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-aio. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-aio, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-aio in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-aio you have here. The definition of the word
-aio will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-aio, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Italian
Etymology
From Latin -ārius. Compare the borrowed doublet -ario, as well as -iere, borrowed from (Old) French.
Example: Italian operaio, from Latin operārius.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-aio m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ai, feminine -aia)
- added to nouns to form agent nouns
- forno (“oven”) + -aio → fornaio (“baker”)
- pecora (“sheep”) + -aio → pecoraio (“shepherd”)
- macello (“slaughterhouse”) + -aio → macellaio (“butcher”)
- added to nouns to form nouns of mass or collection
- formica (“ant”) + -aio → formicaio (“anthill”)
- ghiaccio (“ice”) + -aio → ghiacciaio (“iceberg”)
- letame (“dung”) + -aio → letamaio (“dunghill”)
Derived terms
See also