-nik

See also: nik, Nik, and -ník

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

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Estonian

Etymology

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

Suffix

-nik (genitive -niku, partitive -nikku)

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

   kiri "text" → kirjanik "writer"

   aed "garden" → aednik "gardener"

   kunst "art" → kunstnik "artist"

Declension

Declension of -nik (ÕS type 25/õnnelik, length 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

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Ojibwe

Suffix

-nik (plural -nikan)

1. arm

   ingodonik — one arm; one armlength

   midaasonik — ten arms; ten armlengths

   jiiskinikebizon — bracelet; garter

   minikeyaab — armband; bracelet

   ninik — my arm

   gichinik — right hand

Related terms

• -nike

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Polish

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-nikъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɲik/

Suffix

-nik m

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

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

• -nica f

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

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

• -enik
• -ovnik
• -evnik

Related terms

• -ik
• -ica

References

• Template:R:sh:Skok1971