-ικός

Ancient Greek

Etymology

From -κός (-kós) with an added ι from i-stems such as φυσι-κός (phusi-kós, “natural”), through the same process by which -ῑ́της (-ī́tēs) developed from -της (-tēs), occurring in some original case and later used freely. Cognate with Latin -icus and Proto-Germanic *-igaz, whence Old English -iġ (English -y), Old High German -ig, Gothic -𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-eigs).

Pronunciation

Suffix

-ῐκός • (-ikós) m (feminine -ῐκή, neuter -ῐκόν); first/second declension

1. Added to noun stems to form adjectives: of or pertaining to, in the manner of; -ic

Inflection

Derived terms

References

• Smyth, Herbert Weir (1920) “Part III: Formation of Words”, in A Greek grammar for colleges, Cambridge: American Book Company, § 858

Greek

Etymology

When denoting origin/properties/collective nouns, inherited from Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós). Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós) under the semantic influence of Latin -icus when used for forming science/art-denoting nouns.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /iˈkos/

Suffix

-ικός • (-ikós), -ική, -ικό or -ικός, -ική/ικιά, -ικό

1. adjective-forming suffix denoting origin from a country/region/national group:

   ‎Γαλλία (Gallía, “France”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎γαλλικός (gallikós, “French”) (adjective)

   ‎Κούρδος (Koúrdos, “Kurd”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎κουρδικός (kourdikós, “Kurdish”) (adjective)

2. adjective-forming suffix denoting relation or a specific member of a collective noun:

   ‎λαός (laós, “people, polulace”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎λαϊκός (laïkós, “popular, folk”) (adjective)

3. adjective-forming suffix denoting a characteristic of an abstract noun:

   ‎δημοκρατία (dimokratía, “democracy”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎δημοκρατικός (dimokratikós, “democratic”) (adjective)

4. adjective-forming suffix denoting the ability to perform the action of the root verb:

   ‎δημιουργώ (dimiourgó, “create”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎δημιουργικός (dimiourgikós, “creative”) (adjective)

5. (as f. s. -ική) abstract noun-forming suffix denoting the art/science of the root noun: (formal)

   ‎γλύπτης (glýptis, “sculptor”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎γλυπτική (glyptikí, “sculpture (art)”) (noun)

   ‎οδοντίατρος (odontíatros, “dentist”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎οδοντιατρική (odontiatrikí, “dentistry (science)”) (noun)

6. (as n. pl. -ικά) abstract noun-forming suffix for languages:

   ‎Γαλλία (Gallía, “France”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎γαλλικά (galliká, “French language”) (noun)

7. (as n. pl. -ικά) collective noun-forming suffix for classes of objects:

   ‎γυαλί (gyalí, “glass”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎γυαλικά (gyaliká, “glassware”) (noun)

   ‎λάχανο (láchano, “cabbage”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎λαχανικά (lachaniká, “vegetables (collective)”) (noun)

8. (as n. pl. -ικά) collective noun-forming suffix for classes of ailments:

   ‎έντερο (éntero, “intestine”) + ‎-ικός (-ikós) → ‎εντερικά (enteriká, “ailments of the intestine”) (noun)

Declension