -eer and -yer.

order + -ary → ordinary

Of or pertaining to; adjective suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. Often added to words of Latin origin, but used with other words also.

1927, A. D. Campbell, “The discriminant of the m-ary quadratic in the Galois fields of order 2ⁿ”, in Annals of Mathematics, Second Series 29:1-4:

2007, Philippe Leroux, “A simple symmetry generating operads related to rooted planar m-ary trees and polygonal numbers”, in Journal of Integer Sequences, 10:4:

(mathematics) Having the specified arity.


-oid

From Latin -oīdēs, from Ancient Greek -ο-ειδής (-o-eidḗs) (the ο being the last vowel of the stem to which the suffix is attached); from εἶδος (eîdos, “form, likeness”).

human + -oid → humanoid

sterol + -oid → steroid

Resembling; having the likeness of (usually including the concept of not being the same despite the likeness, but counterexamples exist).

-ass

resembling; restricted to casual registers

-like

resembling; forms adjectives from nouns only

lympho- + -oid → lymphoid

myelo- + -oid → myeloid

(less commonly) Of, pertaining to, or related to.

waste + -oid → wastoid

female + -oid → femoid

left + -oid → leftoid

right + -oid → rightoid

Added to nouns to create derogatory terms, typically referring to a particular ideology or group of people, by means of analogy to psychological classifications such as schizoid.


-id

Europe + -id → Europid

negro + -id → negrid

(not productive except in zoology) of or pertaining to; appended to various foreign words to make an English adjective or noun form. Often added to words of Greek, sometimes Latin, origin.


-id

From Middle French -ide (like also English -ide), French -ide, and their sources, Latin -id-, -is and Ancient Greek -ῐδ- (-ĭd-), -ῐς (-ĭs).

(botany) Forming nouns from Latin or Greek roots, including certain plant names modelled on Latin sources.

The Perseid meteor shower's radiant is in the constellation of Perseus.

(astronomy) Forming common names of meteors from their apparent constellation of origin.

A felid is a member of Felidae.

(zoology) Forming common names of members of a taxon which has a name ending in -idae.

protocone (“cusp of an upper molar”) + -id → protoconid (“equivalent for lower molars”)

(dentistry, paleontology) Forming names of dental features found in lower (mandibular) teeth.

Solomon → Solomonid, Umayya → Umayyad, Idris → Idrisid, Genghis Khan → Genghisid, Ismail Safavi → Safavid

(history) Forming the names of certain dynasties, being suffixed to the name of their progenitors and meaning "descendant(s) of".


-s

→ Cantonese: -s

→ Japanese: ズ (-zu)

→ Malayalam: -സ് (-sŭ)

→ Swedish: -s

→ Tagalog: -s

→ Welsh: -s

Inherited from Middle English -s, -es, from Old English -as, nominative-accusative plural ending of masculine a-stem (i.e. strong) declension nouns, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōs, from Proto-Germanic *-ōs, *‑ōz, from Proto-Indo-European *-es, *-oes (plural endings). The spread of this ending in later Middle English was once argued to have been the result of Anglo-Norman influence; however, -as was already the most common Old English plural marker (used in approximately 40% of Old English nouns), and was initially more common in the North of England where French influence was weakest, only later gradually spreading south, replacing the usual southern plural ending -en. Cognate with Scots -s (plural ending), Saterland Frisian -s (plural ending), West Frisian -s (plural ending), Dutch -s (plural ending), Low German -s (plural ending), Danish -er (plural ending), Swedish -r, -ar, -or (plural ending), Icelandic -ar (plural ending), Gothic -𐍉𐍃 (-ōs, nominative plural ending of a-stem masculine nouns). Not directly related to German -er (plural ending) which has a different origin.

cog

one computer → five computers

供

plural markers for humans, non-mandatory

shorts

sunglasses

Used to form many pluralia tantum (nouns that are almost or entirely without singular forms).

We often look back on the 1960s [the years from 1960 to 1969] with rose-tinted glasses.

The Industrial Revolution went into full-swing during the 1800s [the years from 1800 to 1899 – but see usage notes].

The temperature today will be in the low 30s.

He placed in the 200s in the end.

When appended to a number ending in at least one 0, expresses a range of numbers which share the digits before some or (usually) all of the 0s; frequently used for decades, centuries and temperatures.


-s

From Middle English -(e)s (third-person singular ending), from Northumbrian Old English -es, -as (third-person singular endings). Gradually replaced the older -eth, from Old English -(e)þ, -aþ, during the Middle English and Early Modern English periods.
It is predominantly believed that -(e)s is identical to the Old English second-person singular ending -es, -est (cf. archaic Modern English -est, as in thou singest). The use for the third-person singular would have been caused by speakers of Old Norse who switched to speaking English and confounded the endings due to analogy with their native tongue. In Old Norse, the second and third person singular indicative forms were identical (e.g. þú masar, hann masar; þú þekkir, hann þekkir; etc.).
An alternative theory sees the shift from /θ/ in -eth to /s/ (later /z/) in -(e)s as a mere phonetic simplification due to the frequency of the ending, but the objection to this is that no such development can be observed anywhere else in English. Nevertheless the relative similarity in sound between both forms may have facilitated the spread of -es.

inh

to eat → he eats

Used to form the third-person singular indicative present tense of verbs.


-s

From Middle English -es, from Old English -es, the masculine and neuter genitive singular ending of strong nouns. More at -'s.

forward + -s → forwards

downward + -s → downwards

alway + -s → always

sometime + -s → sometimes

betime + -s → betimes

while + -s → whiles

betide + -s → betides

toward + -s → towards

beside + -s → besides

evening + -s → evenings

unaware + -s → unawares

Used in the formation of certain English adverbs.


-s

A variant spelling of -'s, partly an archaism, partly by dropping the apostrophe.

hers; its; ones (now one’s); theirs

(neopronouns): eirs; hirs; pers; thons; xyrs; zirs

(on pronouns) Possessive marker, indicating that an object belongs to the word bearing the marker.

devils doorbell; dogs-bane; St. Marys; (obsolete) kings

(on nouns, now nonstandard) Alternative form of -'s


-s

American Heritage Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary

Modern sense in slang [circa 1936]. According to OED, a colloquial clipping of the hypocoristic diminutive suffix -sy. As AHD writes, -sy itself usually being informal, ironic and/or jocular, and possibly a combination of -s (“plural marker”) and conflation of -y as adjectival with its sense as a diminutive suffix (e.g., puppy, kitty), the latter notion probably from Scots.

Babs; moms; pops; homes; toots

(informal, colloquial, sometimes humorous) Hypocoristic suffix


-in

albumin, casein, chitin, pepsin, saponin

(biochemistry) Used, as a modification of -ine, to form the names of a variety of types of compound; examples include proteins (globulin), carbohydrates (dextrin), dyes (alizarin) and others (vanillin).

renin, pancreatin

penicillin, streptomycin

cobalamin, niacin, vitamin


-in

From the particle in, modelled after sit-in. Compare -off.

Attached to a word (usually a verb) to denote a protest, demonstration or other type of gathering characterized by the activity denoted by the base word.


-in

(proscribed, dialect) Alternative form of -ing.


-in

elf + -in → elfin


-na

Balgruntie wasna that—

1892, William Carleton, Amusing Irish Tales:

I'm tryna (trying to) figure this one out.

(slang, on a verb) -ing to (with infinitive); indicates the grammatical present continuous active mood


-kin

From Middle English -kin, -kinne, -kunne, from Old English cynna, the genitive plural of cynn (“kind, sort, rank”), used in compounds.

alkin

Dutchkin

ilkin

weirdkin

whatkin

(now chiefly dialectal) Used to form adjectives expressing resemblance or likeness to, similar to -like.

otakukin

otherkin

(plural -kin) A suffix used to form nouns having qualities of or belonging to a particular kind, class, or sort.


-kin

From Middle English -kin, -ken (also as -ke, -k), perhaps from Old English -ca, -ce, but more likely from Middle Dutch -ken (compare cognate Middle English -chen, -chin, from Old English -ċen), apparently representing Proto-West Germanic *-ikīn, *-ukīn, a double diminutive, from *-ik, *-uk (> Old English -oc) + *-īn (compare Old English -en). Cognate with Dutch -ken, Low German -ken, German -chen, Old English -ċen. More at -ock, -en.

(now archaic) Forming diminutives of nouns.


-ose

Borrowed from Latin -ōsus. Doublet of -ous in stressed position.

comatose (full of sleep)


-ose

(chemistry) Used to form the names of sugars.

(biochemistry) Used to indicate a product of protein breakdown


-th

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English -þ, -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (“-th”, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, Dutch -te, Danish -de, Swedish -d, Icelandic -ð, -d, Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa), Latin -itās (“-ty, -ity”). See -ity, -t.

berth, birth, blowth, drawth, flowth, growth, sight, spilth, stealth, tilth, theft, weight, shrift

(no longer productive) Used to form nouns from verbs of action.

breadth, chillth, coolth, dampth, dearth, depth, filth, health, height/heighth, illth, length, roomth, ruth, strength, troth, truth, sloth/slowth, warmth, wealth, width, wrath, wrength, youth/youngth

(no longer productive except jocular coinages) Used to form nouns of quality from adjectives.


-th

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (ordinal suffix), from Old English -þa, -þe, -oþa, -oþe, derived from a Proto-Indo-European superlative suffix. .

the 4th/Fourth of July

Used to form the ordinal numeral when the final term of the spelled number is not “first”, “second”, or “third”.

The nth term of a geometrical progression whose first term is a and common ratio is r is given by arⁿ.

(mathematics) Used to form a term denoting the ordinal numeral corresponding to the value, being a natural number, of a mathematical expression.

one seventh; three tenths

Used to form the denominator of a fraction.


-th

From Middle English -eth, -th, from Old English -eþ, -aþ, -þ.

come → cometh

have → hath

do → doth

say → saith

(archaic) A variant of -eth, used to form the archaic third-person singular indicative present tense of verbs.


-less

From Middle English -les, -leas, from Old English -lēas (“-less”) (compare lēas (“devoid of, loose from, false”)), from Proto-West Germanic *-laus, from Proto-Germanic *-lausaz, from *lausaz (“loose”). (Not related to less, which derives from *laisiz, *laisizô.) Cognate with Scots -less, West Frisian -leas, Saterland Frisian -loos, Dutch -loos (“-less”), Low German -los, German -los, Danish -løs, Swedish -lös, Icelandic -laus. More at lease (“false”).

The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.

2013 September-October, Henry Petroski, “The Evolution of Eyeglasses”, in American Scientist:

Lacking (something); without (something). Added usually to a noun to form an adjective signifying a lack of that noun.


-ja

(colloquial, used only after a /d/ sound) You, ya.


-en

From Middle English -n, -en, past participle ending of strong verbs (compare Middle English take(n), took, taken (“take, took, taken”)), from Old English -en and Old Norse -inn, past participle ending of strong verbs (compare Old Norse taka, tók, tekinn (“take, took, taken”)), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *-inaz, a variant of *-anaz. In Middle English, the suffix was often weakened to -e or disappeared (compare Southern Middle English do(n), dud(e), ydo (“do, did, done”)), but not in others (compare cume(n), com, ycume (“come, came, come”)), from Proto-Germanic *-anaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós.

cog

take + -en → taken

forgive + -en → forgiven

prove + -en → proven

(no longer productive) Denotes the past participle form when attached to a verb.

fork + -en → forken (“forked”)

pave + -en → paven (“paved”)

barefoot + -en → bare-footen (“bare-footed”)

enslave + -en → enslaven (“enslaved”)

Denotes a quasi-past participle or participle-like adjective when attached to a noun or verb.


-en

From Middle English -en, from Old English -an, from Proto-Germanic *-an-, *-in-, from Proto-Indo-European *-én-.
From Middle English -n (in words ending in a vowel: flee: fleen "flea: fleas") and -en. Noun plural marker (predominantly in Southern dialects of Middle English), from Old English nominative-accusative plural ending of weak nouns (n-stem declension); compare nama m (“name”) + -en → naman (“names”); hlǣfdīġe f (“lady”) + -en → hlǣfdīġan (“ladies”); ēare n (“ear”) + -en → ēaran (“ears”). Assisted by Middle English dative plural ending -n, -en from late O.E. -un, -on, weakened form of earlier -um. Akin to Old High German n-stem (compare namo: namon "name: names"), Latin n-stem (compare homo: homin-).

suffixusex

aurochs + -en → aurochsen
brother + -en → brethren (religious sense)
child + -en → children (cf. childer)
ox + -en → oxen

bee + -en → been
cheese + -en → cheesen
ky (“cows”) + -en → kine
knee + -en → kneen
eyre (“eggs”) + -en → eyren
eye + -en → eyen
feather + -en → feathern
fox + -en → foxen
horse + -en → horsen
hose + -en → hosen
house + -en → housen
pease + -en → peasen
shoe + -en → shoon
sister + -en → sistren
tree + -en → treen

Moder, gyn, will not y washen' the dishen'. i. Mother, Jone, will not wash the dishes.

1890, John Drummond Robertson, lord Henry Haughton Reynolds Moreton, A Glossary of Dialect & Archaic Words Used in the County of Gloucester

Used to denote the plural form of a small number of English nouns, the majority of whose etymologies go back to the n-stem (i.e. weak noun) declension of Germanic languages.

box + -en → boxen

VAX + -en → VAXen

There was one other user logged in, “scaredy,” and he checked the process monitor and saw that scaredy had spawned all the hundreds of processes that were probing him and plenty of other boxen.

2007, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology:

Victor and I are having a huge argument about whether or not to feed the foxen. Victor says yes, because they're adorable and— according to the neighbors—are quite tame. I say no, because we have a fat little pug who likes to frolic outside occasionally and I don't want to see him eaten. I thought we were on the same page about the fox, but then Victor went and threw an apple at it. And I was all, “What the fuck? We don't feed the foxen,” and he said, “I was throwing the apple at it to chase it away,” but Victor is a tremendous liar, and he didn't go to pick up the apple, probably because he knows that foxen love apple cider.

2012, Jenny Lawson, Let's Pretend This Never Happened:

For now the boys grew whiskers and hung fox pelts from their shoulders and the girlen all wore scarlet skirts and braided ribbons through their hair.

(nonstandard, rare, often dialectal or humorous) Used to form the plural of nouns.


-en

From Middle English -(e)nen, -(e)nien, from Old English -nian, from Proto-West Germanic *-inōn, from Proto-Germanic *-inōną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -enje, West Frisian -enje, Danish -ne, Swedish -na, Icelandic -na.

white (adjective) + -en → whiten

quick + -en → quicken

strength (noun) + -en → strengthen

haste + -en → hasten

night + -en → nighten

When attached to certain adjectives, it forms a transitive verb whose meaning is, to make (adjective). Usually, the verb is ergative, sometimes not. The same construction could also be done to certain (fewer) nouns, as, strengthen, in which case the verb means roughly, "to give (noun) to", or "to become like (noun)".

-gøre

to make [adjective], to cause to be [adjective]


-en

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Proto-West Germanic *-īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz; suffix meaning "made of, consisting of, having the qualities of" applied to nouns to form adjectives. Akin to Dutch -en, German -en, Icelandic -inn, Latin -īnus. See -ine.

wolf + -en → wolven

peach + -en → peachen

goat + -en → goaten

Suffix meaning "pertaining to", "having the qualities of", "resembling", "like".

wood + -en → wooden
gold + -en → golden
wheat + -en → wheaten
oat + -en → oaten
silk + -en → silken
earth + -en → earthen
flax + -en → flaxen
lead + -en → leaden
wool + -en → woollen
oak + -en → oaken

Current examples used in a literal and sometimes metaphorical sense

Examples where a metaphorical sense is common but the literal sense is rare or archaic:
brass + -en → brazen ("shameless")

ash + -en → ashen ("made of ash-tree wood"; ashen "grey like ashes, appalled" is still current)
beech + -en → beechen ("made of wood from, or otherwise concerning, the beech tree")
box + -en → boxen ("made of boxwood")
bronze + -en → bronzen
silver + -en → silvern
cedar + -en → cedarn
leather + -en → leathern
copper + -en → coppern
paper + -en → papern
brick + -en → bricken
board + -en → boarden
tree + -en → treen
hemp + -en → hempen

Orphan examples:
line (“flax”) + -en → linen

When attached to certain nouns that are the names of a material, it forms an adjective whose meaning is, made of (noun). This is a formative pattern with many obsolescent remnants. Fowler (1926) pointed out the tendency for the -en forms to be restricted to metaphorical and secondary senses. Changes in the form of the root noun, and the dropping of the "e" in the suffix occur. There are also orphan formations whose root has been lost to the current language.


-en

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from the neuter form of -en (“pertaining to”, adjective-forming suffix).

chick + -en → chicken

maid + -en → maiden

smitch, smidge + -en → smidgen

Used to form the diminutives of certain nouns.


-en

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Proto-West Germanic *inī.

fox + -en → vixen (“female fox”)

monk + -en → minchen (“nun”) (obsolete)


-en

From Middle English -en, from Old English -an, from Proto-Germanic *-aną.

The Sonne compell'd, beene Butcher to the Sire[…]

c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

As gentle Shepheard in sweete euen-tide, When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west, High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

From others' labours; for though he strive
To killen bad, keep good alive;

c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

(obsolete) Used to form the infinitive of verbs.


-en

From Middle English -en, from Old English -on and -en, the indicative and subjunctive past tense plural endings of verbs.

So forth they marchen in this goodly sort,
To take the solace of the open aire,

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

All periſhen of man, of pelfe,
Ne ought eſcapend but himſelfe; […]

c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon, […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

Hoo'll never do no good at the music, they tellen her up at the school, wi'out hoo practises reg'lar, an' it's unpossible for her to do that wi'out we has a pianney i' the 'ouse.

1905 May 13, M. E. Francis, “Mrs Gradwell's Piano”, in Country Life, volume XVII, number 436, Country Life, Limited, page 678:

(obsolete) Used to form the plural present tense of verbs.

Her name was Agape whoſe children werne
All three as one, the firſt hight Priamond,
The ſecond Dyamond, the youngeſt Triamond.

1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IIII, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, page 32:

Nau, if ony chap ax you wheere yone getten these, yo mun say, yo hadden um fro' t' boggart o' Deerpley Fell. Good-bye, meaustur; and nau, lads, let's to our wark.

1860, Sir James Phillips Kay-Shuttleworth, “The Attack on the Eagle Mill—The Ride to the Rescue”, in Scarsdale, or, Life on the Yorkshire-Lancashire Border, Thirty Years Ago, volume 1, London: Smith, Elder & Co., page 61:

[…] but they tooken on 'em soft, an' maden out as they wun right glad to see 'em agen, an axt 'em to come in an' a some mate an' drink.

1883, Charlotte Sophia Burne, Georgina Frederica Jackson, Shropshire Folk-lore: A Sheaf of Gleanings, volume 1, London: Trübner & Company, page 46:

(obsolete) Used to form the plural past tense of verbs.


-on

* (Physics) From -on in electron, reinforced by Ancient Greek -ον (-on) ending neuter nouns and adjectives.
* (Chemistry) From -on in carbon, first applied to boron and then to silicon.

Coordinate term: -ino

(physics, mathematics and biology) Forming nouns denoting subatomic particles (proton), quanta (photon), molecular units (codon), or substances (interferon).

(biology, genetics) Forming names of things considered as basic or fundamental units, such as codon or recon.

(chemistry) Forming names of noble gases and certain nonmetal elements (such as boron or silicon).


-graph

From Ancient Greek suffix -γράφος (-gráphos, “that writes, describes”), from γράφω (gráphō, “to scratch, to scrape, to graze”), whence also -graphy.

stenograph

photograph

A group of letters of a specified number.


-o

Perhaps from a special use of the interjection O, oh; and/or perhaps from o (“one”), from Middle English o, oo, variant of a, on, oon, an (“one”). See one and -y.

kid + -o → kiddo

ugly + -o → uggo

Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’

1991, Stephen Fry, chapter III, in The Liar, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 26:

A colloquializing suffix, typically appended to names, abbreviations of long words, or substantive uses of adjectives.


-o

From many Spanish or Italian words that end in o. This ending in such Spanish or Italian words generally derives from -um, the accusative singular inflectional ending for masculine and neuter nouns in Latin.

no problemo

(humorous) Converts certain words to faux Italian or Spanish. Can be used with Spanish el for expressions such as el stinko.


-o

Added to verb stems to create a noun describing an error relating to the action described by the verb.


-t

From Middle English -te (preterite ending), -t (past participle ending), from Old English -te, -de (first and third person preterite ending), -t, -ed, -od (past participle ending), from Proto-Germanic *-id- (preterite stem ending of class 1 weak verbs) and *-idaz (past participle ending of class 1 weak verbs).
In some verbs, like lose/lost, the -t-/-t was merely an alteration of earlier -d-/-d during the Middle English period. See -ed.

inh

Forms the past tense and/or past participle of some verbs (leapt, kept, dreamt, blest, etc.)


-t

From Middle English -t (e.g. aȝenst vs. aȝens (“against”)), likely resulting from -s + the, or various other words beginning with th-, t-.

against, amidst, amongst, betwixt, whilst, twicet

An excrescent ending appended to words suffixed with -s.


-t

From Middle English -t, from Old English -t, variant of -þ (“-th”) following spirant/fricative sounds, from Proto-Germanic *-þiz. More at -th.

arise + -t → arist

drive + -t → drift

see + -t → sight

thieve + -t → theft

thrive + -t → thrift

Used to form nouns from verbs of action; equivalent to -th.


-t

Suffix from Middle English -ten, from Old English -ettan, from Proto-West Germanic *-attjan, from Proto-Germanic *-atjaną.

yeet, grunt, fidget, haunt (via French), elt (via Old Norse).

Verbs formed from nouns or adjectives (compare English -ate, -ize), frequently having a causative force, or modified from an existing verb into a frequentative verb (no longer productive)


-t

period + -t → periodt

good + -t → goodt

I'm at a very weird stage in my life where i feel worthless and like I'm ruining out of time but I'm also really young bUT I'm not doing anything I love or that makes me happy so I'm SADT

2018 May 29, @chave1y, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-01-19:

Day two of Lemon flavoured coffee 🥲💔 oh my godt

2021 November 24, @NalediMOfficial, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-01-19:

They ate this SO BADT

2023 April 23, @mingiiki, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-01-19:

(African-American Vernacular, slang) An intensifier added to the end of words ending in , representing a change in pronunciation from /d/ to /t/.


-in'

Alternate pronunciation of -ing with /n/ instead of /ŋ/. It is derived from two sources:
* the Old English present participle suffix -ende;
* the Old English verbal noun suffix -ung/-ing.
The two Old English suffixes became confused in Modern English, due at least partly to the practice of spelling them both as -ing.

"Jesus Christ! Was my folks refined. My mam she wouldn't think-a lettin' us young'uns call a pee pot a pee pot. A chamber's what she called it... And by God! Us young'uns had ter call the pee pot a chamber or git our God damn necks wrang."

1946, Elizabeth Metzger Howard, Before the Sun Goes Down, page 31:

(Mid-Ulster, colloquial, pronunciation spelling) Alternative form of -ing


-pedia

From Ancient Greek παιδεία (paideía, “upbringing, education”), from παῖς (paîs, “child”).

der

(from a back-formation of encyclopedia) A specialized encyclopedia about the prefixed subject (e.g., "Unicornopedia").

A general encyclopedia in the structure described by the prefix (e.g. Kidpedia for young children).


-holic

Trump was also a horndog, a braggart, and a social-media-holic—just like voters were.

2017, David Friend, The Naughty Nineties:

Denotes addiction to or indulgence in the substance or activity of the stem word.


-mas

From Middle English -masse, -messe, from Old English -mæsse, the second element in several ritual and holiday names (e.g. Candelmæsse, Cristes mæsse, hlāfmæsse, etc.), from Old English mæsse (“the mass, church festival”). Compare Dutch mis, German Messe, Danish messe, Swedish mässa, Icelandic messa.


-speak

Probably originally from Newspeak, coined by George Orwell in his book Nineteen Eighty-Four.

On the American side, one motive for this is usually couched in the most delicate diplomat-speak.

2006, "The great Indian hope trick", The Economist (Feb. 25)

Indicates a manner of speech or writing typical of or characterized by the root term.


-ward

From Old English -weard, from Proto-Germanic *wardaz, earlier *warþaz (“turned toward, in the direction of, facing”) (compare -wards, from -weardes).
Cognate with Dutch -waarts, Low German -warts, German -wärts, Old Norse -verðr, Icelandic -verðr, Swedish -vart, Gothic -𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (-wairþs), Latin vertere (“to turn”) or versus (“toward”), and Sanskrit वर्तते (vártate, “he turns”). Also related to worth (“to become”). Compare verse.

Forming adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backward", "toward", "forward", etc.

Forming adjectives, as in "a backward look", "the northward road", etc; used even by speakers who usually use -wards for adverbs.


-wards

From Middle English -wardes, from Old English -weardes, a variant of -weard; equivalent to -ward + -s (adverbial suffix).

(Katisha:) At once I go Mikado-wards!

1885, W[illiam] S[chwenck] Gilbert, Arthur Sullivan, composer, “The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu”, in […] The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu, London: Chappel & Co., […], →OCLC:

Forming adjectives and adverbs denoting course or direction to, or motion or tendency toward, as in "backwards", "towards", etc.


-cidal

Used to make adjectives corresponding to nouns ending in -cide.


-cide

From Middle French -cide, from Latin -cīdium (“killing”).


-cide

From Middle French -cide, from Latin -cīda (“cutter, killer”), from caedō (“cut, kill”).


-icle

From a back-formation of icicle, the second element of which ultimately from Old English ġicel (“icicle, ice”). More at icicle, ickle.

brinicle, limicle, rusticle, snoticle


-icle

thesis + -icle → thesicle

(uncommon, diminutive) Used to form diminutive nouns.


-e

From archaic forms ending in e, from Middle English -e, from the coalescence of multiple various endings from Old English.

YE OLDE ENGLISHE CHRISTMASSE FEASTE: Nine course authentic Renaissance festival banquet.

1993, “10-13. Kenosha”, in Wisconsin Annual Events, page 38:

Ye Olde Webbe page / Whither thou goest, there thou be.

1996, Jon Orwant, Perl 5 Interactive Course, →ISBN, page 679:

Go on tell what prob your having at the mo with ye olde computere! You don't get this crusty without one...do u?

1999 June 14, Tina Clarke, “Re: How to make LINKS open in new Browser Window?”, in microsoft.public.frontpage.client (Usenet), message-ID <7k1f5j$607$1@news5.svr.pol.co.uk>:

“Yes. It’s an English pub called Ye Olde Meate Markete.[…]”

2002, Bruce Balfour, The Forge of Mars, Berkeley Publishing Group, →ISBN:


-i

A conflation of the following suffixes:
* For Semitic-speaking places, from the Arabic nisba suffix ـِيّ (-iyy) or from Hebrew ־י (-i), both sharing a common Semitic root.
* For Indo-Iranian-speaking places, from Persian ـی (-ī) and Hindi -ई (-ī).
In English, productive from the 19th century.

Iraq + -i → Iraqi

Israel + -i → Israeli

Pakistan + -i → Pakistani

Bengal + -i → Bengali

Nepal + -i → Nepali

-desh + -i → Desi

Kabul + -i → Kabuli

Baghdad + -i → Baghdadi

Used to form adjectives and nouns describing people of a particular city, region, or country, and the language spoken by these people.

ـِيّ

suffix to form a demonym (especially in the Middle East)


-i

rare; imitation of the original Latin or of Italian

focus + -i → foci

radius + -i → radii

Forms an alternative plural ending for various words borrowed from Latin that end in ⟨us⟩ in the singular.


-i

From Italian -i (masculine plural), from Latin -ī (see etymology 2).

concerto + -i → concerti

calzone + -i → calzoni

Forms an alternative plural ending for words borrowed from Italian that end in ⟨o⟩ or ⟨e⟩ in the singular.


-i

Becki, Benji, Jimmi, Lexi, Nicki, Sammi, Sandi, Trini, Vicki

Used to form diminutives of given names.


-os

From the traditional Ashkenazi pronunciation of Hebrew ־וֹת (“-ót”), and its descendant, Yiddish ־ות (-es).

Used to form plurals of some Hebrew and Yiddish loanwords, usually ending in -a or -ah.


-phore

From New Latin -phorus, from Ancient Greek -φόρος (-phóros, “bearing”), a derivative of φέρω (phérō, “to bear, to carry”).


-all

line + -all → lineall

base + -all → basall

cranium + -all → craniall


-plast

From Ancient Greek πλαστός (plastós, “molded, formed”).

A small body, structure, particle, or granule, especially of living matter.


Back-formation from any% or low%, in which the “%” was a literal indicator of the percentage completion the player would achieve in order to qualify for the given leaderboard category.
The suffix was then broadened to form category names in general, where the suffixed term specified some condition about the category, e.g. what score must be obtained, items used, etc., in order to qualify.

100% ― 100% of the game must be completed

any% ― any percentage completion is permitted

low% ― the lowest possible completion is required

(speedrunning) Suffix forming speedrunning categories requiring a given percentage to qualify.

P% ― requiring a “P” rank in order to qualify

Gears% ― gear items are allowed as part of the run (whereas in the main category runs they would not be)

(speedrunning) Suffix forming speedrunning categories related to the suffixed element, or subject to constraints based on it.


(stenoscript) the suffix -(V)nce or -(V)nse (-ance, -ence, -anse, -ense, etc.)


-ability

From Middle English -ablete, -iblete, -abilite, -ibilite, from Middle French -ableté, -ibleté, -abilité, -ibilité, from Latin -abilitas, -ibilitas, from -abilis (“able”) or -ibilis (“able”) + -tas. Equivalent to -able + -ity.

vulner(able) → vulnerability

Forms a noun from a verb or an adjective by changing from -able; ability, inclination or suitability for a specified function or condition.


-ier

spelling of the suffix sequence -y followed by -er, or of any word ending in -y suffixed with -er.


-ier

Used to make agent nouns, particularly with words from French: clothier, perfumier.


-erie

Obsolete spelling of -ery. (other senses)