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-lich. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
-lich, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
-lich in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
-lich you have here. The definition of the word
-lich will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
-lich, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
German
Alternative forms
Etymology
Adjective:
From Middle High German -lich, -līch, from Old High German -līh, from Proto-West Germanic *-līk. Cognate with English -ly and Dutch -lijk.
Adverb:
From Middle High German -līche, from Old High German -līhho.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-lich
- Used to form adjectives from verbs, to express that "something can be done with the person or thing described".
- verstehen (“to understand”) + -lich → verständlich (“that can be understood, understandable”)
- Used to form adjectives from verbs, to express that "that the person or thing described does something".
- sterben (“to die”) + -lich → sterblich (“that dies, mortal”)
- Used to form adjectives from nouns, to indicate "affiliation".
- Abenteuer (“adventure”) + -lich → abenteuerlich (“associated with adventure, adventurous”)
- Used to form adjectives from nouns (times), to indicate "repetition".
- Jahr (“year”) + -lich → jährlich (“repeated every year, annually”)
- Used to form adjectives from adjectives, to express "a weakening or differentiation".
- rot (“red”) + -lich → rötlich (“having a somewhat red coloring, reddish”)
Derived terms
See also
References
Middle English
Etymology 1
Suffix
-lich
- Alternative form of -ly (“adjectival suffix”)
Etymology 2
Suffix
-lich
- Alternative form of -ly (“adverbial suffix”)