-esse

See also: esse, Esse, êsse, essē, ésse, and -êsse

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch -esse, borrowed from Old Northern French -esse, from Late Latin -issa (as in abbātissa (“abbess”)).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛ.sə/

Suffix

-esse

1. Creates the female form of some persons or occupations, as English -ess.

   secretaris (“secretary, receptionist”) – secretaresse (“female secretary, female receptionist”)

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -esse

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛs/

Etymology 1

From Old French -ece, from Latin -itia. The modern spelling is due to a phonetic merger with etymology 2; see below. Related to -ise.

Suffix

-esse f (plural -esses)

1. used to form nouns describing the condition of being something (-ness, -ity, etc.)

Derived terms

• délicatesse
• étroitesse
• faiblesse
• gentillesse
• grossesse
• justesse
• largesse
• molesse
• noblesse
• petitesse
• richesse
• robustesse
• tristesse
• vitesse

 

Etymology 2

From Middle French -esse, from Old French -esse, from Late Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa).

Suffix

-esse f (plural -esses)

1. -ess (female form)

Derived terms

• diablesse
• princesse
• tigresse

 

Derived terms

French terms suffixed with -esse

Descendants

• → Dutch: -es
• → English: -ess

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈes.se/
• Rhymes: -esse
• Syllabification: -és‧se

Suffix

-esse (non-lemma form of verb-forming suffix)

1. suffix forming the third-person singular imperfect subjunctive of -ere verbs

Anagrams

• sese

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old French -esse from Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa).

Alternative forms

• -es, -ess, -asse, -as, -eyse, -eys, -eis, -isse, -ysse, -iss, -yss, -ys, -is

Suffix

-esse

2. Denotes a female form of otherwise male nouns denoting beings or persons.

Synonyms

• -en (displaced)

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -esse

Descendants

• English: -ess

References

• “-esse, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 June 2018.

Etymology 2

Suffix

-esse

1. Alternative form of -yssh

Middle French

Suffix

-esse

1. -ess (used to form feminine nouns from masculine ones)

Derived terms

Middle French terms suffixed with -esse

Descendants

• French: -esse