-y

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See also Appendix:Variations of "y"

Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Alternative spellings

[edit] Etymology 1

From Old English -ig, from Germanic

[edit] Suffix

-y

  1. Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning "having the quality of".
    mess → messy
    mouse → mousey, mousy
    blue → bluey
  2. Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".
    run → runny
    stick → sticky
[edit] Translations

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

having the quality of
inclined to
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Translations to be checked

[edit] Etymology 2

From Middle English and Scots

[edit] Suffix

-y

  1. Forming diminutive nouns
    granny
    Dicky
[edit] Translations

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

forming diminutive nouns

[edit] Etymology 3

From Anglo-Norman, Middle French, and Romanian -ie and -e, from Latin -ia, -ium, -tas, Ancient Greek -ία. Cognate (as far as Latin -ia is involved) with German -ei and Dutch -ij.

[edit] Suffix

-y

  1. Forming abstract nouns denoting a state, condition, or quality.
    modest → modesty
    honest → honesty
    -nym → -nymy (as in toponym → toponymy)
    -logue → -logy (as in analogue → analogy)
[edit] Translations

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

forming abstract nouns

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Finnish

[edit] Suffix

-y (with front vowel harmony)

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