-aio

Alternative forms

• -aro (dialectal)

Etymology

From Latin -ārius. Compare the borrowed doublet -ario, as well as -iere, borrowed from (Old) French. Example: Italian operaio, from Latin operārius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.jo/
• Rhymes: -ajo
• Hyphenation: -à‧io

Suffix

-aio m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ai, feminine -aia)

1. added to nouns to form agent nouns

   ‎forno (“oven”) + ‎-aio → ‎fornaio (“baker”)

   ‎pecora (“sheep”) + ‎-aio → ‎pecoraio (“shepherd”)

   ‎macello (“slaughterhouse”) + ‎-aio → ‎macellaio (“butcher”)

2. added to nouns to form nouns of mass or collection

   ‎formica (“ant”) + ‎-aio → ‎formicaio (“anthill”)

   ‎ghiaccio (“ice”) + ‎-aio → ‎ghiacciaio (“iceberg”)

   ‎letame (“dung”) + ‎-aio → ‎letamaio (“dunghill”)

See also

• -ario