See also: της, τῆς, and -τής

Ancient Greek

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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    From Proto-Hellenic *-tāts, from Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts. Cognate with Sanskrit -ताति (-tāti), and Latin -tās, from which English -ity.

    Alternative forms

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    Suffix

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    -της (-tēsf (genitive -τητος); third declension (Attic)

    1. Forms nouns representing a state of being
    Declension
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    Synonyms
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    Derived terms
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    References

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    • Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 840

    Etymology 2

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      From Proto-Hellenic *-tās (whence also Mycenaean Greek 𐀑𐀴𐀲 (ki-ti-ta /⁠ktitā(s)⁠/, κτίτης)), probably a masculine formation from Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ (perhaps still seen in Latin Monēta), feminine of *-tós. Originally used in adjectival compounds, the suffix's narrowing to agentivity may be by analogy to -τήρ (-tḗr) and -τωρ (-tōr).[1] Compare Latin poeta from Ancient Greek ποιητής (poiētḗs), and Latin agricola from Latin -a.

      Alternative forms

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      Suffix

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      -της (-tēsm (genitive -του); first declension

      1. Added to noun stems to form masculine nouns of the person concerned with a thing
      2. Added to verb stems to form masculine agent nouns: -er
      3. Added to place names to form masculine demonyms: -ian
      Declension
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      Synonyms
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      Derived terms
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      Descendants
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      • Latin: -tēs

      References

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      1. ^ Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, § 267