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-ian

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-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

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  • When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -ian, females -ienne.
  • The plural is -ians (one magician, two magicians).
  • When added to a word ending in a vowel, the infix -v- is inserted (Peruvian, Whovian), though this can be optional (Rousseauvian).

Coordinate terms

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Derived terms

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having a profession
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Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Anagrams

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Middle English

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Suffix

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-ian

  1. alternative form of -ien (-ian)

Old English

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Etymology

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

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-ian

  1. Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives.

Usage notes

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  • Due to unstressed vowel reduction, the past tense forms -ode and -odon are often written with ⟨a⟩ and, less frequently, ⟨u⟩, leading to forms such as -ade, -adan, and -odun.

Conjugation

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Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle English: -ien (Early Middle English or Kentish, Southern, or Southwest Midland)
    • English: -y, -ee (dialectal, West Country)
  • Middle English: -en
    • English: -en (obsolete)
    • Middle Scots: -en, -in (literary, under Chaucerian influence)

Old Saxon

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Etymology

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From Proto-Germanic *-ijaną.

Suffix

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-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)

Conjugation

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Swedish

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Suffix

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-ian

  1. (as a noun) Denotes a follower of something.

Usage notes

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Words having this suffix can have an additional suffix -ism for an idea (e.g. kantianism) and an additional suffix -sk to form an adjective (e.g. kantiansk).

Derived terms

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Welsh

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-ian

  1. Forms verbnouns.
    clawr (board, surface) + ‎-ian → ‎clorian (to weigh)
    sgrech (scream, screech) + ‎-ian → ‎sgrechian (to scream, to screech)

Derived terms

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References

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  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-ian”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies