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-dem. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-dem, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-dem in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-dem you have here. The definition of the word
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-dem, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
Jamaican Creole
Etymology
Derived from English them.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-dem
- Used to indicate plurality.
- Di gyal-dem a come. ― The girls are coming.
Usage notes
- This suffix is only used when there is a clear need to indicate a plural. Otherwise, the plural is implied and understood without any marking.
References
- L. Emilie Adams (1991) Understanding Jamaican Patois: An Introduction to Afro-Jamaican Grammar, LMH Publishing, →ISBN, page 13
Latin
Etymology
Misinterpretation of -em. When the old ablative cases of is, eōd, eād, became eō, eā, the true forms eōd-em, eād-em were interpreted as eō-dem, eā-dem. The neuter nominative singular id-em is natural and gives earlier emem (= later eundem). The new marker -dem then served to create totidem, tantumdem, ibīdem, etc. Compare tam-en with its later doublet: tan-dem (← *tam-dem).
Pronunciation
Suffix
-dem (not comparable)
- (unproductive) demonstrative ending
- ibī (“in that place”) > ibidem (“in that very place”)
- ita (“in this way”) > itidem (“likewise”)
- quī (“whereby”) > quidem (“indeed”)
- is (“he, it”) > īdem (“the same”)
- tam (“to such an extent”) > tandem (“finally”)
- tantus (“of much size”) > tantusdem (“just as much”)
- *pri ("before") > prīdem (“long ago; previously”)
Derived terms
References
- Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN