English

Suffix

Germanic Etymologies

From Old English -ig , from Germanic

1. Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning 'having the quality of'

   mess, messy

   mouse, mousey , mousy

2. Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning 'inclined to'

   runny

   sticky

Translations

Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

• Finnish: -inen (1), -va (2), -vä (2)
• French: -eux m, -euse f
• Italian: -oso m, -osa f

Middle English/Scottish Etymologies

From Middle English, originally Scottish

1. Forming diminutive nouns

   granny

   Dicky

Variants

• -ie
• -ey

Translations

Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

• Finnish: -nen
• French: -ette, -ine
• Italian: -etto m, -etta f, -ino m, -ina f

Romance Etymologies

From French -ie and -e, from Latin -ia, -ium, -tas , Greek -eia, -ia

1. Forming nouns denoting a state, condition, or quality
2. modest, modestas , modesty
3. honest, honesty

Translations

Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

• Finnish: -uus , -yys
• French: -é
• Italian: -à

Finnish

Deverbal suffix

-y (with front vowel harmony)

1. Front vowel form of the deverbal suffix -u.