Hungarian edit

Etymology edit

First attested in c. 1350. Of the same origin as the / diminutive suffix. Later it split from the latter as an adjective-forming suffix meaning “possessing something”. Originally, the variants occurred equally both as a diminutive suffix and as an adjective-forming suffix. This mix of forms resulted in a division of senses.[1]

Pronunciation edit

Suffix edit

  1. (adjective-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form an adjective denoting possession or similarity. It is used only in parasynthetic compounds, requiring a preceding adjective or a compound structure. Similar in function to English -ed.
    hét (seven) + fej (head)hétfejű sárkány (seven-headed dragon)
    jó szív (kind heart)kind-hearted
    darázsderekú (wasp-waisted)
  2. (obsolete) Present-participle suffix, found today only in a few words such as gyönyörű (beautiful, adjective), fésű (comb, noun), sűrű (thick, adjective).

Usage notes edit

  • (adjective-forming suffix): Variants:
    is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant
    is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant
    -jú is added to back-vowel words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-.
    -jű is added to front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Final -e changes to -é-.

Declension edit

Inflection (stem in -e-, front rounded harmony)
singular plural
nominative -űek
accusative -űt -űeket
dative -űnek -űeknek
instrumental -űvel -űekkel
causal-final -űért -űekért
translative -űvé -űekké
terminative -űig -űekig
essive-formal -űként -űekként
essive-modal
inessive -űben -űekben
superessive -űn -űeken
adessive -űnél -űeknél
illative -űbe -űekbe
sublative -űre -űekre
allative -űhöz -űekhez
elative -űből -űekből
delative -űről -űekről
ablative -űtől -űektől
non-attributive
possessive - singular
-űé -űeké
non-attributive
possessive - plural
-űéi -űekéi

Derived terms edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ in Zaicz, Gábor (ed.). Etimológiai szótár: Magyar szavak és toldalékok eredete (‘Dictionary of Etymology: The origin of Hungarian words and affixes’). Budapest: Tinta Könyvkiadó, 2006, →ISBN.  (See also its 2nd edition.)