-nis

From Old Dutch -nissi, -nussi, from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī.

-nis f (plural -nissen)

1. -ment, -ation, -ness

• While a cognate of -ness, this Dutch suffix is not an exact equivalent semantically; for example, it is not restricted to abstract nouns representing states of being but also produces more concrete, countable nouns, particularly action nouns.
• The deverbal suffix -nis proved one of the most productive noun-forming suffixes in Dutch up until 16th century Dutch.^[1] It was a deverbal noun former and formed with verbal stems, infinitives or participles. Nowadays, the suffix -nis “-ness” is either no longer productive or at most marginally productive.
• In a few cases, the suffix carries a neuter gender; for example in vonnis and vuilnis

• -niß, -nüß, -nuß (obsolete)

From Middle High German -nisse, from Old High German -nissī f, -nissi n, from Proto-West Germanic *-nassī. Cognate to English -ness.

• IPA^(key): /nɪs/

• Audio:

  (file)

-nis n (genitive -nisses, plural -nisse)

1. A suffix for deriving nouns from verbs or adjectives.

   hindern (“to hinder, to hamper”) → Hindernis (“an obstacle”)

   geheim (“secret”, adjective) → Geheimnis (“a secret”, noun)

-nis f (genitive -nis, plural -nisse)

1. A suffix for deriving nouns from verbs or adjectives, etymologically identical to the preceding.

   erlauben (“to permit”) → Erlaubnis (“permission”)

   finster (“dark”) → Finsternis (“darkness”)

There is no perfect rule to determine whether a noun with the suffix -nis is neuter (→ suffix 1) or feminine (→ suffix 2). The former may be concrete or abstract, whereas the latter are almost exclusively abstract.

-nis

1. Alternative form of -nesse

• IPA^(key): /nis/

-nis f

1. Alternative form of -nes