-y

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /i/

Etymology 1

From Middle English -y, -i, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-īgaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ikos, *-iḱos ("-y, -ic").

Cognate with Scots -ie, Western Frisian -ich, Dutch -ig, Low German -ig, German -ig, Swedish -ig, Gothic -𐌹𐌲𐍃, Latin -icus, Ancient Greek -ικός, Sanskrit -इक. Doublet of -ac and -ic.

Suffix

1. 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

2. Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".

   run + -y → runny

   stick + -y → sticky

   fiddle + -y → fiddly

Synonyms

• (form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “involving the referent”) -al, -an, -ial, -ian, -ly, -ous
• (form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “analogous to the referent”) -esque, -ish, -like, -ly, -oid

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “form “having quality of” adjectives”): -less

Translations

• German: -ig
• Italian: -oso
• Portuguese: -oso
• Russian: -ий
• Spanish: -iento, -oso, -iego

Translations

• Portuguese: -ento
• Russian: -ий
• Spanish: -ento, -iento

Etymology 2

Cognate with Scots -ie, being inherited directly from the same source Middle English -ie, -i, from Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic *-ij-, *-j-.

Suffix

1. Forming diminutive nouns.

   granny, pinny, tummy

2. Forming familiar names, pet names, nicknames and terms of endearment.

   Andy, Billy, Johnny, Jonesy, lovey

Synonyms

• (diminutive) mini-, micro-, nano-, -ette, -ee, -icle/-cule/-ule/-ole

Translations

• French: -et, -ette, -in, -ine
• German: -chen, -lein, -i, -erl
• Italian: -etto, -etta, -ino, -ina
• Portuguese: -inho
• Russian: -ик
• Spanish: -ito, -ita, -iño, -iña, -ico, -uelo, illo, ino, -ucho, -ete, -eto, -uco, -iello, -ullo, -ejo

Etymology 3

From Middle English -y, -ie, -ee, -e, from Anglo-Norman - and Middle French -ie and -é, from Latin -ia, -ium, -tās, Ancient Greek -ίᾱ, -ειᾰ, -ιον.

Cognate (as far as Latin -ia is involved) with German -ei and Dutch -ij.

Suffix

1. Forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state.

   modest + -y → modesty

   honest + -y → honesty

   -nym + -y → -nymy

   as in toponym + -y → toponymy

   -logue + -y → -logy

   as in analogue + -y → analogy

2. Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin.

   Italy, Germany, Saxony, Hungary, Sicily, Lombardy, Tuscany, Albany, Brittany, Gascony, Burgundy, Picardy, Normandy, Romandy, Savoy, Muscovy, Tartary, Arcady, Thessaly, Troy, Turkey.

Translations

• French: -é
• German: -heit, -keit, -nis
• Italian: -à
• Portuguese: -ia, -idade
• Spanish: -ia, -tad, -dad, -ie, -io, -tud, -edumbre

Translations

• French: -ie
• Russian: -ия
• Spanish: -ía, -ia

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