-arian
English edit
Etymology edit
Back-formation from various words ending in “arian”, some directly derived from Classical or Medieval Latin words ending in -arius by adding -an to the stem, other indirectly via Old French words ending in "arien(ne)" or "erien(ne)" or from English words ending in “ary” to which -an was suffixed; note the same phenomenon in -ary. Equivalent to -ary + -an.
Pronunciation edit
- Rhymes: -ɛəɹiən
Suffix edit
-arian
- A believer in something.
- An advocate of something.
- (uncommon) A native or inhabitant of somewhere.
Usage notes edit
- Most English words ending in -arian are not derived in English using this suffix. Most often -an or -ian is added to words formed in Latin using -arius or to a stem ending in "ar". For examples, see barbarian, nonagenarian, Rastafarian, Hungarian, and Trinitarian.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
a believer in something