-ais

French

Pronunciation

• (France, Quebec) IPA^(key): /ɛ/
• (Africa) IPA^(key): /e/

Etymology 1

From Middle French -ois, from conflation of Latin -ēbās and -iēbas — second, third, and fourth conjugation variants of -bās, later generalized to all verbs.

Suffix

-ais

1. forms the first-person and second-person singular imperfect indicative form of a verb

   Je regardais la télé pendant que tu parlais au téléphone.

   I was watching the telly while you were talking on the phone.

Related terms

• -ait
• -ions
• -iez
• -aient

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old French -eis (feminine form -esche). In some senses from Late Latin, Vulgar Latin -iscus (from Frankish *-isk, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), conflated with Ancient Greek -ισκος (-iskos)), in others from Latin -ēnsis); all are ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos. Akin to -ois.

Suffix

-ais (feminine -aise, masculine plural -ais, feminine plural -aises)

2. forms adjectives that denote where something or someone is from

   ‎France + ‎-ais → ‎français

   ‎Angle(terre) + ‎-ais → ‎anglais

   ‎Marseille + ‎-ais → ‎marseillais

Suffix

-ais m (plural -ais)

1. forms nouns that denote where something or someone is from

   ‎France + ‎-ais → ‎Français

   ‎Angle(terre) + ‎-ais → ‎Anglais

   ‎Marseille + ‎-ais → ‎Marseillais

2. forms nouns that specify the name of the language spoken in this place

   ‎France + ‎-ais → ‎français

   ‎Angle(terre) + ‎-ais → ‎anglais

Irish

Suffix

-ais

1. inflection of -as:
   1. vocative/genitive singular
   2. nominative/dative plural

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• (Nordestino) IPA^(key): /ˈajʃ/
• Rhymes: (Brazil) -ajs, (Portugal, Rio de Janeiro) -ajʃ

Etymology 1

Alternative forms

• -aes (obsolete)

Suffix

-ais m pl or f pl

1. plural of -al

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese -ades, with the loss of the intervocalic -d-, from Latin -ātis. Cognate with Galician -ades and Spanish -áis.

Alternative forms

• -ades (dated)
• -aes (obsolete)

Suffix

-ais

1. a suffix indicating the second-person plural present indicative of -ar

   ‎amar (“to love”) + ‎-ais → ‎amais (“ love”)

   ‎cantar (“to sing”) + ‎-ais → ‎cantais (“ sing”)

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

• -ades (dated)
• -aes (obsolete)

Suffix

-ais

1. a suffix indicating the second-person plural present subjunctive of -er

   ‎correr (“to run”) + ‎-ais → ‎corrais (“ you all run”)

2. a suffix indicating the second-person plural present subjunctive of -ir

   ‎emitir (“to emit”) + ‎-ais → ‎emitais (“ you all emit”)

References

Welsh

Alternative forms

• (first-person singular preterite): (colloquial) -es

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ai̯s/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɛs/, /ɛʃ/, /ɪʃ/
• (South Wales, standard) IPA^(key): /ai̯s/
  • (South Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɛs/

Suffix

-ais

1. verb suffix for the first-person singular preterite

Usage notes

In the literary language, -ais causes i-affection of internal vowels, for example, ‎canu (“to sing”) + ‎-ais → ‎cenais (“I sang”).