-ess

English

Etymology

From French -esse, from Late Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα.

Suffix

-ess (plural -esses)

1. Suffix appended to words to make a female form.

   actress

   authoress

   goddess

   lioness

   princess

   shepherdess

   waitress

Usage notes

• Professions ending in -ter or -tor change to -tr when this suffix is added.

  A female sempster is a sempstress; a female actor is an actress.

• This suffix tends to be regarded as sexist and as such is starting to fall into disuse; a single, gender-neutral term is preferred by many even though it is a less specific term.

  Glenda Jackson is a famous actor.

  Glenda Jackson is a famous actress. More specific language signaling that Glenda is a female.

• Depending on etymology, other feminine affixes are used; see synonyms.

Synonyms

• (female suffix): -a, -ette, -euse, -rix, she-

Derived terms

[+] English words suffixed with -ess

Translations

female suffix

• Breton: -ez (br) f
• Burmese: မ (my) (ma.)
• Danish: -inde (da)
• Finnish: -tar (fi), -tär (fi)
• French: -esse (fr) f
• German: -in (de) f, -essin (de) f, esse (de) f
• Greek: -ισσα (el) (-issa) f 
• Hebrew: -ה (he) (-a), -ית (he) (-it)

• Irish: ban- (ga)
• Jèrriais: -êsse f
• Russian: -ка (ru) (-ka) f , -ша (ru) (-ša) f , -ица (ru) (-ica) f , -ница (ru) (-nica) f , -иса (ru) (-ísa) f , -есса (ru) (-ɛ́ssa, -(j)éssa) f , -а (ru) (-a) f , -чица (ru) (-číca) f , -иня (ru) (-inja) f , -ыня (ru) (-ynja) f , -иха (ru) (-íxa) f 
• Swedish: -inna (sv), -essa (sv), -ska (sv)
• Welsh: -es (cy) f

References

• “-ess” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).