-ic

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ic"

English

Alternative forms

• -ick (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English -ik, from Old French -ique, from Latin -icus, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ḱos, formed with the i-stem suffix *-i- and the adjectival suffix *-kos, *-ḱos. Compare Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika) and Old Church Slavonic -ъкъ (-ŭkŭ). Doublet of -y.

PIE *-kos on noun stems carried the meaning 'characteristic of, like, typical, pertaining to', and on adjectival stems it acted emphatically.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪk/

Suffix

-ic

1. Used to form adjectives from nouns with the meaning “of or pertaining to”.

   Cyrillic

   acidic

2. (chemistry) Used to denote certain chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a higher oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ous. For example sulphuric acid (H₂SO₄) has more oxygen atoms per molecule than sulphurous acid (H₂SO₃).

Usage notes

The suffix -ic is often added to words of Greek or Latin origin, but may also be used with other words, and in some cases is even added (redundantly) to adjectives, as in veganic (from vegan).

Derived terms

English words suffixed with -ic

Related terms

• -adic
• -ical
• -ics

Translations

Note: these translations are a guide only. For more precise translations, see individual words ending in -ic

• Afrikaans: -ies
• Ancient Greek: -ικός (-ikós)
• Arabic: ـِيّ‎ (ar) (-iyy)
• Catalan: -ic (ca) m, -esc (ca) m
• Danish: -isk
• Dutch: -isch (nl)
• Esperanto: -a (eo)
• Finnish: -inen (fi)
• French: -ique (fr)
• Galician: -ico m
• Georgian: -ური (-uri), -ული (-uli)
• German: -isch (de)
• Greek: -ικός (el) (-ikós)
• Hindi: इक (hi) (ik)
• Hungarian: -s (hu), -ikus

• Indonesian: -is (id), -ik
• Italian: -ico
• Japanese: 的 (ja) (-teki)
• Korean: 적 (ko) (jeok)
• Latin: -icus (la)
• Macedonian: -ски m (-ski), -ска f (-ska), -ско n (-sko)
• Malay: -ik
• Norwegian: -isk (no)
• Portuguese: -ico (pt) m
• Russian: -ский (-skij)
• Scottish Gaelic: -ach, -each
• Spanish: -ico (es)
• Swedish: -isk (sv)
• Welsh: -ig

See also

• -al
• -an
• -ar
• -ate
• -esque
• -ese
• -id
• -ian
• -ish

• -like
• -oid
• -ory
• -ous
• -ship
• -tion
• -y

Anagrams

• -ci-, C&I, CI, cI, ci

---

Catalan

Etymology 1

From Latin -icus.

Suffix

-ic m (feminine -ica)

1. -ic (of or pertaining to)

Suffix

-ic m

1. (chemistry) -ic

Etymology 2

From Latin -iccus.

Suffix

-ic m

1. Used to form diminutive nouns.

Derived terms

Catalan words suffixed with -ic

---

Middle English

Suffix

-ic

1. Alternative form of -ik

---

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin -icus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ik/

Suffix

-ic m or n (feminine singular -ică, masculine plural -ici, feminine and neuter plural -ice)

1. Forms adjectives with the meaning "of or pertaining to".

Declension

Declension of -ic

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	-ic		-ică	-ici	-ice
	definite	-icul		-ica	-icii	-icele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	-ic		-ice	-ici	-ice
	definite	-icului		-icei	-icilor	-icelor

Related terms

• -ec
• -atic/-atec

Derived terms

Romanian words suffixed with -ic