German

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Etymology

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From Middle High German -eln, -elen, from Old High German -alōn, from Proto-Germanic *-lōną (frequentative verbal suffix). Cognate with English -le, West Frisian -elje, Dutch -elen, Danish -le, Swedish -la, Icelandic -la.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [-əln], [-l̩n]
  • Audio:(file)

Suffix

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-eln

  1. Suffix used to form verbs, chiefly from other verbs, but also from nouns and adjectives. The resulting verb often has an iterative/frequentative or a diminutive meaning.
    Synonym: -ern
    kippen (to tilt) + ‎-eln → ‎kippeln (to tilt back and forth)
    husten (to cough) + ‎-eln → ‎hüsteln (to cough slightly)

Derived terms

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