-ell

Inherited from Old Catalan -ell, from Latin -ellus, an extension of -lus.

IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia)

-ell m (noun)

1. added to masculine nouns to denote a diminutive form

   Coordinate term: (feminine) -ella

• If the noun has a final vowel (usually -e), it is dropped before adding -ell.
• Different nouns tend to prefer different diminutive suffixes (see synonyms below), though some nouns accept multiple diminutives, and there is often regional or personal variation.

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Borrowed from French -el, ultimately from Latin -ālis.

• IPA^(key):

• Audio:

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-ell

1. pertaining or adhering to; adjectival suffix attaching to nouns

• -al

From -e- (linking vowel) +‎ -ll (verb-forming suffix).

• IPA^(key):

-ell

1. (instantaneous suffix, rare) Added to a verb to form a new verb expressing instantaneous action. It is no longer productive in this sense.

   szökell (“to leap”)

2. (verb-forming suffix) Added to an adjective to form a verb meaning "to consider/find/think as". In this sense, it is still productive.

   ‎kevés (“few”) + ‎-ell → ‎kevesell (“to find something too little or insufficient”)

• (all senses) Variants:

  -ll is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á.

  ‎drága (“expensive”) + ‎-ll → ‎drágáll (“to find something expensive”)

  -oll is added to a few back-vowel words

  ‎nagy (“big”) + ‎-oll → ‎nagyoll (“to find something too big”)

  -all is added to most back-vowel words

  ‎sok (“many”) + ‎-all → ‎sokall (“to find something too much”)

  -ell is added to front-vowel words

  ‎kevés (“few”) + ‎-ell → ‎kevesell (“to find something too little or insufficient”)

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

-ell

1. Alternative form of -al

-ell

1. Alternative form of -el (agentive suffix)

-ell

1. Alternative form of -el (diminutive suffix)

-ell

1. -al, of or pertaining to; making an adjective based on a noun

• -al
• -ig
• -isk
• -lig
• -sam

From Proto-Brythonic *-ell, in at least some cases from Latin -illa. Cognate with Cornish -ell.

• IPA^(key): /ɛɬ/

-ell f (plural -ellau)

1. instrument, tool

   ‎rhathu (“rub, scrape”) + ‎-ell → ‎rhathell (“file, rasp”)

   ‎bys (“finger”) + ‎-ell → ‎bysell (“(computer keyboard) key”)

   ‎allwedd (“(house, piano) key”) + ‎-ell → ‎allweddell (“keyboard”)

2. diminutive suffix

   ‎traeth (“beach”) + ‎-ell → ‎traethell (“strand, sandbank”)

   ‎pib (“pipe”) + ‎-ell → ‎pibell (“pipe”)

3. female or young animal

   ‎iwrch (“roe deer”) + ‎-ell → ‎iyrchell (“female or young roe deer”)

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-ell”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies