-ība

See also: iba, Iba, IBA, and ība

Latvian

Etymology

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ība, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-o-, from a stem *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”), first applied to i-stems, from which it incorporated the stem-final i, and then spread to other stem classes. Cognates include Lithuanian -yba (cf. tikýba (“belief, faith”)), Lithuanian -ybė, Proto-Slavic *-ьba.

Suffix

-ība

1. Added to adjectives (sometimes to nouns) to form abstract nouns, especially those referring to the state or property that corresponds to the original adjective (like, e.g., Eng. -ity).

Derived terms

Latvian terms suffixed with -ība