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-ee. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ee, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ee in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ee you have here. The definition of the word
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-ee, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology 1
From Middle English -ee, -ē, from Anglo-Norman and Old French -ee, French -é, -ée, endings forming past participle of verbs ending in -er. Doublet of -ate. More distantly related to inherited English -ed.
Suffix
-ee
- Added to transitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the object of that verb (i.e., to whom or to which an action is done).
- Synonym: -ed
- Antonym: -er
- examine + -ee → examinee
- interview + -ee → interviewee
- train + -ee → trainee
- employ + -ee → employee
- Less commonly added to intransitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the subject of that verb (that is, who or that does an action).
- absent + -ee → absentee
- respond + -ee → respondee
- stand + -ee → standee
- post + -ee → postee
- (law) Used to form words meaning a person who is the other party to a contract or other transaction involving a person described by the corresponding word ending in -or.
- Antonym: -or
- assign + -ee → assignee
- legate + -ee → legatee
- mortgage + -ee → mortgagee
- (medicine) Used to form words meaning a person who has undergone a particular medical procedure.
- laryngectomy + -ee → laryngectomee
- Irregularly added to nouns to mean a person somehow associated with the object denoted by the noun.
- barge + -ee → bargee
- tender + -ee → tenderee
- venereal + -ee → venerealee
Derived terms
Translations
The translation tables below are a guide only. See individual words formed using this suffix for more precise translations.
irregularly added to nouns to mean a person somehow associated with the object denoted by the noun
Translations to be checked
Etymology 2
Perhaps a variation on -ie and -y
Suffix
-ee
- Used to form diminutives.
- boot + -ee → bootee
- goat + -ee → goatee
- settle + -ee → settee
Synonyms
Antonyms
- (antonym(s) of "diminutive affix"): super-, supra-, hyper-, ultra-, uber-, macro-, arch-, over-, mega-, giga-, -zilla, grand, great
Derived terms
Translations
The translation table below is a guide only. See individual words formed using this prefix for more precise translations.
Etymology 3
Suffix
-ee
- (offensive, derogatory) Used in mimicking English as stereotypically spoken by the Chinese.
1897, The Outlook, volume 56, page 1044:"No stealee. You no thinkee? Chinaman no thinkee stealee!" he said, earnestly.
1938, Minnesota Journal of Education, volume 19, page 52:A Chinaman had a toothache, and phoned a dentist for an appointment. Doctor: "Two-thirty all right?" Chinaman: "Yes, tooth hurtee, all light. What time I come?"
Related terms
References
- ^ T.F. Hoad, Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, →ISBN; headword -ee
Finnish
Etymology
See -ea. With vowel assimilation.
Suffix
-ee (dialectal)
- Alternative form of -ea
Usage notes
- Predominant type in the Tavastian and Savonian dialects. Well preserved even in urban speech.
- Used in the same way as the standard -ea: e.g. korkee "high", standard korkea.
- Especially in the Savonian dialects, shorter words with the suffix are subject to consonant gemination: pimeä > pimmee.
Latin
Pronunciation
Suffix
-ee
- vocative masculine singular of -eus
Manx
Etymology
From Old Irish -igidir (whence also Irish -igh and Scottish Gaelic -ich), originally a denominative verb formative, from Proto-Celtic *-sagyetor; compare Welsh -hau.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-ee
- Suffix used to form verbs from nouns.
Usage notes
- Affixed verbs ending in -ee form a sizeable number of verbs. Some monosyllabic verbs in Manx (which historically are not from affixes), however, are not a result of affixation, such as niee "to wash".
Derived terms
See also
Navajo
Suffix
-ee
- adverbializing enclitic
- hashkéhee ― in a mean or angry way
- tąądee ― slowly, leisurely, gradually, little by little
- tʼáá ádíláahee ― in an annoying manner
- tʼáá łaʼ bizhiʼee ― united, all standing together
- tʼáá naʼńleʼee ― sloppily, carelessly, roughly
- tʼáadoo yistiʼee ― freely, boldly, without hesitation
- tʼáá nanitʼinee ― secretly, covertly
- tsʼísee kehgo ― physically, carnally