-able, adj. suffix, capable of, as portable, laughable; cf. also come-at-able, get-at-able. [L., according to the stem-ending, -abilis, -ebilis, -ibilis, -ubilis.]
-ac, adj. suffix, pertaining to, as elegiac; also used as noun suffix, as maniac. [L. -acus, Gr. -akos.]
-aceous, having the qualities of, as herbaceous. [L. -aceus.]
-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 accolade, gasconade. Also we have ambassade, ambuscade, balustrade, brigade, cascade, &c. from French, words in -ade. Examples of words formed in imitation of these in English itself are blockade, orangeade.
-age, ending of abstract nouns, as homage; marks place where, as vicarage;—of English formation, bondage, brewage, parsonage. [L. -aticum; Fr. -age.]
-ain, -an, -en, -on, noun suffixes, as villain, pagan, warden, surgeon. [L. -anus.]
-al, adj. suffix, as annual, legal, mortal, cardinal;—of English or French formation, circumstantial, cordial, national. Noun suffix, as approval, denial, removal, betrothal. 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 sponsālia, O. Fr. espousailles, M. E. spousaille, spousal; L. battālia, O. Fr. bataille, M. E. bataille, batail, 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 human, certain, humane;—of English formation, Anglican, suburban. Noun suffix [L. -anus; Fr. -ain, -en], as publican, veteran. [L. -anus; Fr. -ain, -en.]
-ana, things belonging to, such as sayings, anecdotes, &c., as Johnsoniana, Burnsiana. [L. neut. pl. of adjs. in -anus. See -an.]
-ance, -ence (L. -antia, -entia, Fr. -ance), noun suffix, as in arrogance, repentance, experience, penitence.
-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 elegantia, 'elegantness,' as distinct from the sense of action or process, regularly expressed by the French form -ance, as in aidance, guidance. The modern tendency is to confine -nce to action, and to express quality or state by -ncy; cf. compliance, pliancy, annoyance, buoyancy.
-and, -end, noun suffix, as viand, legend. [L. -andus, -endus, gerundial suffix.]
-ant, -ent, adj. suffix, as repentant, patient. Also noun suffix, sometimes denoting the agent, as instant, sergeant, student, innocent. [L. -ans, -ant-is, or -ens, -ent-is, suffix of pr.p.]
-ar, adj. suffix, belonging to, as angular, popular. [L. -aris; Fr. -ier or -aire.]
-ar, -ard, -art. See under -er (marking the agent).
-ar, -er, -or, noun suffixes, marking place where, as cellar, larder, manor [L. -arium];—denoting the agent, as vicar, treasurer, chancellor. [L. -arius.]
-ard, intensive, as drunkard, coward, sluggard, wizard. [O. Fr. -ard, -art; Ger. -hard, strong.]
'Arry, ar´i, n. a jovial vulgar fellow who drops his h's:—fem. 'Ar´riet.—adj. 'Ar´ryish, in holiday spirits. [From the vulgar Cockney pronunciation of Harry.]
-ary, noun suffix, marking place where, as seminary [L. -arium]; the agent, as secretary, antiquary [L. -arius]. Adjective suffix [L. -arius, Fr. -aire], as contrary, necessary, secondary.
-ass, -ace, as cuirass, cutlass, menace, pinnace. [L. -aceus, -acius; It. -accio, Fr. -as.]
-aster, dim. and freq. (often implying contempt), as poetaster. [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 accurate, desolate; complete, replete; contrite, exquisite; absolute, minute; abject, elect.
-ate, verbal suffix, as navigate, permeate. Adj., as above. Noun, as legate, advocate. [Norm. Fr. at—L. -ātus, suffix of pa.p.]
-ble, -ple, fold, as double, treble, quadruple. [L. -plus, lit. 'full.']
-celli, -cello, dim., as vermicelli, violoncello. [It., from L. -culus.]
-cle, -cule, dim., as in particle, animalcule, from L. culus, which also gives (through It.) -celli, -cello, [See under -l.]
-craft, noun suffix, as in bookcraft, priestcraft. [A.S. cræft, skill.]
-cy, -sy, noun suffix, denoting being, or state of being, condition, rank, as clemency, bankruptcy, curacy, minstrelsy. [L. -tia, as in constantia, constancy, or -tio, as in conspiratio, conspiracy.]
-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 loved; in nouns (with passive meaning), as deed, seed; in adjectives formed from nouns, as connoting the possession of the attribute or thing expressed by the substantive, as booted, feathered, wooded; in the form -th (or -t), in abstract nouns from adjectives and, later on, from verbs, as death, flight, swift, (with euphonic -s-) du-s-t, bla-s-t. [Orig. -th, as in uncouth, 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 kingdom; state, as freedom; act, as martyrdom. New words, as flunkeydom, can be coined. [A.S. dóm, judgment, Ger. -thum.]
-dor, -dore, noun suffix, as in corridor, matadore, stevedore, battledoor. [Sp. -dor, L. -tor.]
-ee, noun suffix, one who or that which is (passive), as trustee, legatee. In such words as absentee, devotee, the old function of -ee is entirely lost; refugee is adopted from Fr. refugié, grandee from Sp. grande. [Fr. -é—L. -ātus, suffix of pa.p.]
-eer, -ier, one who, has frequentative meaning, as charioteer; also -er, -ar, as in carpenter, vicar. [Fr. -ier—-L. -arius.]
'Em, ėm, pron. him: (coll.) them. [Orig. the unstressed form of hem, dat. and accus. pl. of he; but now used coll. as an abbreviation of them.]
-en, dim., as chicken, maiden. [A.S. -en.]
-en, fem. suffix, now found only in vixen. [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—earthen, wheaten, wooden, woollen. [A.S. -en; Goth. -en, -an, Ger. -en, -ein, Sans. -um; a genitive suffix, as in mine.]
-en, pa.p., as woven, borne, sworn. [A.S. -n, -ne, -en; conn. with -ant, -ent.]
-en, pl. suffix, as oxen, kine (for M. E. kyen—A.S. cý, pl. of cú, a cow). [A.S. -an.]
-en, to make, as darken, moisten, strengthen, whiten.
-en, -in, -ene, belonging to, as alien, vermin, terrene. [L. -enus, -ena, -enum.]
-ent, belonging to, as different. [L. -ens, -entis. See -ant.]
-eous, in righteous, corr. of -wise (which see); in courteous, from O. Fr. -eis (from L. -ensis.)
-er, freq. and intens., as glimmer, flutter.
-er, infinitive suffix, as cover, encounter. [Fr, -re, -ir, from L. pres. infin. -āre, -ēre, -ĕre, -īre.]
-er, more, used in compar. of adjs., as greater, more. [Aryan compar., suffix -ra.]
-erie, place where, as menagerie. [Fr., from L. -arium. See -ery.]
-erly, direction to or from, as southerly. [From -ern and -ly.]
-ern, adj. suffix sig. direction, as southern [A.S. -er-n]; adj. suffix, sig. belonging to, as modern [L. -ernus]; noun suffix, as cistern [L. -erna].
-ery, noun suffix, as brewery, witchery, cutlery. [Noun suffix -y added to nouns in -er (marking agent). See -ary, -erie, -ory.]
-escent, adj. suffix, denoting growing, becoming, as convalescent. [L. -esco, -isco, -asco, Gr. -askō, suffix, implying becoming, beginning.]
-ese, adj. suffix, belonging to, as Japanese. [L. -ensis; O. Fr. -eis, mod. Fr. -ois, -ais.]
-esque, adj. suffix, partaking of the quality of, as picturesque, grotesque, Turneresque. [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 lioness, goddess. [Fr. -esse, L. -issa.]
-ess, -ice, -ise, as prowess, justice, merchandise. Note that riches was mistaken for a plural, being really M. E. richesse—Fr. richesse. [L. -itia, -ities, Late L. -icia, Fr. -esse.]
-est, suffix of 2d sing. in verbs, as bringest. [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 smallest. [A.S. -est (in adjectives), -ost (in adverbs); L. -issimus, Gr. -istos, -stos, -tatos. Sans. -ishta.]
-et, -ete, noun suffix, marking the agent, as prophet, poet, athlete. [L. -ēta, Gr. -ētēs.]
-et, -ette, -ot, dim., as cygnet, billet, etiquette, ballot. See also -let. [Norm. Fr. -et, -ot; Fr. -et, -ette.]
-ever, at any time, as whoever, every one who. [See Ever in Dict.]
-fast, adj. suffix, as in steadfast, shamefaced (A.S. scamfæst). [A.S. fæst, firm, fast.]
-fy, a verbal suffix signifying to make, as purify. [Fr. -fier—L. -fic-āre, for fac-ĕre, to make.]
-head, -hood, noun suffix, denoting state, nature, as Godhead, manhood, likelihood, hardihood. Note that livelihood 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 literati [L. -i; conn. with Ger. -ai, -oi]; also pl. suffix of nouns borrowed from It., as banditti [It.—L.].
-ian, adj. suffix, as Arabian, Christian. See -an. [L. -ianus; Fr. -ien.]
-ible, adj. suffix, as possible, flexible. [From L. -ibilis, another form of -abilis. See -able.]
-ic, adj. suffix, of or belonging to, as gigantic, public, voltaic. Also largely used as noun suffix, as fabric. [L. -icus, -ica, -icum, Gr. -ikos; Fr. -ic, -igne.]
-ical, adj. suffix, belonging to, as cubical, whimsical. [-ic and -al.]
-ice, noun suffix, as chalice [Fr.—L. -ex, -icis]; novice [Fr.—L. -icius]. [See another -ice under -ess, -ice, -ise.]
-ics, lit. things that belong to a science, as mathematics. [In imitation of Gr. -ika, neuter pl. of adjs. in -ikos. See -ic.]
-id, noun suffix, as Nereid; also used in coining chemical words, as chloride, oxide, bromide [L. -id-, Gr. -id-, Fr. -ide]. Also adj. suffix, as tepid, acid, morbid [L. -idus].
-ie, -y, dim., as lassie. [From -ick, a weakened form of -ock.]
-ier, noun suffix, one who, as cavalier, clothier, brazier, hosier. [Fr. -ier; usually appears in form -eer.]
-il, -ile, able, as civil, ductile. [L. -ĭlis, from verbal roots, -īlis, from noun-stems; to be distinguished from -ile (below). See -able.]
-ine, fem. suffix, as heroine. [See -en, fem.]
-ine, -in, noun suffix, as ravine, medicine, cousin; much used in chemical compounds, as iodine, glycerine, bromine. Also adj. suffix, as adamantine, divine. [L. -inus, -ina; Fr. -in.]
-ing, suffix of present participles (often used as adjectives), as loving, charming. [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 living, dwelling; these often acquire a concrete sense, as learning. [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 Harding, Manning; esp. in place-names, as Billingsgate, Reading. (2) -ing is also found in names of animals, as in herring, whiting. (3) -ing in names of coins has also a sense of diminution, as in farthing (the fourth part, viz., of a penny), shilling.
-ion, -sion, -tion, -son, -som, being, state of being, as opinion, rebellion, religion, tension, poison, ransom, reason, season, creation. [L. -io, -tio, -sio; Fr. -ion, -sion, -tion.]
-ior, more, term. of comp. degree, as superior. [L. -ior. See -er, more.]
-ique, belonging to, as antique. [Fr.—L. -iquus; conn. with -ic, L. -icus. See -ac.]
-ise, -ize, verbal suffix, signifying to make; as equalise. [L. -izāre, from Gr. -izein; Fr. -iser.]
-ish, adj. suffix, ethnic, as Irish; signifying somewhat, as brownish, oldish; sometimes implying depreciation, as outlandish, childish. [A.S. -isc.]
-ish, verbal suffix, signifying to make, as establish. [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 asterisk. [Gr. -iskos; conn. with -ish, little. See -ock.]
-ism, -asm, -icism, forming abstract nouns sig. condition, system, as egoism, deism, Calvinism, laconism, pleonasm; Anglicism, witticism. [L. -ismus, -asmus—Gr. -ismos, -asmos.]
-ist, denoting the person who holds a doctrine or practises an art, as Calvinist, chemist, novelist, artist, royalist, nihilist. [L. -ista—Gr. -istēs.]
-ite, -it, noun suffix, born in, belonging to, as Israelite, Jesuit. [L. -ita—Gr. -itēs.]
-ix, fem. suffix, as testatrix. [L. -ix, -icis. Conn. with -ess, fem. suffix.]
-k, a verbal suffix, freq. or intens., as hark, lurk, talk, walk.
-kin, dim., as bumpkin, firkin, lambkin, mannikin, napkin; also in proper names, as Jenkins (John), Perkins (Peterkin), Wilkins (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 mankind, womankind. [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 nail, sail; beadle, fiddle, sickle, apple, bramble, bundle, icicle, nettle; runnel. -al is sometimes from A.S. -els from isli, as bridle, riddle, burial. -l, -le, as a verbal suffix, gives to the root the sense of frequency, repetition, diminution, as kneel, drizzle, nestle, sparkle.
-lence, -lency, forming abstract nouns. [L. -l-entia, from -lens. See -lent.]
-lent, adj. suffix, full of, as violent, virulent. [L. -lentus.]
-less, adj. suffix, free from, wanting, as guiltless, godless. [A.S. -léas, Ger. -los, Goth. -laus.]
-let, dim., as bracelet, leaflet, streamlet. [From -l and -et, dim. in certain words formed with -et on substantives ending in -el.]
-ling, dim., hence expressing affection, as darling (A.S. déorling), duckling, gosling; sometimes implying depreciation, as hireling, groundling, underling, worldling. [A.S. -ling.]
-ling, -long, adv. suffix, as darkling, sidelong. [A.S. -lunga, -linga.]
-lock, noun suffix, in wedlock and knowledge. 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 hemlock, garlic, charlock.
-ly, adj. and adv. suffix, as manly, only, wickedly. [The adj. suffix is from A.S. líc, Eng. like; adv. is from líc-e, dat. of líc.]
-m, noun suffix, as blossom [A.S. blóstma]; fathom [A.S. -ma, -m]; as realm, regime [Fr.,—L. -men].
-men, that which, state, as regimen, acumen. [Only in words borrowed from Latin. L. -men; Sans. -man. See -ment, -mony.]
-ment, noun suffix, as nourishment, establishment, detriment;—of Eng. formation, acknowledgment, employment. [L. -mentum, Fr. -ment. See -men.]
-mony, as testimony, parsimony. [L. -mon-iu-m, -mon-ia. See -men.]
-most, suffix of superl. deg., as endmost. 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 inmost=in-m-ost. See -est, superl. suffix.]
-n, in participles, as broken, hewn; in substantives, as bairn, beacon, burden, chin, corn, heaven, maiden.
-nce, -ncy, forming abstract nouns, as distance, decency. [Fr. -nce—L. -nt-ia.]
-nd, as fiend (lit. 'hating'), friend (lit. 'loving'). [A.S. pr.p. suffix.]
-ness, noun suffix, denoting abstract idea, as tenderness, sweetness. [A.S. -nis, -nes, cog. with Ger. -niss.]
-ock, dim., as hillock, bullock—also in proper names, as Pollock (from Paul), &c. In stirk 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 whom; in adverbs of time, as seldom. [A.S. -um.]
-on, -eon, -ion, noun suffix, as capon, mason, truncheon, onion, clarion. [Fr.—L. -onem, ionem.]
-oon, noun suffix, often augmentative, as balloon, saloon. [Fr. -on, It. -one.]
-or, -our, -er, denoting the agent, sometimes directly from L. (see -tor), but mostly through O. Fr. -ŏr, -our (mod. Fr. eur), as emperor (old spelling emperour, Fr. empereur—L. imperatorem); in others, Eng. -er has supplanted -eur, -our, as preacher (Fr. prêcheur—L. prædicatorem), while -or is at times affixed to Eng. roots, as sailor. In certain abstract nouns from L. -or, Fr. -eur is still represented by -our, as colour, labour, honour, and in a few cases directly retained, as in grandeur. The words demeanour and behaviour are English formations with -our.
-ory, belonging to, as prefatory [L. -orius]; place where, as purgatory. [L. -orium.]
-ose, full of, as bellicose, morose, verbose. [L. -osous. See -ous.]
-ous, adj. suffix, as religious, delirious, curious [L. -osus]; dubious, anxious [L. -us].—In righteous the ous has replaced wís, A.S. rihtwís.
-ow, noun suffix, as shadow [from A.S. -u]; swallow [from A.S. -ewe]; marrow [from A.S. -h]. Also adj. suffix, as narrow [from A.S. -u].
-r, noun suffix, marking the instrument, as stair, timber; adj. suffix, as bitter.
-re, place, as here. [A.S. -r, -ra, orig. a locative suffix.]
-red, noun suffix, denoting manner, state, as hatred, kindred (in A.S. cynren, a shortening of cynn-ryne, in M. E. the meaningless -ren being supplanted by -red). [A.S. -rǽden; cog. with Ger. -rath. See Read in Dict.]
-red, in hundred. This is cog. with Ice. hundrað, Ger. hundert, the suffix implying number, reckoning.
-ric, noun suffix, formerly an independent word denoting dominion, power, region, as bishopric. [A.S. ríce, power.]
-ry, noun suffix, originally with a collective meaning, as chevalerie, 'body of knights;' now expressing action or quality, as bigotry, pedantry, sorcery; condition, as outlawry, slavery; trade, as carpentry, heraldry; the place of action or occupation, as laundry, nursery; the result or product of action, as poetry, tapestry; forming collective nouns, as infantry, yeomanry. [Fr. rie = er + ie.]
-s, adverbial suffix, as needs, always, once, hence, thence, whil-s-t, betwi-x-t. [A.S. -es, gen. suffix.]
-s, -se, verbal suffix, making transitive verbs from adjectives, as cleanse (A.S. clǽnsian), rinse (Ice. hreinsa—hreinn, pure). It also occurs in clasp, grasp, put for clap-s, grap-s.
'Sdeath, sdeth, interj. an exclamation of impatience—for God's death.
'Sfoot, sfōōt, interj. (Shak.) a minced imprecation. [Abbrev. from God's foot. Cf. 'sblood.]
-ship, -scape, noun suffix, as friendship, stewardship, worship, landscape (earlier landskip, the Dut. landschap). [A.S. scipe, shape, form—scapan; cog. with Ger. -schaft.]
-some, adj. suffix, full of, as gladsome, buxom (orig. 'pliable,' 'good-natured,' A.S. búhsum, lissome, from búgan, to bow, bend). [A.S. -sum, Ger. -sam; a by-form of same.]
-stress, fem. suffix, as songstress. [From -ster, orig. fem. suffix, with the addition of L. -ess.]
-t, -te, adj. and noun suffix, as convent, fact, chaste, tribute. [L. -tus, pa.p. suffix; cog. with -d, pa.p. suffix.]
-teen, ten to be added, as fourteen. [A.S. -tyne. Cf. -ty, ten to be multiplied.]
-ter, noun suffix, as character. [Gr. -ter, L. -tor, Sans. -tri; perh. conn. with -ster.]
-ter, -ther, as in after, hither. [A.S. -der, -ther, old comp. suffix.]
-th, order, as sixth. [Becomes also -d; conn. with L. -tus, -tius, as in L. quartus, 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 strength, height; see under -d (pa.p. suffix).
-tor, the agent, as conductor. See -ther, and cf. -or, -our, -er.
'Tween, a contraction of between.—adj. 'Tween´-deck, lodging between decks.—n. and adv. 'Tween´-decks.
-ty, being or state of being, as dignity; quality, as honesty. [L. -tas, -tatem; O. Fr. -té.]
-ty, ten to be multiplied, as sixty. [A.S. -tig; cog. with Ger. -zig. Cf. -teen.]
-ule, little, dim. [from L. -ulus, -ula, -ulum], as in globule, pustule; also -cule [L. -culus, -cula, -culum], as animalcule, or [through Fr.] -cle, as article. A different Latin suffix -culum, forming substantives from verbs, is represented in the form -cle in several words adopted through French, as miracle, oracle, spectacle.
-uncle, little, dim., as peduncle. [L. -un-cu-lus, A.S. -incle; conn. with -en and -cule, diminutives.]
-ure, noun suffix, denoting act of, as capture; state of being, as verdure.—In leisure and pleasure, -ir has been replaced by -ure, O. Fr. leisir, plaisir. [L. -ura; Fr. -ure.]
-urnal, belonging to, as diurnal. [L. -urn-us and -al; conn. with -ern (in modern).]
-ward, -wards, forming adjectives from substantives, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions, as eastward, homeward, homewards; downward, forward, inward, toward. [A.S. -weard, gen. -weardes, cog. with Ger. -wärts; conn. with A.S. weorthan, to be, and L. versus—vertĕre, to turn.]
-way, -ways, adv. suffix, sig. manner, direction, as alway, always, straightway. [Cf. -wise.]
-wise, way, manner, as likewise, also righteous. [A.S. -wíse, manner; Ger. -wiss.]
-worth, adj. suffix, as stalworth, stalwart. [A.S. weorð, wurð.]
-y, adj. suffix, as spongy [from L. -iosus]; as jolly [Norm. Fr. -if from L. -ivus; cf. -ive]; as silly, dirty, any [A.S. -ig; cog. with Ger. -ig, Goth. -ha, -ga, L. -cu-s, Gr. -ko-s].
-y, noun suffix, as story, family, Italy [Fr. -ie, L. -ia]; as augury, joy, remedy [from L. -ium]; as ally, clergy, deputy, treaty [from L. -ātus, Fr. -é]; as progeny [from L. -ies]; as army, country, entry [from L. -āta, Fr. ée]; as body [from A.S. -ig]; and perhaps the modern Eng. in forming diminutives or words of contempt, as puppy, baby, lassie, from pup, babe, lass; Billy from Bill; Betsy, Lizzie, &c.