-ei

Chuukese

Suffix

-ei

1. (added to possessive nouns) my
2. (added to verbs as an indirect object) me
3. added to nouns to form verbs

Related terms

See also

• ai
• nei
• ngang

German

Alternative forms

• -ey (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German -īe, borrowed from Old French -ie, from Latin -ia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

• Audio

  (file)

• Audio

  (file)

Suffix

-ei f (plural -eien)

1. Forming names of sites or buildings where a characteristic activity is conducted.

   ‎Bäcker (“baker”) + ‎-ei → ‎Bäckerei (“bakery”)

2. Forming names of regions or countries.

   ‎Mongole + ‎-ei → ‎Mongolei (“Mongolia”)

3. Used to create abstract nouns denoting a state, condition, or quality: -y
4. Alternative form of -erei

Derived terms

• Lombardei, Slowakei, Tschechei, Türkei

See also

• -erei
• -ie

Gothic

Romanization

-ei

1. Romanization of -𐌴𐌹

Hungarian

Etymology

-e (possessive suffix) +‎ -i (possessive plural)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Suffix

-ei

2. possessive suffix for multiple possessions:
   1. (with no noun for possessor) his, her, its ……-s (third-person singular; the pronoun ő (“s/he”) being optional for emphasis)

      terv (“plan”) → a tervei (“his/her/its plans”), az ő tervei (“his/her plans”)

      szék (“chair”) → a székei (“his/her/its chairs”), az ő székei (“his/her chairs”)

   2. (with no noun for possessor, formal) your ……-s (second-person singular, grammatically resembling the third person sg.)

      terv (“plan”) → a tervei (“your plans”), az ön tervei, a maga tervei (“your plans”)

   3. construed with a noun or certain pronouns as the possessor: ……’s ……-s, ……-s of …… (third-person sg. or pl., depending on the noun or pronoun)

      az ember(nek a) tervei ― the person’s plans

      a gyerek(nek a) székei ― the child’s chairs

      az emberek(nek a) tervei ― the people’s plans

      a gyerekek(nek a) székei ― the children’s chairs

      az önök tervei, a maguk tervei ― your (plural, formal) plans

      azok(nak a) tervei ― the plans of those

      ki(k)nek a székei? ― whose chairs?

Usage notes

• (possessive suffix) Variants:

  -i is added to words ending in a vowel except -i. Final -a changes to -á-; final -e changes to -é-. The latter feature distinguishes it from the -i (adjective-forming suffix), which does not lengthen the preceding -a/-e.

  -ai is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ei is added to some front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -jai is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant or the vowel -i

  -jei is added to some front-vowel words ending in a consonant or the vowel -i

  • If the possessed noun is in the plural and the possessor is expressed in English with a possessive pronoun only (rather than a noun), e.g. “their toys” (as opposed to “the children’s toys”), the -ik/-aik/-eik/-jaik/-jeik suffixes are required in Hungarian.

See also

• Category:Hungarian noun forms
• Appendix:Hungarian possessive suffixes

Italian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin hĕbui / (h)ĕ(bu)i, which stems from classical Latin habuī, first-person singular perfect of habeō. See -erei.

Suffix

-ei (non-lemma form of verb-forming suffix)

1. used with a stem to form the first-person singular past historic of regular -ere verbs

Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /e.iː/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /e.i/,

Suffix

-eī

1. inflection of -eus:
   1. nominative/vocative masculine plural
   2. genitive masculine/neuter singular

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -āvī.

Suffix

-ei (1st conj.)

1. a suffix indicating the first-person singular preterite indicative of a verb in -ar

   ‎amar (“to love”) + ‎-ei → ‎amei (“ loved”)

   ‎cantar (“to sing”) + ‎-ei → ‎cantei (“ sang”)

Descendants

• Galician: -ei
• Portuguese: -ei

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• -ey (obsolete)

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese -ei, from Vulgar Latin *-āī, syncope of Latin -āvī. Cognate with Galician -ei, Spanish -é, and Italian and French -ai.

Suffix

-ei

1. a suffix indicating the first-person singular preterite indicative of -ar

   ‎amar (“to love”) + ‎-ei → ‎amei (“ loved”)

   ‎cantar (“to sing”) + ‎-ei → ‎cantei (“ sang”)

See also

• -i

Etymology 2

From Old Galician-Portuguese -ei, from ei (“I have”).

Suffix

-ei

1. a suffix indicating the first-person singular future indicative of -ar, appended to the infinitive

   ‎rezar (“to pray”) + ‎-ei → ‎rezarei (“I will pray”)

2. a suffix indicating the first-person singular future indicative of -er, appended to the infinitive

   ‎bater (“to beat”) + ‎-ei → ‎baterei (“I will beat”)

3. a suffix indicating the first-person singular future indicative of -ir, appended to the infinitive

   ‎rugir (“to roar”) + ‎-ei → ‎rugirei (“I will roar”)

Etymology 3

From Old Galician-Portuguese -ede, from Latin -ite.

Suffix

-ei

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

   ‎comer (“to eat”) + ‎-ei → ‎comei (“eat (you all)”)

Related terms

• -ais (negative)

Romanian

Alternative forms

• -lei — for feminine nouns ending a stressed vowel or diphthong

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *illaei, merger of Latin illī (dative feminine singular of ille) and -ae (“first-declension ending”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ej/

Suffix

-ei f

1. (definite article) the (feminine singular, genitive and dative)

Usage notes

This form of the definite article is used for feminine nouns in the genitive and dative cases which end in -ă or in an unstressed vowel:

• mamei, from mamă, fem.
• națiunei, from națiune, fem.

The suffix is also used with feminine singular adjectives in the genitive and dative cases to make the articulated definite form, often for emphasis, and it is used before the noun it modifies:

• nisipul frumoasei plaje, from nisipul plajei frumoase (both meaning "the beautiful beach's sand")

Related terms

See also

• ei