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English
Alternative forms
- -ian (euphonic variant, also spelled -aean or -æan)
- -n (when added to a word ending in a)
Etymology
From Middle English -an, regularly -ain, -ein, -en, from Old French -ain, -ein, or before i, -en (modern French -ain, -en, feminine -aine, -enne), from Latin -ānus (feminine -āna), which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun, being -nus preceded by a vowel, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós. Cognate with English -en. Compare with -in, -ine.
Suffix
-an
- Of or pertaining to; an adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. (Often added to words of Latin origin, but also used with words of other origins. When a word ends in a, -n is used instead.)
- Synonyms: -al, -ar, -ese, -esque, -ic, -id, -ish, -like, -oid, -ous, -y
- Rome + -an → Roman
- Appended to nouns to form an agent noun. (When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -an, females -(i)enne.)
- comedy + -an → comedian
- history + -an → historian
Derived terms
Translations
Anagrams
Azerbaijani
Suffix
|
preceding vowel
|
A / I / O / U
|
E / Ə / İ / Ö / Ü
|
postconsonantal
|
-an
|
-ən
|
postvocalic
|
-yan
|
-yən
|
-an
- Postconsonantal form of -ən after the vowels A / I / O / U.
Bikol Central
Etymology
From Proto-Philippine *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.
Suffix
-an
- a place where a large quantity of the thing meant by the root is put, planted, or can be found
- basura (“trash”) + -an → basurahan (“trash can”)
- a place where the action expressed by the root is performed
- kawat (“play”) + -an → kawatan (“playground”)
Chuukese
Suffix
-an
- (added to possessive nouns) his, hers, its
Related terms
Chuukese possessive determiners
Cimbrian
Etymology
From Middle High German -en, a merger of various terminations in Old High German reflecting different conjugational patterns, namely -an, -ōn, -en (-ien), and -nen, from Proto-Germanic *-aną, *-ōną, *-janą, *-āną, and *-naną. Cognate with German -en.
Suffix
-an
- A suffix of all verbs in their infinitive form.
Czech
Etymology
Inherited from Old Czech -ěnín, from Proto-Slavic *-janinъ.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-an m anim (noun-forming suffix, feminine -anka)
- forms nouns, including inhabitant names
Derived terms
Further reading
- -an in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017
Esperanto
Suffix
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-an
- Obsolete form of -am.
See also
Finnish
Etymology 1
From earlier -han, -hVn (now dialectal), from Proto-Finnic *-hën, *-sën (passive or reflexive suffix), the same as the third-person singular possessive suffix (see the possessive suffix entry on -Vn). Initial -ta- is from the passive marker *-tta-.
Suffix
-an (front vowel harmony variant -än, linguistic notation -An)
- (personal) Forms the impersonal indicative present forms of verbs, appended to the first infinitive.
Usage notes
Attached to the passive verb stem.
Etymology 2
See -Vn (illative suffix).
Suffix
-an (front vowel harmony variant -än, linguistic notation -An)
- (case suffix) A suffix variant for the illative singular, see -Vn.
- laiva + -an → laivaan
Etymology 3
See -Vn (possessive suffix).
Suffix
-an (front vowel harmony variant -än, linguistic notation -An)
- (possessive) A variant for the third-person suffix -nsa.
Usage notes
See the usage notes under -Vn and -nsa.
Anagrams
Fula
Affix
-an
- (Pulaar) indicates that the subject is doing the verb for someone or something
- defde (“to cook”) + -an → defande (“to cook for someone”)
References
- M. Niang, Pulaar-English English-Pulaar Standard Dictionary, New York: Hippocrene Books, 1997.
Hungarian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-an
- (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) Added to an adjective to create an adverb.
- pontos (“accurate”) + -an → pontosan (“accurately”)
- (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Added to a numeral or a pronoun with this sense to create an adverb, expressing the number of people.
- hat (“six”) + -an → hatan (“six people, six of us/you/them”)
- Hatan mentünk moziba. ― Six of us went to the cinema.
- nyolc (“eight”) + -an → nyolcan (“eight people, eight of us/you/them”)
- Nyolcan vannak a szobában. ― There are eight people in the room.
- hány (“how many”) + -an → hányan (“how many (of us/you/them)”)
- néhány (“some, a few”) + -an → néhányan (“some (of us/you/them)”)
- sok (“many”) + -an → sokan (“many (of us/you/them)”)
- Sokan vannak a meghívottak, de kevesen a választottak. ― For many are called, but few are chosen.
- millió (“million”) + -an → millióan (“a million (of us/you/them)”)
Usage notes
- (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) Variants:
- -n is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.
- -an is added to most back-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -on is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -en is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant, as well as some front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Their original word-final vowel may be lost (e.g. könnyű) or supplemented with a consonant (e.g. bő, hű).
- (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Variants:
- -n is added to some (very few) words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.
- -an is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant
- -en is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant, as well as some front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Their original word-final vowel may be lost (e.g. kettő).
Derived terms
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-an
- (verb-forming suffix) Added to a stem ― often an onomatopoeia ― to form a verb expressing an instantaneous action.
- kattan (“to click, to make one clicking sound”)
- robban (“to explode”)
Usage notes
- (verb-forming suffix) Variants:
- -on is added to some back-vowel words
- -an is added to back-vowel words
- -en is added to front-vowel words
Derived terms
See also
Further reading
Indonesian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Malay -an, from Classical Malay -ان (an), from Proto-Malayic *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.
Suffix
-an
- Added to a noun
- Suffix for collectivity
- laut (“sea”) + -an → lautan (“ocean”)
- Suffix for place
- pangkal (“origin”) + -an → pangkalan (“base”)
- Suffix for value
- ribu (“thousand”) + -an → ribuan
- Suffix for measurement result; -s
- kilo (“kilo”) + -an → kiloan
- (colloquial) -s; Suffix for quantity (about value)
- ratus (“hundred”) + -an → ratusan (“hundreds”)
- -ly, specifying time intervals, having the sense of "occurring at such intervals".
- hari (“day”) + -an → harian (“daily”)
- Added to an verb to create an noun
- Suffix for object
- makan (“to eat”) + -an → makanan (“food”)
- Suffix for place
- kubur (“to bury”) + -an → kuburan (“grave”)
- Suffix for result
- didik (“to educate”) + -an → didikan
- Suffix for tool
- timbang (“to weigh”) + -an → timbangan (“balance”)
- Suffix for way or method
- pimpin (“to lead”) + -an → pimpinan (“leader”)
- Added to an adjective to create an noun
- Suffix for having property
- asin (“salty”) + -an → asinan (“pickle”)
- (colloquial) Suffix for intensity (quality or quantity)
- tinggi (“high”) + -an → tinggian (“higher”)
- Suffix for similarity
Etymology 2
Semantic loan from Javanese -ꦲꦤ꧀ (-an).
Suffix
-an
- verb-forming
- (colloquial) to use of
- sepeda (“bicycle”) + -an → sepedaan (“to ride a bicycle”)
- (colloquial) to hold or to have
- selamat (“safe”) + -an → selamatan (“to celebrate with offerings to the spirits to assure the safety”)
- rujak (“a kind of salad”) + -an → rujakan (“to have rujak to be eaten or made”)
- (colloquial) to do as indicated by the
- sendiri (“alone”) + -an → sendirian (“by oneself”)
- noun-forming
- (colloquial) the location of
- sekolah (“school”) + -an → sekolahan (“school complex”)
- (colloquial) the cost of
- becak (“rickshaw”) + -an → becakan (“rickshaw fare”)
- (colloquial) -usage
- sepeda (“bicycle”) + -an → sepedaan (“bicycle-riding”)
- (colloquial) event of
- selamat (“safe”) + -an → selamatan (“celebration with offerings to the spirits to assure the safety”)
- rujak (“a kind of salad”) + -an → rujakan (“rujak eating or production”)
- susu (“milk”) + -an → susuan (“breast-feeding period”)
Etymology 3
Semantic loan from Javanese -ꦲꦼꦤ꧀ (-en).
Suffix
-an
- (colloquial) suffering of
- koreng (“ulcer”) + -an → korengan (“serious infection disease”)
- uban (“grey hair”) + -an → ubanan (“grey haired condition”)
Derived terms
References
- Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa (2017) Tata Bahasa Baku Bahasa Indonesia [Standard Grammar of Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), 4 edition, Jakarta: Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, →ISBN, archived from the original on 13 June 2022
- James N. Sneddon (2010) Indonesian : a comprehensive grammar, 2 edition, London: Roultedge, →ISBN, →OCLC
Malay
Etymology
From Proto-Malayic *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-an (Jawi spelling -ان)
- Suffix for collectivity
- Suffix for similarity
- Suffix for object
- Suffix for place
- Suffix for instrument
- bangun (“to wake up, to get up”) + -an → bangunan (“building”)
Manx
Etymology
From Old Irish -án, from Primitive Irish -ᚐᚌᚅᚔ (-agni).
Suffix
-an m
- Alternative form of -ane
Derived terms
Mokilese
Suffix
-an
- Used to form stative verbs from nouns
Ojibwe
Final
-an
- be in a state or condition
Derived terms
See also
References
Suffix
-an
- A suffix denoting the plural of an inanimate noun
- A suffix denoting the obviative form of an animate noun
- A suffix denoting the second-person singular imperative of a transitive inanimate verb (vti)
Usage notes
As the suffix denoting the second-person singular imperative form, -an also acts as the class marker for unmarked (-am theme) transitive inanimate verbs (vti).
See also
Old English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Proto-Germanic *-aną.
Suffix
-an
- (verbal suffix) used to form the infinitive of most verbs (exceptions are verbs like flēon (“to flee”))
- singan ― to sing
- niman ― to take
Etymology 2
From Proto-West Germanic *-anā, from Proto-Germanic *-anē.
Alternative forms
Suffix
-an
- Forms adverbs with ablative direction.
- ēastan ― from the east
- westan ― from the west
Old Galician-Portuguese
Etymology
Inherited from Latin -ant.
Suffix
-an (1st conj.)
- a suffix indicating the third-person plural indicative present of a verb in -ar
- amar (“to love”) + -an → aman (“ love”)
- cantar (“to sing”) + -an → cantan (“ sing”)
Descendants
Old Norse
Etymology 1
Presumably from Proto-Germanic *-ōniz.
Suffix
-an
- (deverbative suffix) Used to derive nouns from class 2 weak verbs.
- friða (“to pacify”) + -an → friðan (“pacifying”)
- sanna (“to assert, prove”) + -an → sannan (“assertion, confirmation”)
- synja (“to deny”) + -an → synjan (“denial”)
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Norse -ᚨᚾᚨ (-ana), from Proto-Germanic *-anē.
Suffix
-an
- Forms adverbs with ablative direction.
Derived terms
Etymology 3
Suffix
-an
- strong accusative singular ending of adjectives
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *-aną.
Suffix
-an
- (verbal suffix) used to form the infinitive of strong verbs (exceptions are a few verbs ending in -ian like biddian or liggian)
- drinkan (“to drink”)
- hwerƀan (“to travel”)
Phalura
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
Suffix
-an
- Third person plural suffix
Alternative forms
- -íin (With e-ending verb stems)
- -óon (With a-ending verb stems)
- -en (Biori)
- -éen (With e-ending verb stems in Biori)
- -áan (With a-ending verb stems in Biori)
References
- Liljegren, Henrik, Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7), Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
Polish
Etymology
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /an/
- Rhymes: -an
- Syllabification: an
Suffix
-an m
- (chemistry) -ate, used to form names of derivates of oxyacids whose name ends with -owy (-ic)
- chlor (“chlorine”) + -an → chloran (“chlorate”)
- forms people
- młody + -an → młodzian
Declension
Inanimate declension:
Animate declension:
Derived terms
Further reading
- -an in Polish dictionaries at PWN
Romanian
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
Borrowed from Latin -anus.
Suffix
-an m or n (feminine singular -ană, masculine plural -ani, feminine and neuter plural -ane)
- Forms adjectives and nouns describing things and characteristics of a city, region, or country; -an
- Australia (“Australia”) + -an → australian (“Australian”)
- America (“America”) + -an → american (“American”)
Usage notes
For the countries that end in -ia, the plural form of the suffix is -ieni when masculine and -iene when feminine/neuter.
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-an m or n (feminine singular -ană, masculine plural -ani, feminine and neuter plural -ane)
- Added to nouns and adjectives as an augmentative suffix.
- gras (“fat”) + -an → grăsan (“fatso”)
- Forms names of male animals.
- gâscă (“goose”) + -an → gâscan (“gander”)
Declension
Derived terms
Scottish Gaelic
Etymology 1
From Old Irish -án, from Primitive Irish -ᚐᚌᚅᚔ (-agni).
Pronunciation
Usage notes
The non-schwa clear vowel /a/ distinguishes this from the homograph plural suffix -an which is pronounced /ən/ i.e. with a schwa.
Suffix
-an m
- A masculine suffix used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something, often used for male given names.
- Cailean, Eòghan, Ailean, Beathan
- clàran, clachan, bioran
Etymology 2
Cognate to Irish -anna, Manx -yn.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-an pl
- Used to form regular plurals of nouns.
- clach (“stone”) + -an → clachan
- damh (“ox, stag”) + -an → damhan
- leannan (“lover, sweetheart”) + -an → leannanan
Derived terms
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology 1
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Suffix
-an (Cyrillic spelling -ан)
- Suffix appended to words to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a (often negative) feature or endearment.
Etymology 2
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ.
Suffix
-an (Cyrillic spelling -ан)
- Suffix appended to words to create an adjective.
- jad(iti) + -an → jadan (“miserable”)
Derived terms
See also
Spanish
Etymology 1
From Latin -ant, the third-person plural present active indicative ending of first conjugation verbs.
Suffix
-an
- Suffix indicating the third-person plural (also used with ustedes) present indicative of -ar verbs.
Etymology 2
From Latin -eant, Latin -ant, and Latin -iant, the third-person plural present active subjunctive endings of second, third, and fourth conjugation verbs, respectively.
Suffix
-an
- Suffix indicating the third-person plural (also used with ustedes) present subjunctive of -er and -ir verbs.
- Suffix indicating the third-person plural imperative of -er and -ir verbs.
See also
Swedish
Etymology 1
From Old Norse -an.
Suffix
-an
- making a noun from a verb, similar to -ing and -ning, having -ningar as the plural.
- predika (“to preach”) + -an → predikan (“a sermon”)
Etymology 2
Ultimately from Latin -anus.
Suffix
-an
- -an; making a noun, describing a person by belief or nationality
- Tibet + -an → tibetan
- Luther + -an → lutheran
- vegetarian
Derived terms
Anagrams
Tagalog
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Proto-Philippine *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-an (verb-forming suffix, Baybayin spelling ◌ᜈ᜔ or ᜀᜈ᜔)
- object trigger: to do something to a person or a thing
- Buksan mo ang pinto. ― (You) open the door (door is focused).)
- object trigger: to cause something to become; to make
- Binagalan ni Sue ang kotse. ― Sue slowed down the car. (The car is focused.)
- directional trigger: to do something in the (physical or psychological) direction of
- Tinitingnan ko ang manwal. ― I'm looking at the manual. (The manual is focused).)
- benefactive trigger: to do something for
- Titirhan ko si Roy ng keyk. ― I'll leave some cake for Roy. (Roy is focused).)
- object trigger: (with root word reduplication) to do something occasionally, at random, a little, a bit, now and then or here and there
- Winawalis-walisan; ko ang sahig. ― I'm sweeping the floor a bit. (The floor is focused).)
- directional trigger: (with root word reduplication) to do something in the (physical or psychological) direction of, occasionally, at random, a little, a bit, now and then or here and there
- Tinutulung-tulungan ni Jessy si Patty. ― Jessy helped Patty a bit. (Patty is focused).)
- object trigger: to perform the action of the verb on something
- Huwag mong sulatan ang dokumento. ― Don't write anything on the document.
Suffix
-an (noun-forming suffix, Baybayin spelling ◌ᜈ᜔ or ᜀᜈ᜔)
- Forms locative nouns expressing where a large quantity of the thing meant by the root is put, planted, or can be found
- aklat (“book”) + -an → aklatan (“library”)
- basura (“trash”) + -an → basurahan (“trash can”)
- Forms locative nouns where the action expressed by the root is performed
- kain (“eat”) + -an → kainan (“place where people eat e.g. restaurant, café,...”)
- Forms nouns expressing period in which the action expressed by the root is collectively performed
- ani (“harvest”) + -an → anihan (“harvest time”)
- pasok (“entry, class, work”) + -an → pasukan (“school time, school year”)
- Forms nouns indicating a tool or an object that is used to perform what is meant by the root
- oras (“time”) + -an → orasan (“clock, watch”)
- timbang (“weight”) + -an → timbangan (“weighing scale”)
- Forms nouns signifying reciprocal or joint performance of the action expressed by the root
- sayaw (“dance”) + -an → sayawan (“dancing together”)
- kanta (“sing”) + -an → kantahan (“singing together”)
- Used to create a diminutive, pretensive, or imitative form of something (used with reduplication of root word)
- bahay (“house”) + -an → bahay-bahayan (“toy house”)
- Diyos (“God”) + -an → diyos-diyosan (“false god”)
- baril (“gun”) + -an → baril-barilan (“toy gun”)
Suffix
-an (adverb-forming suffix, Baybayin spelling ◌ᜈ᜔ or ᜀᜈ᜔)
- (appended to numbers) Used to indicate groups.
- tatlo (“three”) + -an → tatluhan (“in threes, three at a time”)
- dalawampu (“twenty”) + -an → dalawampuan (“in groups of twenty, twenty at a time”)
Usage notes
- Normally, /h/ is inserted before -an when a root word ending with a vowel is not followed by a glottal stop. In some cases, phoneme change can occur and /h/ becomes /n/.
- ganti + -an → gantihan
- talo + -an → talunan
- Sometimes, the final vowel of the root word disappears when the suffix is added.
- sunod + -an → sundan
- takip + -an → takpan
- Due to allophony, /d/ turns into /r/ when inserted before -an.
- buklod + -an → bukluran
- bakod + -an → bakuran
- bayad + -an → bayaran
Derived terms
Related terms
Turkish
Etymology
From Ottoman Turkish ـان (-an), from Old Anatolian Turkish , from Proto-Turkic *-gan.
Suffix
-an
- Creates non-past participles.
- oturmak (“to sit”) + -an → oturan (“(someone) who sits”)
- kırılmak (“to be broken”) + -an → kırılan (“(something) that gets broken”)
Volapük
Suffix
-an
- Used to indicate someone who is or does something
Derived terms
Welsh
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Proto-Celtic *-agnos.
Suffix
-an
- diminutive suffix, -let
- bwyell (“axe”) + -an → bwyellan (“small axe, hatchet”)
- gwraig (“woman, wife”) + -an → gwreigan (“little woman, little wife”)
- barf (“beard”) + -an → barfan (“little beard, goatee, whiskers”)
- person or object with characteristics of the root word
- mud (“mute”) + -an → mudan (“mute person”)
- llai (“grey”) + -an → lleian (“nun”)
- crwm (“crooked, curved”) + -an → cryman (“sickle, pruning hook”)
- used to form pet names
- Gwen + -an → Gwennan
- Dai + -an → Deian
- Elisabeth + -an → Bethan
Etymology 2
Alternative forms
Suffix
-an
- verbnoun suffix
Etymology 3
Suffix
-an
- (colloquial) verb suffix for the third-person future plural
Derived terms
References
R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-an”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies