Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
-ety. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-ety, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-ety in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-ety you have here. The definition of the word
-ety will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-ety, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology 1
Apparently an alteration of -edy, as seen in jaggedy, raggedy, etc.; equivalent to -ed + -y. The alteration of -d- to -t- is perhaps due to Scottish influence, where it is common for the past participle of Scots verbs to end in -et/-it rather than -ed as in English.
Alternatively, perhaps imitative of repeated action.[1]
Suffix
-ety
- Added to monosyllabic words, typically nouns or adjectives, to extend their form.
- Often with frequentative force.
- jig + -ety → jiggety
- hip-hop + -ety → hippety-hoppety
- yack + -ety → yackety-yak
- Also seen in other fanciful compounds.
- dig + -ety → diggety, hot diggety dog
- lick + -ety → lickety, lickety-split
Etymology 2
Cognate of -ity, ultimately from Latin -(i)tās.[2] See more at -ity.
Suffix
-ety
- Used to indicate qualities or states.
- contrary + -ety → contrariety
References
- ^ “-ety, suffix”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, November 2010.
- ^ “-ity, suffix”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
See also
Anagrams