־ות

The plural suffix for feminine nouns derived from Hebrew.


־ים

The plural suffix for masculine nouns derived from Hebrew.


־ה

The singular suffix for feminine nouns derived from Hebrew.


־יק

-ik (romanization)
־יג (alternative)
־יִק (alternative)

From Middle High German -ec, -ic, from Old High German -ig, from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-gaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos. Cognate to German -ig.


־יק

From Slavic; compare Polish -ek, -ik, Russian -ик (-ik), Ukrainian -ик (-yk). Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *-ikъ.


־יש

From Old High German -isc, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (compare German -isch), from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos.

-ish, -ese (for a language name or demonym)


־לעך

-lekh (romanization)
־לעך (predicative)
־לעכער (masculine nominative)
־לעך (indefinite neuter nominative)
־לעכע (definite neuter nominative)
־לעכס (neuter nominative postpositional)
־לעכע (feminine nominative)
־לעכע (nominative plural)
־לעכן (accusative masculine)
־לעך (accusative indefinite neuter)
־לעכע (accusative definite neuter)
־לעכס (accusative neuter postpositional)
־לעכע (accusative feminine)
־לעכע (accusative plural)
־לעכן (dative masculine)
־לעך (dative indefinite neuter)
־לעכן (dative definite neuter)
־לעכן (dative neuter postpositional)
־לעכער (dative feminine)
־לעכע (dative plural)
־ליך (alternative)

From Middle High German -lich, from Old High German -līh, from Proto-Germanic *-līkaz (“having the body or form of”).


־לעך

Hebrew: ־לך (-lakh)

Borrowed from one or more Upper or Central German dialects, from Middle High German -lech (which see), which had come to be seen as a plural of -l.


־ונג

From Old High German -unga, from Proto-Germanic *-ungō (compare German -ung, English -ing).


־לאָז

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־לאָז • (-loz)

From Proto-Germanic *lausaz (compare German -los, Old English -lēas, Icelandic -laus).


־ין

From Middle High German -inne, -in, -īn (cognate to German -in).

קיניג (kinig, “king”) + ־ין (-in) → קיניגין (kinigin, “queen”)

Suffixed to animate nouns to create a feminine form


־ן

From Middle High German -en, a merger of various terminations in Old High German reflecting different conjugational patterns, namely -an, -ien, -on, -en, and -non, respectively from Proto-Germanic *-aną, *-janą, *-ōną, *-āną, and *-naną.

The infinitive marker for verbs, which can be appended to a noun or adjective that means X to create a verb that means "to make X" or "to do X"


־ן

A plural marker for regular nouns not ending in an unstressed ־ר (-r), ־ם (-m), ־ן (-n), or a vowel.


־ן

A merger of the nasal inflectional endings of nouns and adjectives of Middle High German: -en, -em.

Used to indicate the dative and accusative in the masculine form of adjectives and masculine declined nouns, and the dative in the neuter form of adjectives and feminine declined nouns.


־ן

Used to form nouns denoting people of a certain profession or who perform certain habitual actions.


־ן

Regular termination of the first-person plural present indicative form of verbs.

Regular termination of the third-person plural present indicative form of verbs.


־ער

From Middle High German -ære, -er, from Old High German -āri, from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz; cognate with German -er.


־ער

From Middle High German -ære, -er, from Old High German -āri, from Proto-Germanic *warjaz; cognate with German -er.

-er (a resident or inhabitant of a place)


־ער

-er (romanization)
־ער (predicative)
־ערער (masculine nominative)
־ער (indefinite neuter nominative)
־ערע (definite neuter nominative)
־ערס (neuter nominative postpositional)
־ערע (feminine nominative)
־ערע (nominative plural)
־ערן (accusative masculine)
־ער (accusative indefinite neuter)
־ערע (accusative definite neuter)
־ערס (accusative neuter postpositional)
־ערע (accusative feminine)
־ערע (accusative plural)
־ערן (dative masculine)
־ער (dative indefinite neuter)
־ערן (dative definite neuter)
־ערן (dative neuter postpositional)
־ערער (dative feminine)
־ערע (dative plural)

From Middle High German -er, from Old High German -iro from Proto-Germanic *-izô; cognate with German -er


־ס

Middle High German did not have an s-plural. The Yiddish form probably comes from a confluence of two origins: The use after unstressed -e corresponds to Hebrew ־ות (-ôṯ), which is pronounced [əs] in Yiddish (and Ashkenazi Hebrew). The use after unstressed sonorants is very similar to Middle Low German and likely influenced by it. Compare German -s (also from Middle Low German), English -s (inherited).

Marks the plural form of regular nouns ending in an unstressed ־ר (-r), ־ם (-m), ־ן (-n), or a vowel.


־ס

Marks the possessive form of nouns used for people.


־קײַט

־קייט ־קייט#Yiddish


־הייט

From Middle High German -heit, from Old High German -heit. Compare German -heit. Ultimately from Proto-Germanic *haiduz.


־יג

(Daytshmerish) alternative form of ־יק (-ik)


־ל

-l (romanization)
-lekh (romanization)
־דל (alternative)
־כל (alternative)
־עכל (alternative)

Hebrew: ־לה (-le)

From Middle High German -el, from Old High German -il, from Old High German -ilī. Compare German -lein, dialectal German -el, -erl, Alemannic German -li.

Forms diminutive nouns when added to a noun, with umlaut where applicable.

Forms fractional numerals when added to the stem of an ordinal numeral.


־שאַפֿט

־שאַפֿט • (-shaft)

From Old High German -scaf, from Proto-Germanic *-skapiz (“state, condition”).


־דיק

Likely from rebracketing of ־ד (-d, inherited present participle ending from Middle High German) (compare say German sehen and sehend) + ־יק (-ik).


־עניו

From Slavic; compare Polish -eniu, dative form of -enie; or Russian -ению (-eniju), dative form of -ение (-enije).

Used to form endearing diminutives, as a quasi-vocative


־ניק

English: -nik

Hebrew: ־ניק (-nik)

From a Slavic language; compare Russian -ник (-nik).

(added to nouns) -nik, -er: Denoting persons by membership, occupation or attribute.


־ירן

-irn (romanization)
־ירט (participle past)

Inherited from Middle High German -ieren, from a rebracketing of French -ir or Italian -ire + ־ן (-n). Compare German -ieren.


־יזם

Ultimately from Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós); some words with this suffix show influence from English -ism or French -isme.

-ism (denotes an ideology or belief system)


־קייט

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־קייט • (kayt)

A combination of the Middle High German forms of ־יק (-ik) and ־הייט (-heyt). Compare German -keit.
Unlike for ־הייט (-heyt), the Litvish pronunciation anomalously shifted to ־קײַט (-kayt).


־קע

From a Slavic source; compare Russian -ка (-ka). May have also merged with a Germanic diminutive, compare German -ken and Dutch -ke.

Forms feminine derivatives of animate nouns.

Irregularly forms diminutives of nouns, often accompanied by stem change or addition to the stem.


־עלע

Used to express an emphasised diminutive, to indicate that something is extremely small.

alternative form of ־ל (-l): dialectal alternative diminutive


־סט

Regular termination of the second-person singular present indicative form of verbs.

Forms the superlative of adjectives: -est


־ט

Regular termination of the third-person plural singular indicative form of verbs.

Regular termination of the second-person plural present indicative form of verbs.

Regularly forms past participles of verbs stressed on the final syllable of the stem.


־יסט

־יסט • (-íst) m

From Latin -ista, from Ancient Greek -ιστής (-istḗs).

-ist (one who follows a particular ideology, doctrine, belief system or theory)

-ist (a member of a profession, or someone who uses something)


־ײַ

בעקער (beker, “baker”) + ־ײַ (-ay) → בעקערײַ (bekeray, “bakery”)

Place where characteristic activity is conducted.

דאָקטער (dokter, “doctor”) + ־ײַ (-ay) → דאָקטערײַ (dokteray, “medicine (profession)”)

Used to create abstract nouns denoting a state, condition, or quality.


־טע

Sometimes used to form feminine equivalents of masculine nouns.


־טום

From Middle High German -tuom, from Old High German -tuom, from Proto-Germanic *-dōmaz (“-dom”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰóh₁mos (“thing put”). Cognate with English -dom, German -tum, Dutch -dom, Swedish -dom.

der

A suffix used to derive abstract nouns: -dom.

Etymological Dictionary of the German Language

de:Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache


־ניש

-nish (romanization)
־עניש (alternative)

From Middle High German -nisse, from Old High German -nissi, from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī (“-ness”). Compare German -nis and especially -niß.

Used to form verbal nouns or less commonly, adjectival nouns.


־שט

alternative form of ־סט (-st, superlative suffix) after ר (r)


־אַק

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־אַק • (-ak)

Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *-akъ. Compare Polish -ak, Czech -ák, Russian -а́к (-ák).

פֿרום (frum, “religious”) + ־אַק (-ak) → פֿרומאַק (frumak, “religious Jew”)

צָבוּעַ (tsavúa, “hypocritical”) + ־(אַ)ק (-(a)k) → צבֿועק (tsvuak, “hypocrite”)

denotes a person with a given characteristic, usually colloquial and/or derogatory in nature


־וואַרג

־וואַרג • (-varg)

From Middle High German werke, werc, werch, from Old High German werc, werh, werk, from Proto-West Germanic *werk, from Proto-Germanic *werką, from Proto-Indo-European *wérǵom. Cognate to German Werk, with the vowel shift from E to A akin to that of האַרבסט (harbst). Compare also English -work, -ware.


־באַר

־באַר • (-bar)

From Middle High German -bære, from Old High German -bāri, from Proto-Germanic *bēriz.


־ינקע

Either ־ין (-in) + ־קע (-ke), or directly borrowed from Slavic; compare Polish -eńka, Russian -енька (-enʹka).

Forms diminutive, often endearing, nouns from other nouns and adjectives.


־ערײַ

From Middle High German -erīe, from Old French -erie. Compare German -erei, English -ery.

ניסן (nisn, “to sneeze”) + ־ערײַ (-eray) → ניסערײַ (niseray, “a sneezing fit”)

Alternative form of ־ײַ (-ay), to indicate the place where characteristic activity is conducted.


־אַרניע

הינט (hint, “dogs”) + ־אַרניע (-arnye) → הינטאַרניע (hintarnye, “dog kennel”)

forms names of designated rooms or shops


־יקייט

yi-noun

־יקייט • (-ikeyt) f, plural ־יקייטן (-ikeytn)

-ikeyt (romanization)
-ikeytn (romanization)

Essentially ־יק (-ik) + ־קייט (-keyt); compare German -igkeit (especially the Austrian/Southern German pronunciation).

אַרבעטסלאָז (arbetsloz, “unemployed”) + ־יקייט (-ikeyt) → אַרבעטסלאָזיקייט (arbetslozikeyt, “unemployment, joblessness”)

forms (usually abstract) nouns from adjectives


־עניש

Variant of ־ניש (-nish), often used with verbs ending in syllabic /n̩/. Compare German -nis and especially -niß.

זאָגן (zogn, “to say”) + ־עניש (-enish) → זאָגעניש (zogenish, “speaking, tattering”)

פּוסט (pust, “empty; idle”) + ־עניש (-enish) → פּוסטעניש (pustenish, “wasteland”)


־עוודיק

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־עוודיק • (-evdik)

Variant of ־דיק (-dik), formed by ־עוו (-ev) + ־דיק (-dik). ־עוו (-ev) probably ultimately from Proto-Slavic *-ovъ. Compare Belarusian -авы (-avy), Polish -owy, Russian -овый (-ovyj), and Ukrainian -овий (-ovyj).

חן (kheyn, “grace, charm”) + ־עוודיק (-evdik) → חנעוודיק (kheynevdik, “graceful, charming”)

באַמערקן (bamerkn, “to notice”) + ־עוודיק (-evdik) → באַמערקעוודיק (bamerkevdik, “noteworthy”)

-ish; -y (forms adjectives from nouns or verbs)

ירשענען (yarshenen, “to inherit”) + ־עוודיק (-evdik) → ירשעוודיק (yarshevdik, “inheritable”)

שמירן (shmirn, “to smear, spread”) + ־עוודיק (-evdik) → שמירעוודיק (shmirevdik, “smearable, spreadable”)


־לען

-len (romanization)
־לען (infinitive)
־לענדיק (participle present)
גע־לט (participle past)
האָבן (auxiliary)
איך ־ל (present)
מיר ־לען (present)
דו ־לסט (present)
איר ־לט (present)
ער ־לט (present)
זיי ־לען (present)
־ל (דו) (imperative)
-l (du) (imperative)
־לט (איר) (imperative)
-lt (ir) (imperative)
איך האָב גע־לט (past)
מיר האָבן גע־לט (past)
דו האָסט גע־לט (past)
איר האָט גע־לט (past)
ער האָט גע־לט (past)
זיי האָבן גע־לט (past)
איך האָב געהאַט גע־לט (pluperfect)
מיר האָבן געהאַט גע־לט (pluperfect)
דו האָסט געהאַט גע־לט (pluperfect)
איר האָט געהאַט גע־לט (pluperfect)
ער האָט געהאַט גע־לט (pluperfect)
זיי האָבן געהאַט גע־לט (pluperfect)
איך וועל ־לען (future)
מיר וועלן ־לען (future)
דו וועסט ־לען (future)
איר וועט ־לען (future)
ער וועט ־לען (future)
זיי וועלן ־לען (future)
איך וועל האָבן גע־לט (future perfect)
מיר וועלן האָבן גע־לט (future perfect)
דו וועסט האָבן גע־לט (future perfect)
איר וועט האָבן גע־לט (future perfect)
ער וועט האָבן גע־לט (future perfect)
זיי וועלן האָבן גע־לט (future perfect)
־לן (alternative)

From Middle High German -elen, from Old High German -alōn, from Proto-Germanic *-lōną (frequentative verbal suffix). Compare German -eln.

inh

באַרשטן (barshtn, “to brush, to clean”) + ־לען (-len) → בערשטלען (bershtlen, “to brush”)

Suffix used to form verbs, sometimes from other verbs and/or with formation of umlaut.


־עווען

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־עווען • (-even)

-even (romanization)
־עווען (infinitive)
־עווענדיק (participle present)
גע־עוועט (participle past)
האָבן (auxiliary)
איך ־עווע (present)
מיר ־עווען (present)
דו ־עוועסט (present)
איר ־עוועט (present)
ער ־עוועט (present)
זיי ־עווען (present)
־עווע (דו) (imperative)
-eve (du) (imperative)
־עוועט (איר) (imperative)
-evet (ir) (imperative)
איך האָב גע־עוועט (past)
מיר האָבן גע־עוועט (past)
דו האָסט גע־עוועט (past)
איר האָט גע־עוועט (past)
ער האָט גע־עוועט (past)
זיי האָבן גע־עוועט (past)
איך האָב געהאַט גע־עוועט (pluperfect)
מיר האָבן געהאַט גע־עוועט (pluperfect)
דו האָסט געהאַט גע־עוועט (pluperfect)
איר האָט געהאַט גע־עוועט (pluperfect)
ער האָט געהאַט גע־עוועט (pluperfect)
זיי האָבן געהאַט גע־עוועט (pluperfect)
איך וועל ־עווען (future)
מיר וועלן ־עווען (future)
דו וועסט ־עווען (future)
איר וועט ־עווען (future)
ער וועט ־עווען (future)
זיי וועלן ־עווען (future)
איך וועל האָבן גע־עוועט (future perfect)
מיר וועלן האָבן גע־עוועט (future perfect)
דו וועסט האָבן גע־עוועט (future perfect)
איר וועט האָבן גע־עוועט (future perfect)
ער וועט האָבן גע־עוועט (future perfect)
זיי וועלן האָבן גע־עוועט (future perfect)

From Proto-Slavic *-ovati (verb-forming suffix), specifically through Polish -ować, Ukrainian -увати (-uvaty), Belarusian -аваць (-avacʹ), Russian -овать (-ovatʹ). The infinitive ending *-ati was replaced with native Yiddish ־ען (-en), a variant of ־ן (-n).

der

Polish flirtować + ־עווען (-even) → פֿלירטעווען (flirteven, “to flirt”)

-овать -овать#Russian

Infinitive form of borrowed verbs with the Slavic suffix at hand in Polish -ować, Russian -овать (-ovatʹ), etc.

בעלי־בתּים (bale-batem, “hosts, homeowners, bosses”) + ־עווען (-even) → באַלעבאַטעווען (balebateven, “to manage, boss around”)

A suffix used productively to derive verbs from nouns.


־ניצע

Compare Polish -nica, Russian -ница (-nica), Ukrainian -ниця (-nycja). The suffix ultimately derives from Proto-Slavic *-ьnica, from *-nь + *-ica.

־ניק ־ניק#Yiddish


־ווײַז

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־ווײַז • (-vayz)

-vayz (romanization)
־ווײַז (predicative)
־ווײַזער (masculine nominative)
־ווײַז (indefinite neuter nominative)
־ווײַזע (definite neuter nominative)
־ווײַזס (neuter nominative postpositional)
־ווײַזע (feminine nominative)
־ווײַזע (nominative plural)
־ווײַזן (accusative masculine)
־ווײַז (accusative indefinite neuter)
־ווײַזע (accusative definite neuter)
־ווײַזס (accusative neuter postpositional)
־ווײַזע (accusative feminine)
־ווײַזע (accusative plural)
־ווײַזן (dative masculine)
־ווײַז (dative indefinite neuter)
־ווײַזן (dative definite neuter)
־ווײַזן (dative neuter postpositional)
־ווײַזער (dative feminine)
־ווײַזע (dative plural)

Compare German -weise, and also possibly English -wise.

טריט (trit, “step”) + ־ווײַז (-vayz) → טריטווײַז (tritvayz, “step-by-step”)

→ see ־ערווײַז (-ervayz)

Used to form adverbs from adjectives or participles together with ־ער (-er).


־ערווײַז

־ערווײַז • (-ervayz)

By surface analysis, ־ער (-er) + ־ווײַז (-vayz). Compare German -erweise.

surf

לאָגיש (logish, “logical”) + ־ערווײַז (-ervayz) → לאָגישערווײַז (logishervayz, “logically”)


־שע

ביבליאָטעקער (biblyoteker, “librarian”) + ־שע (-she) → ביבליאָטעקערשע (biblyotekershe, “female librarian”)

Forms female equivalents of nouns (usually occupations) denoting males.

פּראָפֿעסאָר (profesor, “professor”) + ־שע (-she) → פּראָפֿעסאָרשע (profesorshe, “the professor's wife”)

Forms nouns denoting the wife of the male equivalent.


־אַטש

Ultimately derived from Proto-Slavic *-ačь, via Polish -acz, Belarusian, Russian, Ukrainian -а́ч (-áč).

יונג (yung, “young”) + ־אַטש (-atsh) → יונגאַטש (yungatsh, “rascal”)

פֿערד (ferd, “horse”) + ־אַטש (-atsh) → פֿערדאַטש (ferdatsh, “(pejorative) horse, fool”)

דראָנג (drong, “a beam”) + ־אַטש (-atsh) → דראָנגאַטש (drongatsh, “(humorous) tall person”)

(productive) Forms (sometimes derogatory) agent nouns from different words.


־מאָרד

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־מאָרד • (-mord)

From מאָרד (mord, “murder”). Compare German -mord.

קינדער (kinder, “children”) + ־מאָרד (-mord) → קינדערמאָרד (kindermord, “infanticide”)

מוטער (muter, “mother”) + ־מאָרד (-mord) → מוטערמאָרד (mutermord, “matricide”)


־ערהייט

Possibly ־ער (-er, “masculine adjective ending”) + ־הייט (-heyt). Alternatively, the ־ער (-er) component may be cognate to German er-, from Middle High German er-.

com

שיכּור (shiker, “drunk”) + ־ערהייט (-erheyt) → שיכּורערהייט (shikererheyt, “while drunk”)

געזונט (gezunt, “healthy”) + ־ערהייט (-erheyt) → געזונטערהייט (gezunterheyt, “in good health; while healthy”)

קליין (kleyn, “small”) + ־ערהייט (-erheyt) → קליינערהייט (kleynerheyt, “while young”)

adverb-forming suffix with the meaning of "while", "during", "at the time of"


־סטווע

-stve (romanization)
־צטווע (alternative)

Borrowed from Polish -stwo, Belarusian -ства (-stva), Russian and Ukrainian -ство (-stvo), ultimately from Proto-Slavic *-ьstvo. Alternative form derives from the rebracketing when suffixed onto a word ending in -t, as seen in Belarusian -цтва (-ctva), Polish -ctwo, Ukrainian -цтво (-ctvo).

רב (reb, “rabbi”) + ־סטווע (-stve) → רביסטווע (rebistve, “rabinate”)

suffix appended to nouns or adjectives to create an abstract noun denoting a relation, social status, scientific discipline, quality or state: -hood, -ness, -ship, -ity


־צטווע

־סטווע ־סטווע#Yiddish


־טס

(Poylish, dialectal) Regular termination of the second-person plural indicative form of verbs.

(Poylish, dialectal) Regular termination of the second-person plural present indicative form of verbs.


־קען

Suffix added to onomatopoeia and other words to create a verb meaning "to make X sound" or "to say X".