-y

See also Appendix:Variations of "y"

English

Alternative forms

• -e, -ey

Etymology 1

From Old English -ig, from Proto-Germanic

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

Synonyms

• (form “having quality of” adjectives): -ish, -like, -ly, -ous

Translations

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

having the quality of

Asturian: -osu (ast) m., -osa (ast) f. Dutch: -ig (nl) Finnish: -inen (fi) Italian: -oso (it)

Portuguese: -oso (pt) Swedish: -ig (sv), -aktig (sv) Ukrainian: -ий (uk) (-yj) m.

inclined to

Finnish: -va (fi), -vä (fi) Portuguese: -or (pt) m., -ora (pt) f.

Ukrainian: -ий (uk) (-yj) m.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.

Translations to be checked

French: -eux (fr) m., -euse (fr) f. German: -ig (de)

Spanish: -oso (es) m., -osa (es) f.

Etymology 2

From Middle English and Scots

Suffix

-y

1. Forming diminutive nouns

   granny

   Dicky

Translations

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

forming diminutive nouns

Armenian: -իկ (hy) (-ik), -ուկ (hy) (-uk), -ակ (hy) (-ak) Asturian: -ín (ast) m., -ina (ast) f. Catalan: -et (ca) m., -eta (ca) f. Dutch: -je (nl), -tje (nl), -etje (nl), -pje (nl) Esperanto: -et- (eo) Finnish: -nen (fi)

French: -et (fr), -ette (fr), -ine (fr) German: -chen (de), -lein (de), -i (de), -erl (de) Hungarian: -ka, -ke (hu) Italian: -etto (it) m., -etta (it) f., -ino (it) m., -ina (it) f. Portuguese: -inho (pt) m., -inha (pt) f. Spanish: -ito (es) m., -ita (es) f., -iño (es) m., -iña (es) f.

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.

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)

2. Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin.

   Italy, Germany, Saxony, Hungary, Sicily, Lombardy, Tuscany, Albany, Brittany, Burgundy, Picardy, Normandy, Turkey.

Translations

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

forming abstract nouns

Armenian: -ություն (hy) (-ut’yun) Dutch: -heid (nl), -nis (nl) Finnish: -uus (fi), -yys (fi) French: -é (fr) German: -heit (de), -keit (de), -nis (de)

Hungarian: -ság (hu), -ség (hu) Italian: -à (it) Latin: -ia (la), -ium (la), -tas (la) Spanish: -ia (es), -tad (es) Ukrainian: -ий (uk) (-yj) m.

Derived terms

• Category:English words suffixed with -y

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Finnish

Suffix

-y

1. Front vowel variant of -u.

Declension

Declension of -y (type valo) singular plural nominative -y -yt genitive -yn -yjen partitive -yä -yjä accusative -y -yn -yt inessive -yssä -yissä elative -ystä -yistä illative -yyn -yihin adessive -yllä -yillä ablative -yltä -yiltä allative -ylle -yille essive -ynä -yinä translative -yksi -yiksi instructive – -yin abessive -yttä -yittä comitative – -yineen

Declension of -y (type palvelu) singular plural nominative -y -yt genitive -yn -yjen -yiden -yitten partitive -yä -yjä -yitä accusative -y -yn -yt inessive -yssä -yissä elative -ystä -yistä illative -yyn -yihin adessive -yllä -yillä ablative -yltä -yiltä allative -ylle -yille essive -ynä -yinä translative -yksi -yiksi instructive – -yin abessive -yttä -yittä comitative – -yineen

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Quechua

Suffix

-y (deverbalizer)

1. Infinitive marker.

-y (declinative, person)

1. Flexive suffix for the first gramatical person, mine.

   Mikunay

   My food.

-y (conjugative, person)

1. Conjugative suffix for the first gramatical person in imperative mood.

   Uyariway

   (You) Listen to me.