-nīčė
Samogitian
editEtymology
editMost likely from Old East Slavic -ница (-nica). Compare Latvian -nīca, and also phonologically the -nyčia component of Lithuanian bažnyčia. Alternatively, formed from -nīks analogously to the formation of Latvian -niece.
Suffix
edit-nīčė (masculine -nīks)
- female equivalent of -nīks: agent noun-forming suffix
- paps (“chest; teat”) + -nīčė → papinīčė (“bra, brassiere”)
- spaviednė (“confession”) + -nīčė → spaviednīčė (“listening room, confessional”)