-εις

• -ϝεις (-weis)

From Proto-Indo-European *-wénts. See Latin -ōsus.

-εις • (-eis) m (feminine -εσσᾰ, neuter -εν); first/third declension

1. -ful

Words taking this suffix have paroxytone accent, thus χᾰρῐ́εν (kharíen), not **χᾰ́ρῐεν.

• Many island names are formed with the feminine form, lengthened with -o- and contracted, -οῦσσα or -οῦσα:
  • Πιθηκοῦσσαι or Πιθηκοῦσαι, derived from πίθηκος
  • Οἰνοῦσσαι (latin Oenussae), from οἶνος
  • Αἴγουσσαι (latin Aegusae), from αἴξ
  • Ἀργινοῦσσαι or Ἀργινοῦσαι, related to ἀργής
  • Ὀφιοῦσσα (latin Ophiussa), from ὄφις
  • Πιτυοῦσσαι (latin Pityusae), from πίτυς
  • Ἰχνοῦσσα (latin Ichnusa), from ἴχνος?
  • Ἐλαιοῦσσα, from ἐλαία
  • Φοινικοῦσσα (latin Phoenicusa), from φοῖνιξ
  • Δρυμοῦσσα (latin Drymusa), from δρῦς
  • Φωκοῦσσαι, from φώκη
  • Σχοινοῦσσα, from σχοῖνος
  • Ἀνθεμοῦσσα, related to Ἀνθεμοῦς
  • Σειρηνοῦσσαι, from Σειρήν
  • Μηλοῦσσα, from μῆλον
  • Κρομυοῦσσα, from κρόμυον or κρόμμυον

• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 858.3
• García Alonso, J. L (2010), Ancient Greek Names in -oussa in the West of the Mediterranean