-ABLE, adj. suffix, capable of, as port_able_, laugh_able_; cf. also
come-at_-able_, get-at_-able_. [L., according to the stem-ending,
_-abilis_, _-ebilis_, _-ibilis_, _-ubilis_.]
-AC, adj. suffix, pertaining to, as elegi_ac_; also used as noun suffix, as
mani_ac_. [L. _-acus_, Gr. _-akos_.]
-ACEOUS, having the qualities of, as herb_aceous_. [L. _-aceus_.]
-ACIOUS, full of, as aud_acious_. [L. _-ax_, _-acis_.]
-ADE, noun suffix, the L. _-ata_, which in popular French words appears as
_-ée_, becomes _-ade_ in words borrowed from the Provençal, Spanish,
Portuguese, and even Italian, as in accol_ade_, gascon_ade_. Also we have
ambass_ade_, ambusc_ade_, balustr_ade_, brig_ade_, casc_ade_, &c. from
French, words in _-ade_. Examples of words formed in imitation of these in
English itself are block_ade_, orange_ade_.
-AGE, ending of abstract nouns, as hom_age_; marks place where, as
vicar_age_;--of English formation, bond_age_, brew_age_, parson_age_. [L.
_-aticum_; Fr. _-age_.]
-AIN, -AN, -EN, -ON, noun suffixes, as vill_ain_, pag_an_, ward_en_,
surge_on_. [L. _-anus_.]
-AL, adj. suffix, as annu_al_, leg_al_, mort_al_, cardin_al_;--of English
or French formation, circumstanti_al_, cordi_al_, nation_al_. Noun suffix,
as approv_al_, deni_al_, remov_al_, betroth_al_. Latin nouns in _-alia_
(neut. pl.) which survived into Old French became _-aille_ (fem. sing.),
adopted in Middle English as _-aylle_, _-aille_, later _-aile_, _-al_, as
Latin spons_[=a]lia_, O. Fr. espous_ailles_, M. E. spous_aille_, spous_al_;
L. batt_[=a]lia_, O. Fr. bat_aille_, M. E. bat_aille_, bat_ail_, battle. On
this analogy, _-aille_, _-ail_, _-al_, became a formative of nouns of
action on verbs of French or Latin, and even of Teutonic, origin. [L.
_-alis_; Fr. _-al_, _-el_.]
-AN, -AIN, -ANE, adj. suffix, as hum_an_, cert_ain_, hum_ane_;--of English
formation, Anglic_an_, suburb_an_. Noun suffix [L. _-anus_; Fr. _-ain_,
_-en_], as public_an_, veter_an_. [L. _-anus_; Fr. _-ain_, _-en_.]
-ANA, things belonging to, such as sayings, anecdotes, &c., as
Johnsoni_ana_, Burnsi_ana_. [L. neut. pl. of adjs. in _-anus_. See _-an_.]
-ANCE, -ENCE (L. _-antia_, _-entia_, Fr. _-ance_), noun suffix, as in
arrog_ance_, repent_ance_, experi_ence_, penit_ence_.
-ANCY, -ENCY, a modern English differentiated form of the earlier _-ance_,
expressing more distinctly the sense of quality, state, or condition, often
belonging to Latin substantives in _-ntia_, as in eleg_antia_,
'elegantness,' as distinct from the sense of action or process, regularly
expressed by the French form _-ance_, as in aid_ance_, guid_ance_. The
modern tendency is to confine _-nce_ to action, and to express quality or
state by _-ncy_; cf. compli_ance_, pli_ancy_, annoy_ance_, buoy_ancy_.
-AND, -END, noun suffix, as vi_and_, leg_end_. [L. _-andus_, _-endus_,
gerundial suffix.]
-ANEOUS, belonging to, as extr_aneous_. [L. _-aneus_.]
-ANT, -ENT, adj. suffix, as repent_ant_, pati_ent_. Also noun suffix,
sometimes denoting the agent, as inst_ant_, serge_ant_, stud_ent_,
innoc_ent_. [L. _-ans_, _-ant-is_, or _-ens_, _-ent-is_, suffix of pr.p.]
-AR, adj. suffix, belonging to, as angul_ar_, popul_ar_. [L. _-aris_; Fr.
_-ier_ or _-aire_.]
-AR, -ARD, -ART. See under -er (marking the agent).
-AR, -ER, -OR, noun suffixes, marking place where, as cell_ar_, lard_er_,
man_or_ [L. _-arium_];--denoting the agent, as vic_ar_, treasur_er_,
chancell_or_. [L. _-arius_.]
-ARD, intensive, as drunk_ard_, cow_ard_, slugg_ard_, wiz_ard_. [O. Fr.
_-ard_, _-art_; Ger. _-hard_, strong.]
-ARY, noun suffix, marking place where, as semin_ary_ [L. _-arium_]; the
agent, as secret_ary_, antiqu_ary_ [L. _-arius_]. Adjective suffix [L.
_-arius_, Fr. _-aire_], as contr_ary_, necess_ary_, second_ary_.
-ASM. See under -ism.
-ASS, -ACE, as cuir_ass_, cutl_ass_, men_ace_, pinn_ace_. [L. _-aceus_,
_-acius_; It. _-accio_, Fr. _-as_.]
-ASTER, dim. and freq. (often implying contempt), as poet_aster_. [Fr.
_-artre_ (It. _astro_)--L. _-as-ter_.]
-ATE, -ETE, -ITE, -UTE, -T, forming adjectives--all adapted forms of the
endings of past participles in Latin according to the conjugation of the
verbs from which they are formed, as accur_ate_, desol_ate_; compl_ete_,
repl_ete_; contr_ite_, exquis_ite_; absol_ute_, min_ute_; abjec_t_,
elec_t_.
-ATE, verbal suffix, as navig_ate_, perme_ate_. Adj., as above. Noun, as
leg_ate_, advoc_ate_. [Norm. Fr. _at_--L. _-[=a]tus_, suffix of pa.p.]
-BLE. See -able.
-BLE, -PLE, fold, as dou_ble_, tre_ble_, quadru_ple_. [L. _-plus_, lit.
'full.']
-BUND and -CUND, as mori_bund_, rubi_cund_. [L. _-bundus_ and _-cundus_;
Fr. _-bond_ and _-cond_.]
-CE. See under -s, adverbial suffix.
-CELLI, -CELLO, dim., as vermi_celli_, violon_cello_. [It., from L.
_-culus_.]
-CH, dim., as blot_ch_. [See -ock.]
-CLE, -CULE, dim., as in parti_cle_, animal_cule_, from L. _culus_, which
also gives (through It.) -CELLI, -CELLO, [See under -l.]
-CRAFT, noun suffix, as in book_craft_, priest_craft_. [A.S. _cræft_,
skill.]
-CY, -SY, noun suffix, denoting being, or state of being, condition, rank,
as clemen_cy_, bankrupt_cy_, cura_cy_, minstrel_sy_. [L. _-tia_, as in
constan_tia_, constan_cy_, or _-tio_, as in conspira_tio_, conspira_cy_.]
-D, -T, or -ED, pa.t. suffix, as loved. The _e_ in _-ed_ is the connecting
vowel, omitted when the verb ends in e. [A.S. _-de_, 'did,' from _di-de_,
pa.t. of do.]
-D, pa.p. suffix of weak verbs, as love_d_; in nouns (with passive
meaning), as dee_d_, see_d_; in adjectives formed from nouns, as connoting
the possession of the attribute or thing expressed by the substantive, as
boote_d_, feathere_d_, woode_d_; in the form -TH (or -T), in abstract nouns
from adjectives and, later on, from verbs, as dea_th_, fligh_t_, swif_t_,
(with euphonic _-s_-) du_-s__-t_, bla_-s__-t_. [Orig. _-th_, as in
uncou_th_, and from the root of _the_, _that_; seen also in the L. suffix
_-tu-s_, as in _no-tu-s_, Sans. _jna-ta-s_, and in the Gr. suffix _-to-s_.]
-DOM, noun suffix, denoting dominion, power, as king_dom_; state, as
free_dom_; act, as martyr_dom_. New words, as flunkey_dom_, can be coined.
[A.S. _dóm_, judgment, Ger. _-thum_.]
-DOR, -DORE, noun suffix, as in corri_dor_, mata_dore_, steve_dore_,
battle_door_. [Sp. -DOR, L. _-tor_.]
-ED. See -d.
-EE, noun suffix, one who or that which is (passive), as trust_ee_,
legat_ee_. In such words as absent_ee_, devot_ee_, the old function of
_-ee_ is entirely lost; refug_ee_ is adopted from Fr. _refugié_, grand_ee_
from Sp. _grande_. [Fr. _-é_--L. _-[=a]tus_, suffix of pa.p.]
-EER, -IER, one who, has frequentative meaning, as chariot_eer_; also -ER,
-AR, as in carpent_er_, vic_ar_. [Fr. _-ier_---L. _-arius_.]
-EL, dim., as dams_el_. [See under -l.]
-EN, dim., as chick_en_, maid_en_. [A.S. _-en_.]
-EN, fem. suffix, now found only in vix_en_. [A.S. _-en_, _-n_; Ger. _-in_,
Gr. _-ine_, L. _-ina_.]
-EN, added to noun-stems to form adjectives chiefly indicating the material
of which a thing is composed. From the 16th century onwards there has been
a tendency to discard these adjectives for the attributive use of the
substantive, as in 'a gold watch;' only a few words are still familiarly
used in their literal sense--earth_en_, wheat_en_, wood_en_, wooll_en_.
[A.S. _-en_; Goth. _-en_, _-an_, Ger. _-en_, _-ein_, Sans. _-um_; a
genitive suffix, as in mi_ne_.]
-EN, pa.p., as wov_en_, bor_ne_, swo_rn_. [A.S. _-n_, _-ne_, _-en_; conn.
with _-ant_, _-ent_.]
-EN, pl. suffix, as ox_en_, ki_ne_ (for M. E. _kyen_--A.S. _cý_, pl. of
_cú_, a cow). [A.S. _-an_.]
-EN, to make, as dark_en_, moist_en_, strength_en_, whit_en_.
-EN, -IN, -ENE, belonging to, as ali_en_, verm_in_, terr_ene_. [L. _-enus_,
_-ena_, _-enum_.]
-ENCE, -ENCY. See -nce, -ncy.
-ENT, belonging to, as different. [L. _-ens_, _-entis_. See -ant.]
-EOUS, in right_eous_, corr. of -wise (which see); in court_eous_, from O.
Fr. _-eis_ (from L. _-ensis_.)
-EOUS, same as in -ous, as lign_eous_. [L. _-eus_.]
-ER, freq. and intens., as glimm_er_, flutt_er_.
-ER, infinitive suffix, as cov_er_, encount_er_. [Fr, _-re_, _-ir_, from L.
pres. infin. _-[=a]re_, _-[=e]re_, _-[)e]re_, _-[=i]re_.]
-ER marks the agent, designating persons according to their occupation, as
writ_er_, sing_er_, hatt_er_, lead_er_, sometimes changed to _-ar_, as
li_ar_; with _-i-_ or _-y-_ prefixed, as cloth_-i__-er_, law_-y-er_ (where
the A.S. primitive substantive ends in [gh]); with excrescent _-t_ or _-d_,
as bragg_-ar__-t_. Note that in the words _auger_, _heifer_, _shelter_,
what looks like the suffix _-er_ is really an independent substantive.
[A.S. _-ere_; Goth. _-arja_, Ger. _-er_.]
-ER, more, used in compar. of adjs., as great_er_, mo_re_. [Aryan compar.,
suffix _-ra_.]
-ER, noun suffix, as matt_er_, gutt_er_. [Fr. _-iere_--L. _-eria_.]
-EREL, dim. suffix, as mack_erel_. [See under -l.]
-ERIE, place where, as menag_erie_. [Fr., from L. _-arium_. See -ery.]
-ERLY, direction to or from, as south_erly_. [From _-ern_ and _-ly_.]
-ERN, adj. suffix sig. direction, as south_ern_ [A.S. _-er__-n_]; adj.
suffix, sig. belonging to, as mod_ern_ [L. _-ernus_]; noun suffix, as
cist_ern_ [L. _-erna_].
-ERY, noun suffix, as brew_ery_, witch_ery_, cutl_ery_. [Noun suffix -Y
added to nouns in -ER (marking agent). See -ary, -erie, -ory.]
-ES or -S, pl. suffix, as fox_es_, hat_s_. [A.S. _-as_. -S is a general pl.
suffix, as L. and Gr. _-es_.]
-ESCENT, adj. suffix, denoting growing, becoming, as conval_escent_. [L.
_-esco_, _-isco_, _-asco_, Gr. _-ask[=o]_, suffix, implying becoming,
beginning.]
-ESE, adj. suffix, belonging to, as Japan_ese_. [L. _-ensis_; O. Fr.
_-eis_, mod. Fr. _-ois_, _-ais_.]
-ESQUE, adj. suffix, partaking of the quality of, as pictur_esque_,
grot_esque_, Turner_esque_. [Fr. _-esqe_ (It. _-esco_)--L. _-iscus_, a
by-form of _-icus_ (see -ic), and conn. with -ish, adj. suffix.]
-ESS, fem. suffix of nouns, as lion_ess_, godd_ess_. [Fr. _-esse_, L.
_-issa_.]
-ESS, -ICE, -ISE, as prow_ess_, just_ice_, merchand_ise_. Note that
_riches_ was mistaken for a plural, being really M. E. _richesse_--Fr.
_richesse_. [L. _-itia_, _-ities_, Late L. _-icia_, Fr. _-esse_.]
-EST, as in harv_est_, earn_est_.
-EST, suffix of 2d sing. in verbs, as bring_est_. [A.S. _-ast_, _-est_; L.
_-es_, _-isti_; Gr. _-si_, _-sthon_. -S or -ST = 2d pers. pron., Gr. _sy_
(_su_), L. _tu_, Eng. _thou_.]
-EST, superl. suffix, formed from the compar. by adding _-t_, as
small_est_. [A.S. _-est_ (in adjectives), _-ost_ (in adverbs); L.
_-issimus_, Gr. _-istos_, _-stos_, _-tatos_. Sans. _-ishta_.]
-ET, -ETE, noun suffix, marking the agent, as proph_et_, po_et_, athl_ete_.
[L. _-[=e]ta_, Gr. _-[=e]t[=e]_s.]
-ET, -ETTE, -OT, dim., as cygn_et_, bill_et_, etiqu_ette_, ball_ot_. See
also -let. [Norm. Fr. _-et_, _-ot_; Fr. _-et_, _-ette_.]
-EUR. See under -or.
-EVER, at any time, as who_ever_, every one who. [See _Ever_ in Dict.]
-FARE, way, as in wel_fare_, chaf_fer_. [See _Fare_ in Dict.]
-FAST, adj. suffix, as in stead_fast_, shame_faced_ (A.S. _scamfæst_).
[A.S. _fæst_, firm, fast.]
-FOLD, adj. suffix, as four_fold,_ mani_fold_. [A.S. _-feald_.]
-FUL, full of, as delight_ful_. [A.S. _-full_.]
-FY, a verbal suffix signifying to make, as puri_fy_. [Fr. _-fier_--L.
_-fic-[=a]re_, for _fac-[)e]re_, to make.]
-HEAD, -HOOD, noun suffix, denoting state, nature, as God_head_, man_hood_,
likeli_hood_, hardi_hood_. Note that liveli_hood_ was in A.S.
_líflád_=_líf_, life + _lád_, way; the second part ceased to be understood,
and thus _-lihood_ took its place. [From A.S. _hád_, Ger. _-heit_, state;
changed into Hood.]
-I, pl. suffix of nouns in _-us_, as in literat_i_ [L. _-i_; conn. with
Ger. _-ai_, _-oi_]; also pl. suffix of nouns borrowed from It., as banditti
[It.--L.].
-IAN, adj. suffix, as Arab_ian_, Christ_ian_. See -an. [L. _-ianus_; Fr.
_-ien_.]
-IBLE, adj. suffix, as poss_ible_, flex_ible_. [From L. _-ibilis_, another
form of _-abilis_. See _-able_.]
-IC, adj. suffix, of or belonging to, as gigant_ic_, publ_ic_, volta_ic_.
Also largely used as noun suffix, as fabr_ic_. [L. _-icus_, _-ica_,
_-icum_, Gr. _-ikos_; Fr. _-ic_, _-igne_.]
-ICAL, adj. suffix, belonging to, as cub_ical_, whims_ical_. [_-ic_ and
_-al_.]
-ICE, noun suffix, as chal_ice_ [Fr.--L. _-ex_, _-icis_]; nov_ice_ [Fr.--L.
_-icius_]. [See another -ice under -ess, -ice, -ise.]
-ICISM. See -ism.
-ICS, lit. things that belong to a science, as mathemat_ics_. [In imitation
of Gr. _-ika_, neuter pl. of adjs. in _-ikos_. See -ic.]
-ID, noun suffix, as Nere_id_; also used in coining chemical words, as
chlor_ide_, ox_ide_, brom_ide_ [L. _-id_-, Gr. _-id_-, Fr. _-ide_]. Also
adj. suffix, as tep_id_, ac_id_, morb_id_ [L. _-idus_].
-IE, -Y, dim., as lass_ie_. [From _-ick_, a weakened form of -ock.]
-IER, noun suffix, one who, as caval_ier_, cloth_ier_, braz_ier_, hos_ier_.
[Fr. _-ier_; usually appears in form -eer.]
-IFF. See -ive.
-IL, -ILE, able, as civ_il_, duct_ile_. [L. _-[)i]lis_, from verbal roots,
_-[=i]lis_, from noun-stems; to be distinguished from -ile (below). See
-able.]
-ILE, belonging to, as Gent_ile_. [L. _-ilis_.]
-IM, pl. suffix, as cherub_im_. [Heb. _îm_.]
-INA, fem. suffix, as czar_ina_. [See _-en_, fem.]
-INE, fem. suffix, as hero_ine_. [See _-en_, fem.]
-INE, -IN, noun suffix, as rav_ine_, medic_ine_, cous_in_; much used in
chemical compounds, as iod_ine_, glycer_ine_, brom_ine_. Also adj. suffix,
as adamant_ine_, div_ine_. [L. _-inus_, _-ina_; Fr. _-in_.]
-ING, suffix of present participles (often used as adjectives), as
lov_ing_, charm_ing_. [Corr. of A.S. _-ende_, which, as also _-ande_, it
replaced. See -nd, also -ant, -ent.]
-ING, noun suffix, forming nouns of action from verbs, as liv_ing_,
dwell_ing_; these often acquire a concrete sense, as learn_ing_. [A.S.
_-ung_, _-ing_; Ger. _-ung_.]
-ING, representing Teut. _ingoz_ (masc.), with several functions--(1)
_-ing_ (A.S. _-ing_), patronymic _æðeling_ (the son of a noble), _cyning_
(lit. 'son of a king,' _cyne_ = king), _Elising_ (the son of Elisa). This
suffix is preserved in proper names, as Hard_ing_, Mann_ing_; esp. in
place-names, as Bill_ing_sgate, Read_ing_. (2) -ING is also found in names
of animals, as in herr_ing_, whit_ing_. (3) -ING in names of coins has also
a sense of diminution, as in farth_ing_ (the fourth part, viz., of a
penny), shill_ing_.
-ION, -SION, -TION, -SON, -SOM, being, state of being, as opin_ion_,
rebell_ion_, relig_ion_, ten_sion_, poi_son_, ran_som_, rea_son_, sea_son_,
crea_tion_. [L. _-io_, _-tio_, _-sio_; Fr. _-ion_, _-sion_, _-tion_.]
-IOR, more, term. of comp. degree, as super_ior_. [L. _-ior_. See -er,
more.]
-IQUE, belonging to, as ant_ique_. [Fr.--L. _-iquus_; conn. with _-ic_, L.
_-icus_. See -ac.]
-ISE, -IZE, verbal suffix, signifying to make; as equal_ise_. [L.
_-iz[=a]re_, from Gr. _-izein_; Fr. _-iser_.]
-ISE, noun suffix. See -ice.
-ISH, adj. suffix, ethnic, as Ir_ish_; signifying somewhat, as brown_ish_,
old_ish_; sometimes implying depreciation, as outland_ish_, child_ish_.
[A.S. _-isc_.]
-ISH, verbal suffix, signifying to make, as establ_ish_. [From Fr. pr.p.
suffix _-iss-ant_; chiefly used in words from the Fr. The Fr. _-iss_- is
from L. _-esc_-, inceptive.]
-ISK, dim., as aster_isk_. [Gr. _-iskos_; conn. with _-ish_, little. See
-ock.]
-ISM, -ASM, -ICISM, forming abstract nouns sig. condition, system, as
ego_ism_, de_ism_, Calvin_ism_, lacon_ism_, pleon_asm_; Angl_icism_,
wittic_ism_. [L. _-ismus_, _-asmus_--Gr. _-ismos_, _-asmos_.]
-IST, denoting the person who holds a doctrine or practises an art, as
Calvin_ist_, chem_ist_, novel_ist_, art_ist_, royal_ist_, nihil_ist_. [L.
_-ista_--Gr. _-ist[=e]s_.]
-ITE, -IT, noun suffix, born in, belonging to, as Israel_ite_, Jesu_it_.
[L. _-ita_--Gr. _-it[=e]s_.]
-ITUDE, noun suffix, as fort_itude_, mult_itude_. [L. _-itudo_.]
-IVE (-IFF), forming nouns, orig. an adjectival suffix, as bail_iff,_
capt_ive_, nat_ive_, plaint_iff_; forming adjectives (L. _-ivus_), as
act_ive_, extens_ive_, furt_ive_.
-IX, fem. suffix, as testatr_ix_. [L. _-ix_, _-icis_. Conn. with _-ess_,
fem. suffix.]
-IZE, to make, same as -ise.
-K, a verbal suffix, freq. or intens., as har_k_, lur_k_, tal_k_, wal_k_.
-KIN, dim., as bump_kin_, fir_kin_, lamb_kin_, manni_kin_, nap_kin_; also
in proper names, as Jen_kins_ (_John_), Per_kins_ (_Peterkin_), Wil_kins_
(_William_). [A.S. _-cen_--very rare, the currency of the suffix being due
to words adopted from Dutch or Low German; Ger. _-chen_.]
-KIND, noun suffix, kind, race, as man_kind_, woman_kind_. [See -kin
above.]
-L, -LE, -EL (after _v_, _th_, _ch_, _n_), represents A.S. _-el_, _-ela_,
_-ele_, and serves to form agent-nouns, instrumental substantives, and
diminutives, as nai_l_, sai_l_; bead_le_, fidd_le_, sick_le_, app_le_,
bramb_le_, bund_le_, icic_le_, nett_le_; runn_el_. -AL is sometimes from
A.S. _-els_ from _isli_, as brid_le_, ridd_le_, buri_al_. -L, -LE, as a
verbal suffix, gives to the root the sense of frequency, repetition,
diminution, as knee_l_, drizz_le_, nest_le_, spark_le_.
-LEDGE. See -lock (1).
-LENCE, -LENCY, forming abstract nouns. [L. _-l-entia_, from _-lens_. See
-lent.]
-LENT, adj. suffix, full of, as vio_lent_, viru_lent_. [L. _-lentus_.]
-LESS, adj. suffix, free from, wanting, as guilt_less_, god_less_. [A.S.
_-léas_, Ger. _-los_, Goth. _-laus_.]
-LET, dim., as brace_let_, leaf_let_, stream_let_. [From -L and -ET, dim.
in certain words formed with _-et_ on substantives ending in _-el_.]
-LIKE, like, as god_like_. [See _Like_ in Dict.]
-LING, dim., hence expressing affection, as dar_ling_ (A.S. _déorling_),
duck_ling_, gos_ling_; sometimes implying depreciation, as hire_ling_,
ground_ling_, under_ling_, world_ling_. [A.S. _-ling_.]
-LING, -LONG, adv. suffix, as dark_ling_, side_long_. [A.S. _-lunga_,
_-linga_.]
-LOCK, noun suffix, in wed_lock_ and know_ledge_. It is the A.S. _lác_, the
same as _lác_, sport.
-LOCK, -LICK, noun suffix, being a weakened form of A.S. _leác_, a leek, as
in hem_lock_, gar_lic_, char_lock_.
-LY, adj. and adv. suffix, as man_ly_, on_ly_, wicked_ly_. [The adj. suffix
is from A.S. _líc_, Eng. _like_; adv. is from _líc-e_, dat. of _líc_.]
-M, noun suffix, as blosso_m_ [A.S. _blóstma_]; fatho_m_ [A.S. _-ma_,
_-m_]; as real_m_, regi_me_ [Fr.,--L. _-men_].
-MA, noun suffix, as diora_ma_, ene_ma_. [Gr.]
-MEAL, adv. suffix, as inch_meal_, piece_meal_. [A.S. _-m['æ]lum_.]
-MEN, that which, state, as regi_men_, acu_men_. [Only in words borrowed
from Latin. L. _-men_; Sans. _-man_. See -ment, -mony.]
-MENT, noun suffix, as nourish_ment_, establish_ment_, detri_ment_;--of
Eng. formation, acknowledg_ment_, employ_ment_. [L. _-mentum_, Fr. _-ment_.
See -men.]
-MONY, as testi_mony_, parsi_mony_. [L. _-mon-iu-m_, _-mon-ia_. See -men.]
-MOST, suffix of superl. deg., as end_most_. See _Most_ in Dict. [In most
cases this suffix is not the word _most_, the _m_ being part of the root,
or an old superl. suffix, and _-ost_, the superl. suffix, as in
in_most_=in_-m-ost_. See -est, superl. suffix.]
-N, in participles, as broke_n_, hew_n_; in substantives, as bair_n_,
beaco_n_, burde_n_, chi_n_, cor_n_, heave_n_, maide_n_.
-NCE, -NCY, forming abstract nouns, as dista_nce_, dece_ncy_. [Fr.
_-nce_--L. _-nt-ia_.]
-ND, as fie_nd_ (lit. 'hating'), frie_nd_ (lit. 'loving'). [A.S. pr.p.
suffix.]
-NESS, noun suffix, denoting abstract idea, as tender_ness_, sweet_ness_.
[A.S. _-nis_, _-nes_, cog. with Ger. _-niss_.]
-OCK, dim., as hill_ock_, bull_ock_--also in proper names, as Poll_ock_
(from _Paul_), &c. In stir_k_ we see the simple suffix _-k_, the word being
the diminutive of _steer_, A.S. _stéor_, whence _stýric_, a stirk. [A.S.
_-uca_--Aryan _-ka_. See -ie and -ing, dim.]
-OM, old dative suffix, now used as objective, as wh_om_; in adverbs of
time, as seld_om_. [A.S. _-um_.]
-ON, -EON, -ION, noun suffix, as cap_on_, mas_on_, trunch_eon_, on_ion_,
clar_ion_. [Fr.--L. _-onem_, _ionem_.]
-OON, noun suffix, often augmentative, as ball_oon_, sal_oon_. [Fr. _-on_,
It. _-one_.]
-OR, -OUR, -ER, denoting the agent, sometimes directly from L. (see -tor),
but mostly through O. Fr. _-[)o]r_, _-our_ (mod. Fr. _eur_), as emper_or_
(old spelling emper_our_, Fr. _empereur_--L. _imperatorem_); in others,
Eng. _-er_ has supplanted _-eur_, _-our_, as preach_er_ (Fr. _prêcheur_--L.
_prædicatorem_), while _-or_ is at times affixed to Eng. roots, as
sail_or_. In certain abstract nouns from L. _-or_, Fr. _-eur_ is still
represented by -our, as col_our_, lab_our_, hon_our_, and in a few cases
directly retained, as in grand_eur_. The words demean_our_ and behavi_our_
are English formations with _-our_.
-ORY, belonging to, as prefat_ory_ [L. _-orius_]; place where, as
purgat_ory_. [L. _-orium_.]
-OSE, full of, as bellic_ose_, mor_ose_, verb_ose_. [L. _-osous_. See
-ous.]
-OT, dim., as ball_ot_. [See -et, dim.]
-OUR. See -or.
-OUS, adj. suffix, as religi_ous_, deliri_ous_, curi_ous_ [L. _-osus_];
dubi_ous_, anxi_ous_ [L. _-us_].--In righte_ous_ the _ous_ has replaced
_wís_, A.S. _rihtwís_.
-OW, noun suffix, as shad_ow_ [from A.S. _-u_]; swall_ow_ [from A.S.
_-ewe_]; marr_ow_ [from A.S. _-h_]. Also adj. suffix, as narr_ow_ [from
A.S. _-u_].
-PLE. See _-ble_, fold.
-R, noun suffix, marking the instrument, as stai_r_, timb_er_; adj. suffix,
as bitt_er_.
-RE, place, as he_re_. [A.S. _-r_, _-ra_, orig. a locative suffix.]
-RED, noun suffix, denoting manner, state, as hat_red_, kind_red_ (in A.S.
_cynren_, a shortening of _cynn-ryne_, in M. E. the meaningless _-ren_
being supplanted by _-red_). [A.S. _-r['æ]den_; cog. with Ger. _-rath_. See
_Read_ in Dict.]
-RED, in hundred. This is cog. with Ice. hund_rað_, Ger. hund_ert_, the
suffix implying number, reckoning.
-RIC, noun suffix, formerly an independent word denoting dominion, power,
region, as bishop_ric_. [A.S. _ríce_, power.]
-RIGHT, as up_right_, down_right_. [A.S. _riht_.]
-RY, noun suffix, originally with a collective meaning, as _chevalerie_,
'body of knights;' now expressing action or quality, as bigot_ry_,
pedant_ry_, sorce_ry_; condition, as outlaw_ry_, slave_ry_; trade, as
carpent_ry_, herald_ry_; the place of action or occupation, as laund_ry_,
nurse_ry_; the result or product of action, as poet_ry_, tapest_ry_;
forming collective nouns, as infant_ry_, yeoman_ry_. [Fr. _rie_ = _er_ +
_ie_.]
-S, adverbial suffix, as need_s_, alway_s_, on_ce_, hen_ce_, then_ce_,
whil_-s_-t, betwi_-x_-t. [A.S. _-es_, gen. suffix.]
-'S, is the present genitive suffix. [Short for A.S. _-es_--Aryan _-s_ or
_sya_, orig. a demons. pron. The (') is prob. due to a false notion that
this _-s_ was a relic of _his_.]
-S, -SE, verbal suffix, making transitive verbs from adjectives, as
_cleanse_ (A.S. _cl['æ]nsian_), _rinse_ (Ice. _hreinsa_--_hreinn_, pure).
It also occurs in cla_s_p, gra_s_p, put for clap_-s_, grap_-s_.
-SHIP, -SCAPE, noun suffix, as friend_ship_, steward_ship_, wor_ship_,
land_scape_ (earlier land_skip_, the Dut. land_schap_). [A.S. _scipe_,
shape, form--_scapan_; cog. with Ger. _-schaft_.]
-SIS, action or state, as the_sis_. [Gr.]
-SOME, adj. suffix, full of, as glad_some_, bu_xom_ (orig. 'pliable,'
'good-natured,' A.S. _búhsum_, lissome, from _búgan_, to bow, bend). [A.S.
_-sum_, Ger. _-sam_; a by-form of _same_.]
-SON, son, as John_son_.
-SON, in ar_son_, rea_son_, trea_son_, the same as -tion (q.v.).
-ST. See -est, suffix of 2d sing.
-STER marks the agent, as malt_ster_, and in the personal names (orig.
trade-names) Ba_xter_, Brew_ster_, Web_ster_; often with depreciation, as
game_ster_, pun_ster_. [A.S. _-estre_, a fem. suffix, which now keeps this
sense only in spin_ster_.]
-STRESS, fem. suffix, as song_stress_. [From _-ster_, orig. fem. suffix,
with the addition of L. _-ess_.]
-SY, state, as pleuri_sy_. [Same as _-sis_.]
-T. See -d.
-T, -TE, adj. and noun suffix, as conven_t_, fac_t_, chas_te_, tribu_te_.
[L. _-tus_, pa.p. suffix; cog. with _-d_, pa.p. suffix.]
-TEEN, ten to be added, as four_teen_. [A.S. _-tyne_. Cf. _-ty_, ten to be
multiplied.]
-TER, noun suffix, as charac_ter_. [Gr. _-ter_, L. _-tor_, Sans. _-tri_;
perh. conn. with _-ster_.]
-TER, -THER, as in af_ter_, hi_ther_. [A.S. _-der_, _-ther_, old comp.
suffix.]
-TH, order, as six_th_. [Becomes also _-d_; conn. with L. _-tus_, _-tius_,
as in L. quar_tus_, fourth.]
-TH, suffix of 3d pers. sing. of verbs, now for the most part softened to
_-s_. [A.S. from root _-ta_, which appears in L. _-t_, Gr. _-ti_, _-si_,
_-tai_, _-to_.]
-TH, -T, noun suffix, as in streng_th_, heigh_t_; see under -d (pa.p.
suffix).
-THER, denoting the agent, as fa_ther_, mo_ther_. [Cf. _-tor_.]
-THER. See -ter, -ther.
-TOR, the agent, as conduc_tor_. See -ther, and cf. _-or_, _-our_, _-er_.
-TOR-Y, -SOR-Y, noun suffix, denoting place, as dormi_tory_.
-TUDE forms abstract nouns, as grati_tude_. [L. _-tudo_.]
-TY, being or state of being, as digni_ty_; quality, as hones_ty_. [L.
_-tas_, _-tatem_; O. Fr. _-té_.]
-TY, ten to be multiplied, as six_ty_. [A.S. _-tig_; cog. with Ger. _-zig_.
Cf. _-teen_.]
-ULE, little, dim. [from L. _-ulus_, _-ula_, _-ulum_], as in glob_ule_,
pust_ule_; also -CULE [L. _-culus_, _-cula_, _-culum_], as animal_cule_, or
[through Fr.] -CLE, as arti_cle_. A different Latin suffix _-culum_,
forming substantives from verbs, is represented in the form _-cle_ in
several words adopted through French, as mira_cle_, ora_cle_, specta_cle_.
-UM, neuter term., as medi_um_. [L. _-um_, Gr. _-on_.]
-UNCLE, little, dim., as ped_uncle_. [L. _-un-cu-l_us, A.S. _-incle_; conn.
with _-en_ and _-cule_, diminutives.]
-URE, noun suffix, denoting act of, as capt_ure_; state of being, as
verd_ure_.--In leis_ure_ and pleas_ure_, _-ir_ has been replaced by _-ure_,
O. Fr. leis_ir_, plais_ir_. [L. _-ura_; Fr. _-ure_.]
-URNAL, belonging to, as di_urnal_. [L. _-urn_-us and _-al_; conn. with
_-ern_ (in mod_ern_).]
-WARD, -WARDS, forming adjectives from substantives, adjectives, adverbs,
and prepositions, as east_ward_, home_ward_, home_wards_; down_ward_,
for_ward_, in_ward_, to_ward_. [A.S. _-weard_, gen. _-weardes_, cog. with
Ger. _-wärts_; conn. with A.S. _weorthan_, to be, and L.
_versus_--_vert[)e]re_, to turn.]
-WAY, -WAYS, adv. suffix, sig. manner, direction, as al_way_, al_ways_,
straight_way_. [Cf. _-wise_.]
-WISE, way, manner, as like_wise_, also righteous. [A.S. _-wíse_, manner;
Ger. _-wiss_.]
-WORTH, adj. suffix, as stal_worth_, stal_wart_. [A.S. _weorð_, _wurð_.]
-Y, adj. suffix, as spong_y_ [from L. _-iosus_]; as joll_y_ [Norm. Fr.
_-if_ from L. _-ivus_; cf. _-ive_]; as sill_y_, dirt_y_, an_y_ [A.S. _-ig_;
cog. with Ger. _-ig_, Goth. _-ha_, _-ga_, L. _-cu-s_, Gr. _-ko-s_].
-Y, noun suffix, as stor_y_, famil_y_, Ital_y_ [Fr. _-ie_, L. _-ia_]; as
augur_y_, jo_y_, remed_y_ [from L. _-ium_]; as all_y_, clergy, deput_y_,
treat_y_ [from L. _-[=a]tus_, Fr. _-é_]; as progen_y_ [from L. _-ies_]; as
arm_y_, countr_y_, entr_y_ [from L. _-[=a]ta_, Fr. _ée_]; as bod_y_ [from
A.S. _-ig_]; and perhaps the modern Eng. in forming diminutives or words of
contempt, as pupp_y_, bab_y_, lass_ie_, from _pup_, _babe_, _lass_; Bill_y_
from _Bill_; Bets_y_, Lizz_ie_, &c.
-YER, as in law_yer_. See -er, noun suffix.
* * * * *
ETYMOLOGY OF NAMES OF PLACES, &c.
* * * * *
The following are the more important significant syllables or words
that enter into the composition of the names of rivers, mountains,
towns, &c. See C. Blackie's _Dictionary of Place-Names_, Dr Joyce's
_Irish Names of Places_, Isaac Taylor's _Words and Places_, and the
Rev. James B. Johnston's _Place-Names of Scotland_ (1892).
A (A.S. _eá_, Ice. -_aa_), 'a stream;' as Gret_a_, Roth_a_, Thurs_o_
('Thor's stream'), Lax_ay_ ('salmon stream').
ABAD (Pers. and Sans.), 'a dwelling;' as Hyder_abad_, Allah_abad_.
ABER (Celt.), 'a confluence,' 'an embouchure;' as _Aber_feldy, _Aber_deen,
_Aber_ystwith, _Bar_mouth, _Aber_brothwick or _Ar_broath, Foch_abers_,
Loch_aber_, _Apple_cross for Aber-Crossan. [Synonymous with _Inver_.]
AIN (Heb.), 'a fountain;' as _En_gedi.