-y
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Appendix:Variations of "y"
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /i/
Audio (Southern England): (file)
Alternative forms
Etymology 1
Etymology tree
From Middle English -y, -i, from Old English -iġ (“-y, -ic”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-īgaz (“-y, -ic”), from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ikos, *-iḱos (“-y, -ic”).
Cognate with Scots -ie (“-y”), West Frisian -ich (“-y”), Dutch -ig (“-y”), Low German -ig (“-y”), German -ig (“-y”), Swedish -ig (“-y”), Gothic -𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-igs, “-y”), Latin -icus (“-y, -ic”), Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika). Doublet of -ac and -ic.
Suffix
-y
- Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving the referent” or “analogous to it”.
- mess + -y → messy
- mouse + -y → mousy
- blue + -y → bluey
- clay + -y → clayey
- tree + -y → treey
- hole + -y → holey
- sponge + -y → spongy
- cake + -y → caky
- dice + -y → dicey
- guts + -y → gutsy
- 2003, Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom, Macmillan, →ISBN:
- Tim keeps trying to make it all more impressionistic, less computer-y.
- Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".
Usage notes
- This suffix is extremely productive and can be added to almost any word. When the resulting word is not perceived to be an established or formal word (but rather a nonce word or a casualism), a hyphen is often used before the suffix (sandcastle → sandcastle-y, tomato-y, etc.); this is sometimes also used when an established term is used very literally, as a form of clarification (health → health-y (“relating to health”), distinct from healthy (“in a state of wellness”)).
- The final consonant is doubled just like any other vowel suffix. if -> iffy.
- For nouns and adjectives ending in Y, -ey is added. For example, clay -> clayey.
- Nouns and adjectives ending in a silent E often drop this. For example, ease -> easy.
- A few long-established words ending with this suffix have distinctive spellings, such as wintry and fiery, which English learners might misspell as *wintery and *firey.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of “form “having quality of” adjectives”): -less
Translations
Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.
having the quality of
|
inclined to
- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Etymology 2
Cognate with Scots -ie, being inherited directly from the same source Middle English -ie, -i, from Old English -iġ (“-ie, -y”, diminutive suffix), possibly from Proto-West Germanic *-ij-, *-j- (diminutive suffix).
Not related with Dutch -je, -ie, regional Low German -je, which are from Proto-West Germanic *-ikīn (English -kin as in lambkin), nor with German -i, which is from Proto-West Germanic *-īn (English -en as in maiden). The vowel /i/ has an onomatopoeic quality to it, which may reinforce its occurrence in diminutives.
Alternative forms
Suffix
-y
- Forming diminutive nouns.
- Forming familiar names, pet names, nicknames and terms of endearment.
- Added for metrical reasons to songs, often in children's music where it may carry diminutive associations.
Synonyms
Translations
Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.
forming diminutive nouns
|
Etymology 3
Etymology tree
From Middle English -y, -ie, -ee, -e, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French -ie and -é, from Latin -ia, -ium, -tās, Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā), -ειᾰ (-eiă), -ιον (-ion). Cognate (as far as Latin -ia is involved) with German -ei and Dutch -ij.
Suffix
-y
- Forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state.
- Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin.
Derived terms
Translations
Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.
forming abstract nouns
|
Derived terms
Afar
Etymology 1
Pronunciation
Clitic
-y
- Used to form an interrogative copulative sentence: is it?
- Qafár af macáy? ― What is the Afar language?
Etymology 2
Pronunciation
Clitic
-y
Usage notes
- When following a short vowel, -y lengthens that vowel:
- gaalá (“camel”) + -y → gaaláay (“and the camels”)
References
- E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN, page 282; 292
- Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie), Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis), page 447
Asturian
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Pronoun
-y
Usage notes
It is always spelled with the hyphen, unlike other pronouns in the language.
Related terms
Czech
Suffix
-y (adverb-forming suffix)
Derived terms
Further reading
- -y in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017
Egyptian
Pronunciation
- (modern Egyptological) IPA(key): /iː/
- Conventional anglicization: -y
Etymology 1
Suffix
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Forms the plural imperative of verbs, particularly weak verbs.
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally used to form the subjunctive of weak verbs.
Usage notes
The plural imperative can also appear without this suffix, in a form identical to the singular imperative.
Etymology 2
Suffix
- Forms agent nouns from verbs.
Etymology 3
Suffix
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the masculine imperfective active participle, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative forms
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -y
Etymology 4
Suffix
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the masculine singular perfective passive participle of strong verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative forms
Etymology 5
Suffix
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective passive participle of weak verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective relative form of weak verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
- (Late Egyptian) Marks the perfective passive participle of mostly third-weak transitive verbs, following the stem.
- (Late Egyptian) Occasionally marks the perfective active participle of mostly third-weak transitive verbs, following the stem.
Alternative forms
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -y
| -yꜣ | -yt | ||||||||
| Late Egyptian | Late Egyptian |
Etymology 6
Suffix
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Rarely marks the imperfective relative form of all verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative forms
References
- James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 328–329, 354.
- Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, page 66
Finnish
Suffix
-y
- Front vowel variant of -u.
Declension
| Inflection of -y (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | -y | -yt | |
| genitive | -yn | -yjen | |
| partitive | -yä | -yjä | |
| illative | -yyn | -yihin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | -y | -yt | |
| accusative | nom. | -y | -yt |
| gen. | -yn | ||
| genitive | -yn | -yjen | |
| partitive | -yä | -yjä | |
| inessive | -yssä | -yissä | |
| elative | -ystä | -yistä | |
| illative | -yyn | -yihin | |
| adessive | -yllä | -yillä | |
| ablative | -yltä | -yiltä | |
| allative | -ylle | -yille | |
| essive | -ynä | -yinä | |
| translative | -yksi | -yiksi | |
| abessive | -yttä | -yittä | |
| instructive | — | -yin | |
| comitative | See the possessive forms below. | ||
| Possessive forms of -y (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Inflection of -y (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| nominative | -y | -yt | |
| genitive | -yn | -yjen -yiden -yitten | |
| partitive | -yä | -yjä -yitä | |
| illative | -yyn | -yihin | |
| singular | plural | ||
| nominative | -y | -yt | |
| accusative | nom. | -y | -yt |
| gen. | -yn | ||
| genitive | -yn | -yjen -yiden -yitten | |
| partitive | -yä | -yjä -yitä | |
| inessive | -yssä | -yissä | |
| elative | -ystä | -yistä | |
| illative | -yyn | -yihin | |
| adessive | -yllä | -yillä | |
| ablative | -yltä | -yiltä | |
| allative | -ylle | -yille | |
| essive | -ynä | -yinä | |
| translative | -yksi | -yiksi | |
| abessive | -yttä | -yittä | |
| instructive | — | -yin | |
| comitative | See the possessive forms below. | ||
| Possessive forms of -y (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ingrian
Pronunciation
Suffix
-y
- Front vowel variant of -u
Declension
| Declension of -y (type 4/koivu, no gradation) | ||
|---|---|---|
| singular | plural | |
| nominative | -y | -yt |
| genitive | -yn | -yin, -ylöin |
| partitive | -yä | -yjä, -ylöjä |
| illative | -yy | -yi, -ylöihe |
| inessive | -ys | -yis, -ylöis |
| elative | -yst | -yist, -ylöist |
| allative | -ylle | -yille, -ylöille |
| adessive | -yl | -yil, -ylöil |
| ablative | -ylt | -yilt, -ylöilt |
| translative | -yks | -yiks, -ylöiks |
| essive | -ynnä, -yyn | -yinnä, -ylöinnä, -yin, -ylöin |
| exessive1) | -ynt | -yint, -ylöint |
| 1) obsolete *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl) **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive. | ||
Derived terms
Lower Sorbian
Suffix
-y
- Alternative form of -i (used after “hard” consonants).
Middle English
Etymology 1
From Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-gaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos. Doublet of -ik.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Suffix
-y
- Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by being appended to a noun.
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- “-i,, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 20 June 2018.
- “-i(e, suf.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 20 June 2018.
Etymology 2
Suffix
-y
- Alternative form of -yf
Etymology 3
Suffix
-y
- Alternative form of -ie
Northern Ohlone
Alternative forms
- -i (“after consonants”)
Suffix
-y (plural -iṭ)
- Used to form the imperative mood of verbs
References
Old Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ъjь, the definite form of hard-stem adjectives. See *jь.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-y
- forms adjectives
Derived terms
Descendants
- Polish: -y
Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Old Polish -y.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɘ/
- Rhymes: -ɘ
- Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]
- Homophones: y, -y-
Suffix
-y
- forms adjectives
Derived terms
Quechua
Suffix
-y
- Infinitive marker.
- mikhuy (“to eat”)
- Nominalizes verbs. The act of doing something. "-ing."
- pampachay (“pardon, remission”)
- Indicates first-person singular possessive.
- mikhuna (“food”) → mikhunay (“my food”)
- Conjugative suffix for the second-person imperative mood.
Scots
Suffix
-y
- Alternative form of -ie
References
- “-y, suff.”, in The Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries, 2004–present, →OCLC.
Slovincian
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ъjь, the definite form of hard-stem adjectives. See *jь.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-y
- forms adjectives
- aptécznjik + -y → aptécznjiczy
Derived terms
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