-ian

See also: ian, Ian, ían, iän, -ían, -յան, and Ian.

English

Alternative forms

• -an, -n

Etymology

From Latin -iānus, which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iːən/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

Suffix

-ian

1. (as an adjective) From, related to, or like.
2. (as a noun) One from, belonging to, relating to, or like.
3. (as a noun) Having a certain profession.

Usage notes

• When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -ian, females -ienne.

Derived terms

related to

• Arthurian
• Hermitian
• Newtonian
• Lipschitzian

• utopian
• Washingtonian
• Wilmingtonian

belonging to

• physician
• politician

• magician

having a profession

• comedian (compare comedienne)
• musician

Related terms

• -ienne

Translations

related to

• Catalan: -ià
• Dutch: -isch (nl)
• French: -ien (fr)
• Galician: -ian m

• German: -isch (de)
• Hungarian: -i (hu)
• Italian: -iano m, -iana f
• Spanish: -iano m, -iana f

belonging to

• French: -ien (fr)

• Italian: -iano

having a profession

• Dutch: -iant

• French: -ien (fr)

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 Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Latin: ^{(please verify)} -ianus

Anagrams

• ANI, Ain, Ani, INA, Ina, NIA, Nia, ain', ani, nai

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Old English

Etymology

By syncope from earlier *-ōjan, a northern Ingvaeonic innovated form of Proto-West Germanic *-ōn, from Proto-Germanic *-ōną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.ɑn/

Suffix

-ian

1. Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives.

Conjugation

Conjugation of -ian (weak class 2)

infinitive	-ian	-ienne
indicative	present	past
1st-person singular	-iġe	-ode
2nd-person singular	-ast	-odest
3rd-person singular	-aþ	-ode
plural	-iaþ	-odon
subjunctive	present	past
singular	-iġe	-ode
plural	-iġen	-oden
imperative
singular	-a
plural	-iaþ
participle	present	past
	-iende	(ġe)-od

Derived terms

► Old English words suffixed with -ian

Descendants

• Middle English: -ien, -en (merged with all other verbs)
  • English: -en, -e (obsolete)
  • Scots: -e (obsolete)

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Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *-ijaną.

Suffix

-ian

1. used to form the infinitive of class 1 weak verbs (as well as a few strong verbs also ending in -ian like biddian or liggian, and class 3 weak verbs)

   wekkian "to awake" (class 1 weak verbs)

   seggian "to say" (class 3 weak verbs)