See also: ize, izé, íze, and izë

English edit

Pronunciation edit

According to the Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, "it is unstressed (though strong) in Received Pronunciation and General American, but sometimes stressed in other varieties".

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English -isen, from Middle French -iser, from Medieval Latin -izō, from Ancient Greek -ίζω (-ízō), from Proto-Indo-European *-idyé- (verbal suffix). Cognate with Gothic -𐌹𐍄𐌾𐌰𐌽 (-itjan, verbal suffix), Old High German -izzen (verbal suffix), Old English -ettan (verbal suffix). Also see notes.

Alternative forms edit

  • -ise (non-Oxford British spelling)

Suffix edit

-ize

  1. Used to form verbs from nouns or adjectives, especially similative verbs
    1. to make what is denoted by the noun/adjective
      pixel + ‎-ize → ‎pixelize
    2. to do what is denoted by the noun/adjective
      cannibal + ‎-ize → ‎cannibalize
Usage notes edit
  • Many English verbs end in the suffix /aɪz/. Historically, this has been spelled -ize on words originating from Greek (for example baptize, Hellenize), while -ise has been used, especially in -vise, -tise, -cise, and -prise, on words that came from French or Latin roots (for example surprise, supervise). In the 19th century, it became common in the United Kingdom (due to French influence), and then also in Ireland, India, Australia, and New Zealand, to use -ise also on words that had historically been spelled -ize (hence baptise, Hellenise). However, the influential Oxford University Press and its Oxford English Dictionary continue to use the spelling -ize on Greek words, and -ize has always been the spelling used in the United States and Canada on such words.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit

Etymology 2 edit

See -ise (noun-forming suffix).

Suffix edit

-ize

  1. Alternative form of -ise (suffix used to form nouns)
    palliard + ‎-ize → ‎palliardize