-ec

Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Old Czech -ec, from Proto-Slavic *-ьcь.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ ɛt͡s]

Suffix

-ec m anim or m inan (noun-forming suffix)

appended to nouns to form an agent noun; used only on composite nouns expressing fields of knowledge
‎dějepis + ‎-ec → ‎dějepisec (“historian”)
appended to a country name root to form a demonym; used generally on country names which have roots ending with -j, -l, -m, -n, -r, -v; the root is formed by dropping the -ie or -sko suffix
‎Portugalsko + ‎-ec → ‎Portugalec (“Portuguese”)
appended to nouns to derive a specialized substantive, most often in terminology
‎vzor + ‎-ec → ‎vzorec (“formula”)
appended to adjective to form a noun describing somebody or something having the specific quality
‎zbabělý + ‎-ec → ‎zbabělec (“coward”)
appended to a verb to form an agent noun
‎plavat + ‎-ec → ‎plavec (“swimmer”)
(dated, dialectal) appended to a noun to form a diminutive
‎chlap + ‎-ec → ‎chlapec

Declension

when animate:

Declension of -ec (soft masculine animate reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	-ec	-ci
genitive	-ce	-ců
dative	-covi, -ci	-cům
accusative	-ce	-ce
vocative	-če	-ci
locative	-covi, -ci	-cích
instrumental	-cem	-ci

when inanimate:

Declension of -ec (soft masculine inanimate reducible)

	singular	plural
nominative	-ec	-ce
genitive	-ce	-ců
dative	-ci	-cům
accusative	-ec	-ce
vocative	-ci	-ce
locative	-ci	-cích
instrumental	-cem	-ci

Derived terms

Czech terms suffixed with -ec

Related terms

-kyně (feminine form)

Old Czech

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ьcь.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (13^th CE) /ˈɛt͡s/
IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /ˈɛt͡s/

Suffix

-ec m pers or m inan (noun-forming suffix)

forms masculine nouns
‎měch + ‎-ec → ‎měšec

‎múdrý + ‎-ec → ‎mudřec

‎jhra + ‎-ec → ‎jhřec

Usage notes

This suffix causes first palatalisation of the preceding consonant.

Declension

personal

Declension of -ec (soft o-stem reducible)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	-ec	-cě	-ci, -cové
genitive	-cě	-cú	-cóv
dative	-cu, -covi	-coma	-cóm
accusative	-cě	-cě	-cě
vocative	-če	-cě	-ci, -cové
locative	-cu, -covi	-cú	-cích
instrumental	-cem	-coma	-ci

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

animal

Declension of -ec (soft o-stem reducible)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	-ec	-cě	-ci, -cové
genitive	-cě	-cú	-cóv
dative	-cu, -covi	-coma	-cóm
accusative	-ec, -cě	-cě	-cě
vocative	-cu	-cě	-ci, -cové
locative	-ci, -cu, -covi	-cú	-cích
instrumental	-cem	-coma	-ci

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

inanimate

Declension of -ec (soft o-stem reducible)

	singular	dual	plural
nominative	-ec	-cě	-ci, -cové
genitive	-cě	-cú	-cóv
dative	-cu	-coma	-cóm
accusative	-ec	-cě	-cě
vocative	-cu	-cě	-ci, -cové
locative	-ci, -cu	-cú	-cích
instrumental	-cem	-coma	-ci

This table shows the most common forms around the 13th century.
See also Appendix:Old Czech nouns and Appendix:Old Czech pronunciation.

Derived terms

Old Czech terms suffixed with -ec

Descendants

Old Czech: -ec

Polish

Alternative forms

-iec

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Slavic *-ьcь

Polish -ec

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ьcь.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɛt͡s/
Audio: (file)
Rhymes: -ɛt͡s
Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]

Suffix

-ec m (feminine -ca, neuter -ce)

forms masculine nouns
Synonym: -elec

‎strzelić + ‎-ec → ‎strzelec

Declension

Masculine personal:

Declension of -ec

	singular	plural
nominative	-ec	-cy
genitive	-ca	-ców
dative	-cowi	-com
accusative	-ca	-ców
instrumental	-cem	-cami
locative	-cu	-cach
vocative	-cu / -cze	-cy

Masculine animate:

Declension of -ec

	singular	plural
nominative	-ec	-ce
genitive	-ca	-ców
dative	-cowi	-com
accusative	-ca	-ce
instrumental	-cem	-cami
locative	-cu	-cach
vocative	-cu	-ce

Masculine inanimate:

Declension of -ec

	singular	plural
nominative	-ec	-ce
genitive	-cu	-ców
dative	-cowi	-com
accusative	-ec	-ce
instrumental	-cem	-cami
locative	-cu	-cach
vocative	-cu	-ce

Masculine surnames:

Declension of -ec

	singular	plural
nominative	-ec	-cowie
genitive	-ca	-ców
dative	-cowi	-com
accusative	-ca	-ców
instrumental	-cem	-cami
locative	-cu	-cach
vocative	-cu	-cowie

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -ec

Slovak

Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ьcь.

Suffix

-ec m

appended to nouns to form an agent noun; used only on composite nouns expressing fields of knowledge
dejepisec (“historian”), from dejepis (“history”) +‎ -ec
appended to a country name root to form a demonym; used generally on country names which have roots ending with -j, -l, -m, -n, -r, -v; the root is formed by dropping the -ia or -sko suffix
Portugalec (“a man from Portugal”), from Portugalsko (“Portugal”) +‎ -ec
appended to nouns to derive a specialized substantive, most often in terminology
vzorec (“formula”), from vzor (“model”) +‎ -ec
appended to adjective to form a noun describing somebody or something having the specific quality
zbabelec (“coward”), from zbabelý (“faint-hearted”) +‎ -ec
appended to a verb to form an agent noun
plavec (“swimmer”), from plávať (“to swim”) +‎ -ec

Derived terms

Related terms

-kyňa (feminine form)

-ec

Contents

Czech

Etymology

Pronunciation

Suffix

Declension

Derived terms

Related terms

See also

Further reading

Old Czech

Etymology

Pronunciation

Suffix

Usage notes

Declension

Derived terms

Descendants

Polish

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Suffix

Declension

Derived terms

Further reading

Slovak

Etymology

Suffix

Derived terms

Related terms