-ettan

See also: ettan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *-attjan, *-ittjan, *-uttjan, from Proto-Germanic *-atjaną, *-itjaną, *-utjaną (verbal suffix). Related to English -ise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /et.tɑn/

Suffix

-ettan

1. used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives (compare English -ate, -ize), frequently having a causative force.

   ‎bōt (“remedy, cure”) + ‎-ettan → ‎bōtettan (“to remedy, cure”)

   ‎lēaslīċ (“false”) + ‎-ettan → ‎lēaslīcettan (“to dissemble, be false”)

   ‎lāþ (“hatred, hostility; loathesome”) + ‎-ettan → ‎lāþettan (“to loathe”)

2. verbal suffix denoting frequency or intensification

   ‎blīcan (“to shine”) + ‎-ettan → ‎blīcettan (“to glitter”)

   ‎hlēapan (“to jump, to leap”) + ‎-ettan → ‎hlēapettan (“to jump up”)

Descendants

• Middle English: thouten (“to address as 'thou'”), yeten (“to address as 'ye'”) (likely); grunten (from Old English grunnettan); spouten,
  • English: yeet, grunt, fidget (possibly), spout, botch, haunt (via French)