-th

English

Alternative forms

• -t

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-θ/

Etymology 1

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English -þ, -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (“-th”, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, Dutch -te, Danish -de, Swedish -d, Icelandic -ð, -d, Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa), Latin -itās (“-ty, -ity”). See -ity, -t.

Suffix

-th

1. (no longer productive) Used to form nouns from verbs of action.

   berth, birth, blowth, drawth, flowth, growth, sight, spilth, stealth, tilth, theft, weight, shrift

2. (no longer productive except jocular coinages) Used to form nouns of quality from adjectives.

   breadth, chillth, coolth, dampth, dearth, depth, filth, health, height/heighth, illth, length, roomth, ruth, strength, troth, truth, sloth/slowth, warmth, wealth, width, wrath, wrength, youth/youngth

Synonyms

• -ness
• -hood
• -ship
• -itas
• -itude
• -ia
• -itia
• -ity
• -ability
• -ibility
• -icity
• -osity
• -ous
• -ose
• -cy

Etymology 2

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (ordinal suffix), from Old English -þa, -þe, -oþa, -oþe, derived from a Proto-Indo-European superlative suffix. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Suffix

-th

2. Used to form the ordinal numeral when the final term of the spelled number is not “first”, “second”, or “third”.

   the 4th/Fourth of July

   1. (mathematics) Used to form a term denoting the ordinal numeral corresponding to the value, being a natural number, of a mathematical expression.

      The ${\displaystyle n}$th term of a geometrical progression whose first term is ${\displaystyle a}$ and common ratio is ${\displaystyle r}$ is given by ${\displaystyle ar^{n}}$.

4. Used to form the denominator of a fraction.

   one seventh; three tenths

Usage notes

• Some numbers undergo a change in spelling: ‎five + ‎-th → ‎fifth, ‎eight + ‎-th → ‎eighth, ‎nine + ‎-th → ‎ninth, ‎twenty + ‎-th → ‎twentieth. See -eth
• Use of this suffix with numbers ending in one, two, or three is occasionally heard in speech, particularly in forming fractions (**thirty-twoth) but is considered highly nonstandard.
• In older texts, this suffix, and the other suffixes for forming ordinals, may be seen written as superscripts: 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th. This is considered old-fashioned; the current preference is to write (when not spelling the numbers), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
• When used to suffix a mathematical expression, a hyphen is sometimes inserted: ${\displaystyle n}$-th term.

Coordinate terms

• -nd
• -rd
• -st

Translations

Etymology 3

From Middle English -eth, -th, from Old English -eþ, -aþ, -þ.

Suffix

-th

2. (archaic) A variant of -eth, used to form the archaic third-person singular indicative present tense of verbs.

   come → cometh

   have → hath

   do → doth

   say → saith

See also

Anagrams

• HT, h/t, ht

Albanian

Etymology

from Proto-Albanian *-ts from Proto-Indo-European *-ḱos.

Suffix

-th m (-th m)

1. used to form diminutive suffix.

Middle English

Etymology 1

Originally two distinct suffixes:

• Old English -þ, from Proto-West Germanic *-þu, from Proto-Germanic *-þuz, from Proto-Indo-European *-tus.
• Old English -þ, from Proto-West Germanic *-þi, from Proto-Germanic *-þiz, from Proto-Indo-European *-tis.

Alternative forms

• -d, -þ, -þe
• -t, -te (following fricatives)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-θ/, /-d/, /-t/

Suffix

-th

1. (non-productive) Forms abstract nouns denoting a state or attribute, usually from adjectives but occasionally from verbs; -th, -ness

Derived terms

Descendants

• English: -th, -t (conflated with -the < *-iþō)
• Scots: -th, -t (conflated with -the < *-iþō)

References

• “-th(e, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Suffix

-th

1. Alternative form of -the (abstract nominal suffix)

Etymology 3

Suffix

-th

1. Alternative form of -the (ordinal suffix)

Mohawk

Suffix

-th

1. forms instrumentals

References

• Nora Deering, Helga H. Delisle (1976) Mohawk: A teaching grammar (preliminary version), Quebec: Manitou College, page 417