English

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Etymology

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From Middle English -ouste, from Old French -ouseté, from Latin -ōsitāt-; later modified to the current form.[1][2] It is equivalent to -ose or -ous + -ity.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-osity

  1. Forming nouns, usually abstract, and usually from adjectives in -ous or -ose.
  2. (colloquial) Forming nouns from other adjectives for humorous effect.

Usage notes

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Rarely productive in English outside of humorous use – primarily found in borrowings from Latin, often via French.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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References

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Anagrams

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