-ant

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ant"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -ant, -aunt, partly from Old French -ant, from Latin -āns; and partly (in adjectival derivations) continuing Middle English -ant, a variant of -and, -end, from Old English -ende (present participle ending), see -and.

Suffix

-ant

1. (now sciences, chiefly medicine) The agent noun derived from verb.

   serve → servant

2. An adjective corresponding to a noun in -ance.

   defiance → defiant.

3. (uncommon) An adjective derived from a verb.

   err → errant.

4. Alternative form of -and

   blatant, blicant; flippant

Usage notes

• Many words in -ant were not actually coined in English but rather borrowed directly from Old French, Middle French or Modern French.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -ant

Related terms

• -ance

Anagrams

• NAT, NTA, Nat, Nat., TAN, TNA, Tan, nat, tan

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Dutch

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑnt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-ant m (plural -anten, feminine -ante)

1. appended to the stem of a verb, it yields a noun which signifies the subject who performs the action of that verb (see agent noun)

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -ant

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French

Etymology

From Old French -ant, from Latin -āns, -ēns. Compare Italian -ante, -ente, Spanish -ante, -ente, -iente.

Suffix

-ant

1. -ing; suffix denoting the present participle of a verb

   jouer (to play) → jouant (playing)

2. (rare) A suffix deriving adjectives from words other than verbs.

   abracadabra → abracadabrant

3. Used to form nouns and adjectives out of verbs.

Related terms

• -ance

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Hungarian

Etymology

-a- (“linking vowel”) + -n (“instantaneous suffix”) + -t (“causative suffix”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɒnt]

Suffix

-ant

1. (instantaneous suffix) Added to a stem - often an onomatopoeia - to form a verb expressing an instantaneous action.

   pillant (“to glance”)

Usage notes

• (instantaneous suffix) Harmonic variants:

  -ant is added to back vowel words

  -ent is added to front vowel words

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -ant

See also

• -int
• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

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Latin

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ant/, [än̪t̪]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ant/, [än̪t̪]

Suffix

1. third-person plural present active indicative of -ō

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Middle French

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-ant

1. used to form the present participle of verbs

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Old French

Etymology

From Latin -āns, -ēns.

Suffix

-ant

1. used to form the present participle of verbs

Related terms

• -ance/-anche

Descendants

• English: -ant
• French: -ant