-nik

See also: nik, Nik, -nik-, -ník, ŋɪ́k, and ȵik⁷

English

Etymology

From the Slavic suffix represented by Russian -ник (-nik). This suffix experienced a surge in English coinages for nicknames and diminutives after the 1957 Soviet launch of the first Sputnik satellite. English usage is heavily influenced by Yiddish usage of ־ניק (-nik) and similar borrowed words (nogoodnik, nudnik, kibbutznik).

Suffix

-nik

1. Creates a nickname for a person who exemplifies, endorses, or is associated with the thing or quality specified (by the base form), often a particular ideology or preference.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -nik

Further reading

• Kabakchi, V. V. with Doyle, Charles Clay (1990 Autumn) “Of Sputniks, Beatniks, and Nogoodniks”, in American Speech‎^[1], volume 65, number 3, →JSTOR, pages 275-278

Anagrams

• -kin, -kin-, Kin, ink, k'in, kin

Basque

Alternative forms

• -enik

Conjunction

-nik

1. Negative polarity item used to form relative clauses, that

   Ez dut esan etorriko direnik. ― I didn't say that they'll come.

Usage notes

The form taken by this clitic depends on the ending of the verbal form to which it is attached, see the usage notes at -n.

Estonian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Compare Ingrian -nikka, Latvian -nieks and Russian -ник (-nik).

Suffix

-nik (genitive -niku, partitive -nikku)

1. Forms occupational agent nouns. (non-productive)

   ‎kiri (“text”) + ‎-nik → ‎kirjanik (“writer”)

   ‎aed (“garden”) + ‎-nik → ‎aednik (“gardener”)

   ‎kunst (“art”) + ‎-nik → ‎kunstnik (“artist”)

Declension

Declension of -nik (ÕS type 25/õnnelik, kk-k gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		-nik	-nikud
accusative	nom.
	gen.	-niku
genitive			-nike -nikkude
partitive		-nikku	-nikke -nikkusid
illative		-nikku -nikusse	-nikesse -nikkudesse
inessive		-nikus	-nikes -nikkudes
elative		-nikust	-nikest -nikkudest
allative		-nikule	-nikele -nikkudele
adessive		-nikul	-nikel -nikkudel
ablative		-nikult	-nikelt -nikkudelt
translative		-nikuks	-nikeks -nikkudeks
terminative		-nikuni	-nikeni -nikkudeni
essive		-nikuna	-nikena -nikkudena
abessive		-nikuta	-niketa -nikkudeta
comitative		-nikuga	-nikega -nikkudega

Derived terms

Estonian terms suffixed with -nik

Lower Sorbian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-nikъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nʲik/

Suffix

-nik m

1. Forms masculine nouns referring to a performer of some action, sometimes a device; -er

   ‎rězaś (“to cut”) + ‎-nik → ‎rěznik (“butcher”)

Declension

Animate nouns:

Declension of -nik

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-nik	-nika	-niki
Genitive	-nika	-nikowu	-nikow
Dative	-nikoju	-nikoma	-nikam
Accusative	-nika	-nikowu	-niki, -nikow
Instrumental	-nikom	-nikoma	-nikami
Locative	-niku	-nikoma	-nikach

Inanimate nouns:

Declension of -nik

	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	-nik	-nika	-niki
Genitive	-nika	-nikowu	-nikow
Dative	-nikoju	-nikoma	-nikam
Accusative	-nik	-nika	-niki
Instrumental	-nikom	-nikoma	-nikami
Locative	-niku	-nikoma	-nikach

Derived terms

Lower Sorbian terms suffixed with -nik

Related terms

• -nica f

Ojibwe

Noun

-nik (plural -nikan, obligatorily possessed)

1. arm

Derived terms

• gichinik (“right hand”)
• ginik (“your arm”)
• ingodonik (“one arm; one armlength”)
• jiiskinikebizon (“bracelet; garter”)
• midaasonik (“ten arms; ten armlengths”)
• minikeyaab (“armband; bracelet”)
• ninik (“my arm”)
• onik (“his arm”)

Related terms

• -nik-
• -nike-

References

• The Ojibwe People's Dictionary https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/ninik-nid

Old Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-nikъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /niːk/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /nik/

Suffix

-nik m

1. forms masculine nouns referring to a performer of some action, sometimes a device

Derived terms

Old Polish terms suffixed with -nik

Polish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish -nik

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɲik/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ik
• Syllabification: nik

Suffix

-nik m

1. forms masculine nouns referring to a performer of some action, sometimes a device; -er

   ‎rola + ‎-nik → ‎rolnik

Declension

Personal nouns:

Declension of -nik

	singular	plural
nominative	-nik	-nicy/-niki (deprecative)
genitive	-nika	-ników
dative	-nikowi	-nikom
accusative	-nika	-ników
instrumental	-nikiem	-nikami
locative	-niku	-nikach
vocative	-niku	-nicy

Impersonal nouns:

Declension of -nik

	singular	plural
nominative	-nik	-niki
genitive	-nika	-ników
dative	-nikowi	-nikom
accusative	-nika	-niki
instrumental	-nikiem	-nikami
locative	-niku	-nikach
vocative	-niku	-niki

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -nik

Related terms

suffix

• -nica

 

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-nikъ, *-ьnikъ, itself originally by nominalization of adjectives in *-ьnъ with the suffix *-ikъ (whence -ik). The suffix originates from the Proto-Balto-Slavic period; compare with dialectal Lithuanian lauk-inykas (“peasant, farmer”) (from laũkas (“field”)) and Old Prussian lauk-inikis (“vassal”).

Suffix

-nik (Cyrillic spelling -ник)

1. Suffix appended to nominal stems to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a professional, performer, adherent, place, object, tool or a feature.

Derived terms

Serbo-Croatian terms suffixed with -nik

• -enik
• -evnik
• -ovnik

 

Related terms

• -ik
• -ica
• -nica

References

• Skok, Petar (1971) “-nik”, in Etimologijski rječnik hrvatskoga ili srpskoga jezika [Etymological Dictionary of the Croatian or Serbian Language] (in Serbo-Croatian), volumes 1 (A – J), Zagreb: JAZU, page 515