Wiktionary

-y

See also: Appendix:Variations of "y"

English Edit

Pronunciation Edit

  • Audio (Southern England)(file)

Alternative forms Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From Middle English -y, -i, from Old English -iġ (“-y, -ic”, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-īgaz (“-y, -ic”), from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ikos, *-iḱos (“-y, -ic”).

Cognate with Scots -ie (“-y”), West Frisian -ich (“-y”), Dutch -ig (“-y”), Low German -ig (“-y”), German -ig (“-y”), Swedish -ig (“-y”), Gothic -𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-igs, “-y”), Latin -icus (“-y, -ic”), Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika). Doublet of -ac and -ic.

Suffix Edit

-y

  2. Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving the referent” or “analogous to it”.
    ‎mess + ‎-y → ‎messy
    ‎mouse + ‎-y → ‎mousy
    ‎blue + ‎-y → ‎bluey
    ‎clay + ‎-y → ‎clayey
    • 2003, Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom‎[1], Macmillan, →ISBN:
      Tim keeps trying to make it all more impressionistic, less computer-y.
  3. Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".
    ‎run + ‎-y → ‎runny
    ‎stick + ‎-y → ‎sticky
    ‎fiddle + ‎-y → ‎fiddly
Usage notes Edit
  • This suffix is very productive and can be added to almost any word. When the resulting word is not perceived to be an established or formal word (but rather a nonce word or a casualism), a hyphen is often used before the suffix (sandcastle → sandcastle-y); this is sometimes also used when an established term is used very literally, as a form of clarification (fuzz → fuzz-y (“fuzz-like”), distinct from fuzzy (“covered in fuzz”)). A few long-established words ending with this suffix have distinctive spellings, such as wintry and fiery, which English learners might misspell as *wintery and *firey.
Synonyms Edit
  • (form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “involving the referent”): -al, -an, -ial, -ian, -ly, -ous
  • (form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “analogous to the referent”): -esque, -ish, -like, -ly, -oid
Antonyms Edit
  • (form “having quality of” adjectives): -less
Translations Edit

Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2 Edit

Cognate with Scots -ie, being inherited directly from the same source Middle English -ie, -i, from Old English -iġ (“-ie, -y”, diminutive suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-ij-, *-j- (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch -je (diminutive suffix), German Low German -je (diminutive suffix).

Alternative forms Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  2. Forming diminutive nouns.
    granny, pinny, tummy
  4. Forming familiar names, pet names, nicknames and terms of endearment.
    Andy, Billy, Johnny, Jonesy, lovey
Synonyms Edit
Translations Edit

Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

Etymology 3 Edit

From Middle English -y, -ie, -ee, -e, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French -ie and -é, from Latin -ia, -ium, -tās, Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā), -ειᾰ (-eia), -ιον (-ion). Cognate (as far as Latin -ia is involved) with German -ei and Dutch -ij.

Suffix Edit

-y

  2. Forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state.
    ‎modest + ‎-y → ‎modesty
    ‎honest + ‎-y → ‎honesty
    ‎-nym + ‎-y → ‎-nymy
    as in ‎toponym + ‎-y → ‎toponymy
    ‎-logue + ‎-y → ‎-logy
    as in ‎analogue + ‎-y → ‎analogy
  3. Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin.
    Italy, Germany, Saxony, Hungary, Sicily, Lombardy, Tuscany, Albany, Brittany, Gascony, Burgundy, Picardy, Normandy, Romandy, Savoy, Muscovy, Tartary, Arcady, Thessaly, Troy, Turkey.
Derived terms Edit
Translations Edit

Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

Derived terms Edit

English terms suffixed with -y

Afar Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Clitic Edit

-y

  1. Used to form an interrogative copulative sentence: is it?
    Qafár af macáy? ― What is the Afar language?

Etymology 2 Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Clitic Edit

-y

  1. Used to join together noun phrases: and, also
    • Saytun Qhuraan kee kay maqnah tarjamaty Qafar afal tani [The clear Qur'an and its explanation translated into the Afar language]‎[2], Suurat Al-Faatica, verse 1:
      Fulte Racmattaay, Gunê Racmattale Yallih Migaaqal Qimbisa.
      I begin in the name of God, who gives mercy and surpasses mercy.
Usage notes Edit
  • When following a short vowel, -y lengthens that vowel:
    ‎gaalá (“camel”) + ‎-y → ‎gaaláay (“and the camels”)

References Edit

  • E. M. Parker; R. J. Hayward (1985) An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN, pages 282; 292
  • Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎[3], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis), page 447

Asturian Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Pronoun Edit

-y

  1. him, she, it (third-person singular indirect pronoun)
    Da-y pan
    Give him bread

Usage notes Edit

It is always spelled with the hyphen, unlike other pronouns in the language.

Related terms Edit

  • -yos, -ys (third-person plural indirect pronoun)

Czech Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. -ly: from adjectives forms adverbs
    ‎logický + ‎-y → ‎logicky

Derived terms Edit

Czech terms suffixed with -y

Further reading Edit

  • -y in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

Egyptian Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

Suffix Edit

ii
  1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Forms the plural imperative of verbs, particularly weak verbs.
  2. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally used to form the subjunctive of weak verbs.
Usage notes Edit

The plural imperative can also appear without this suffix, in a form identical to the singular imperative.

Etymology 2 Edit

Suffix Edit

ii
  1. Forms agent nouns from verbs.

Etymology 3 Edit

Suffix Edit

ii
  1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the masculine imperfective active participle, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative forms Edit
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -y  
y
-j

Etymology 4 Edit

Suffix Edit

ii
  1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the masculine singular perfective passive participle of strong verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative forms Edit
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -y  
W
w
-w -w

Etymology 5 Edit

Suffix Edit

ii
  1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective passive participle of weak verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
  2. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective relative form of weak verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
  3. (Late Egyptian) Marks the perfective passive participle of mostly third-weak transitive verbs, following the stem.
  4. (Late Egyptian) Occasionally marks the perfective active participle of mostly third-weak transitive verbs, following the stem.
Alternative forms Edit
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -y  
iiA
iit
-yꜣ -yt
Late Egyptian Late Egyptian

Etymology 6 Edit

Suffix Edit

ii
  1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Rarely marks the imperfective relative form of all verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative forms Edit
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -y  
W
w
-w -w

References Edit

  • James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 328–329, 354.
  • Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, page 66

Finnish Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Front vowel variant of -u.

Declension Edit

Inflection of -y (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative -y -yt
genitive -yn -yjen
partitive -yä -yjä
illative -yyn -yihin
singular plural
nominative -y -yt
accusative nom. -y -yt
gen. -yn
genitive -yn -yjen
partitive -yä -yjä
inessive -yssä -yissä
elative -ystä -yistä
illative -yyn -yihin
adessive -yllä -yillä
ablative -yltä -yiltä
allative -ylle -yille
essive -ynä -yinä
translative -yksi -yiksi
instructive — -yin
abessive -yttä -yittä
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of -y (type valo)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -yni -yni
accusative nom. -yni -yni
gen. -yni
genitive -yni -yjeni
partitive -yäni -yjäni
inessive -yssäni -yissäni
elative -ystäni -yistäni
illative -yyni -yihini
adessive -ylläni -yilläni
ablative -yltäni -yiltäni
allative -ylleni -yilleni
essive -ynäni -yinäni
translative -ykseni -yikseni
instructive — —
abessive -yttäni -yittäni
comitative — -yineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -ysi -ysi
accusative nom. -ysi -ysi
gen. -ysi
genitive -ysi -yjesi
partitive -yäsi -yjäsi
inessive -yssäsi -yissäsi
elative -ystäsi -yistäsi
illative -yysi -yihisi
adessive -ylläsi -yilläsi
ablative -yltäsi -yiltäsi
allative -yllesi -yillesi
essive -ynäsi -yinäsi
translative -yksesi -yiksesi
instructive — —
abessive -yttäsi -yittäsi
comitative — -yinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -ymme -ymme
accusative nom. -ymme -ymme
gen. -ymme
genitive -ymme -yjemme
partitive -yämme -yjämme
inessive -yssämme -yissämme
elative -ystämme -yistämme
illative -yymme -yihimme
adessive -yllämme -yillämme
ablative -yltämme -yiltämme
allative -yllemme -yillemme
essive -ynämme -yinämme
translative -yksemme -yiksemme
instructive — —
abessive -yttämme -yittämme
comitative — -yinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -ynne -ynne
accusative nom. -ynne -ynne
gen. -ynne
genitive -ynne -yjenne
partitive -yänne -yjänne
inessive -yssänne -yissänne
elative -ystänne -yistänne
illative -yynne -yihinne
adessive -yllänne -yillänne
ablative -yltänne -yiltänne
allative -yllenne -yillenne
essive -ynänne -yinänne
translative -yksenne -yiksenne
instructive — —
abessive -yttänne -yittänne
comitative — -yinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative -ynsä -ynsä
accusative nom. -ynsä -ynsä
gen. -ynsä
genitive -ynsä -yjensä
partitive -yään
-yänsä 		-yjään
-yjänsä
inessive -yssään
-yssänsä 		-yissään
-yissänsä
elative -ystään
-ystänsä 		-yistään
-yistänsä
illative -yynsä -yihinsä
adessive -yllään
-yllänsä 		-yillään
-yillänsä
ablative -yltään
-yltänsä 		-yiltään
-yiltänsä
allative -ylleen
-yllensä 		-yilleen
-yillensä
essive -ynään
-ynänsä 		-yinään
-yinänsä
translative -ykseen
-yksensä 		-yikseen
-yiksensä
instructive — —
abessive -yttään
-yttänsä 		-yittään
-yittänsä
comitative — -yineen
-yinensä
Inflection of -y (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
nominative -y -yt
genitive -yn -yjen
-yiden
-yitten
partitive -yä -yjä
-yitä
illative -yyn -yihin
singular plural
nominative -y -yt
accusative nom. -y -yt
gen. -yn
genitive -yn -yjen
-yiden
-yitten
partitive -yä -yjä
-yitä
inessive -yssä -yissä
elative -ystä -yistä
illative -yyn -yihin
adessive -yllä -yillä
ablative -yltä -yiltä
allative -ylle -yille
essive -ynä -yinä
translative -yksi -yiksi
instructive — -yin
abessive -yttä -yittä
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of -y (type palvelu)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -yni -yni
accusative nom. -yni -yni
gen. -yni
genitive -yni -yjeni
-yideni
-yitteni
partitive -yäni -yjäni
-yitäni
inessive -yssäni -yissäni
elative -ystäni -yistäni
illative -yyni -yihini
adessive -ylläni -yilläni
ablative -yltäni -yiltäni
allative -ylleni -yilleni
essive -ynäni -yinäni
translative -ykseni -yikseni
instructive — —
abessive -yttäni -yittäni
comitative — -yineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -ysi -ysi
accusative nom. -ysi -ysi
gen. -ysi
genitive -ysi -yjesi
-yidesi
-yittesi
partitive -yäsi -yjäsi
-yitäsi
inessive -yssäsi -yissäsi
elative -ystäsi -yistäsi
illative -yysi -yihisi
adessive -ylläsi -yilläsi
ablative -yltäsi -yiltäsi
allative -yllesi -yillesi
essive -ynäsi -yinäsi
translative -yksesi -yiksesi
instructive — —
abessive -yttäsi -yittäsi
comitative — -yinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -ymme -ymme
accusative nom. -ymme -ymme
gen. -ymme
genitive -ymme -yjemme
-yidemme
-yittemme
partitive -yämme -yjämme
-yitämme
inessive -yssämme -yissämme
elative -ystämme -yistämme
illative -yymme -yihimme
adessive -yllämme -yillämme
ablative -yltämme -yiltämme
allative -yllemme -yillemme
essive -ynämme -yinämme
translative -yksemme -yiksemme
instructive — —
abessive -yttämme -yittämme
comitative — -yinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -ynne -ynne
accusative nom. -ynne -ynne
gen. -ynne
genitive -ynne -yjenne
-yidenne
-yittenne
partitive -yänne -yjänne
-yitänne
inessive -yssänne -yissänne
elative -ystänne -yistänne
illative -yynne -yihinne
adessive -yllänne -yillänne
ablative -yltänne -yiltänne
allative -yllenne -yillenne
essive -ynänne -yinänne
translative -yksenne -yiksenne
instructive — —
abessive -yttänne -yittänne
comitative — -yinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative -ynsä -ynsä
accusative nom. -ynsä -ynsä
gen. -ynsä
genitive -ynsä -yjensä
-yidensä
-yittensä
partitive -yään
-yänsä 		-yjään
-yitään
-yjänsä
-yitänsä
inessive -yssään
-yssänsä 		-yissään
-yissänsä
elative -ystään
-ystänsä 		-yistään
-yistänsä
illative -yynsä -yihinsä
adessive -yllään
-yllänsä 		-yillään
-yillänsä
ablative -yltään
-yltänsä 		-yiltään
-yiltänsä
allative -ylleen
-yllensä 		-yilleen
-yillensä
essive -ynään
-ynänsä 		-yinään
-yinänsä
translative -ykseen
-yksensä 		-yikseen
-yiksensä
instructive — —
abessive -yttään
-yttänsä 		-yittään
-yittänsä
comitative — -yineen
-yinensä

Lower Sorbian Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Alternative form of -i (used after “hard” consonants).

Middle English Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-gaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos. Doublet of -ik.

Alternative forms Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  2. Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by being appended to a noun.
Derived terms Edit
Middle English terms suffixed with -y
Descendants Edit
  • English: -y, -ie, -ey
  • Scots: -ie, -y
References Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Alternative form of -yf

Etymology 3 Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Alternative form of -ie

Old Polish Edit

Etymology Edit

Derived from Proto-Slavic *-ъjь, the definite form of hard-stem adjectives. See *-ьjь.

Pronunciation Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Forms adjectives.

Derived terms Edit

Old Polish terms suffixed with -y

Polish Edit

Etymology Edit

Inherited from Old Polish -y.

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /ɨ/
  • Rhymes: -ɨ
  • Syllabification: y

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. nominative plural ending of some masculine nouns.
  2. vocative plural ending of some masculine nouns.
  3. genitive singular ending of some feminine nouns.
  4. nominative plural ending of some feminine nouns.
  5. accusative plural ending of some feminine nouns.
  6. vocative plural ending of some feminine nouns.
  7. personal, animate, and inanimate masculine nominative singular ending of some adjectives.
  8. personal, animate, and inanimate masculine vocative singular ending of some adjectives.
  9. inanimate masculine accusative singular ending of some adjectives.
  10. personal masculine nominative plural ending of some adjectives.
  11. personal masculine vocative plural ending of some adjectives.

Derived terms Edit

Polish terms suffixed with -y

Quechua Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Infinitive marker.
    mikhuy (“to eat”)
  2. Nominalizes verbs. The act of doing something. "-ing."
    pampachay (“pardon, remission”)
  3. Indicates first-person singular possessive.
    mikhuna (“food”) → mikhunay (“my food”)
  4. Conjugative suffix for the second-person imperative mood.
    Uyariway! ("(You) listen to me!")

Scots Edit

Suffix Edit

-y

  1. Alternative form of -ie

References Edit

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