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-y

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Pronunciation

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Alternative forms

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Etymology 1

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    From Middle English -y, -i, from Old English -iġ (-y, -ic, suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-īgaz (-y, -ic), from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ikos, *-iḱos (-y, -ic).

    Cognate with Scots -ie (-y), West Frisian -ich (-y), Dutch -ig (-y), Low German -ig (-y), German -ig (-y), Swedish -ig (-y), Gothic -𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-igs, -y), Latin -icus (-y, -ic), Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Sanskrit -इक (-ika). Doublet of -ac and -ic.

    Suffix

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    -y

    1. Added to nouns and adjectives to form adjectives meaning “having the quality of”, either “involving the referent” or “analogous to it”.
      mess + ‎-y → ‎messy
      mouse + ‎-y → ‎mousy
      blue + ‎-y → ‎bluey
      clay + ‎-y → ‎clayey
      lank + ‎-y → ‎lanky
      • 2003, Cory Doctorow, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom[1], Macmillan, →ISBN:
        Tim keeps trying to make it all more impressionistic, less computer-y.
    2. Added to verbs to form adjectives meaning "inclined to".
      run + ‎-y → ‎runny
      stick + ‎-y → ‎sticky
      fiddle + ‎-y → ‎fiddly
    Usage notes
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    • This suffix is extremely productive and can be added to almost any word. When the resulting word is not perceived to be an established or formal word (but rather a nonce word or a casualism), a hyphen is often used before the suffix (sandcastlesandcastle-y, tomato-y, etc.); this is sometimes also used when an established term is used very literally, as a form of clarification (fuzzfuzz-y (fuzz-like), distinct from fuzzy (covered in fuzz)). A few long-established words ending with this suffix have distinctive spellings, such as wintry and fiery, which English learners might misspell as *wintery and *firey.
    Synonyms
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    • (form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “involving the referent”): -al, -an, -ial, -ian, -ly, -ous
    • (form “having quality of” adjectives, denoting “analogous to the referent”): -esque, -ish, -like, -ly, -oid
    Antonyms
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    • (antonym(s) of form “having quality of” adjectives): -less
    Translations
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    Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

    Etymology 2

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    Cognate with Scots -ie, being inherited directly from the same source Middle English -ie, -i, from Old English -iġ (-ie, -y, diminutive suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-ij-, *-j- (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch -je (diminutive suffix), German Low German -je (diminutive suffix), German -i (diminutive suffix).

    Alternative forms

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    Suffix

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    -y

    1. Forming diminutive nouns.
      granny, pinny, tummy
    2. Forming familiar names, pet names, nicknames and terms of endearment.
      Andy, Billy, Johnny, Jonesy, lovey
    3. Added for metrical reasons to songs, often in children's music where it may carry diminutive associations.
    Synonyms
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    Translations
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    Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

    Etymology 3

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      From Middle English -y, -ie, -ee, -e, from Anglo-Norman and Middle French -ie and , from Latin -ia, -ium, -tās, Ancient Greek -ίᾱ (-íā), -ειᾰ (-eia), -ιον (-ion). Cognate (as far as Latin -ia is involved) with German -ei and Dutch -ij.

      Suffix

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      -y

      1. Forming abstract nouns denoting a condition, quality, or state.
        modest + ‎-y → ‎modesty
        honest + ‎-y → ‎honesty
        -nym + ‎-y → ‎-nymy
        as in toponym + ‎-y → ‎toponymy
        -logue + ‎-y → ‎-logy
        as in analogue + ‎-y → ‎analogy
      2. Used in the name of some locations which end in -ia in Latin.
        Italy, Germany, Saxony, Hungary, Sicily, Lombardy, Tuscany, Albany, Brittany, Gascony, Burgundy, Picardy, Normandy, Romandy, Savoy, Muscovy, Tartary, Arcady, Thessaly, Troy, Turkey.
      Derived terms
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      Translations
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      Note: translations of English words ending in -y do not necessarily end in the suffixes listed below.

      Derived terms

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      Afar

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      Etymology 1

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      Pronunciation

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      Clitic

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      -y

      1. Used to form an interrogative copulative sentence: is it?
        Qafár af macáy?What is the Afar language?

      Etymology 2

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      Pronunciation

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      Clitic

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      -y

      1. Used to join together noun phrases: and, also
        • Saytun Qhuraan kee kay maqnah tarjamaty Qafar afal tani [The clear Qur'an and its explanation translated into the Afar language]‎[2], Suurat Al-Faatica, verse 1:
          Fulte Racmattaay, Gunê Racmattale Yallih Migaaqal Qimbisa.
          I begin in the name of God, who gives mercy and surpasses mercy.
      Usage notes
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      • When following a short vowel, -y lengthens that vowel:
        gaalá (camel) + ‎-y → ‎gaaláay (and the camels)

      References

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      • E. M. Parker, R. J. Hayward (1985) An Afar-English-French dictionary (with Grammatical Notes in English), University of London, →ISBN, page 282; 292
      • Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)[3], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis), page 447

      Asturian

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      Alternative forms

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      Pronunciation

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      Pronoun

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      -y

      1. him, her, it (third-person singular indirect pronoun)
        Da-y pan
        Give him bread

      Usage notes

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      It is always spelled with the hyphen, unlike other pronouns in the language.

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      • -yos, -ys (third-person plural indirect pronoun)

      Czech

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      Suffix

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      -y (adverb-forming suffix)

      1. -ly: from adjectives forms adverbs
        logický + ‎-y → ‎logicky

      Derived terms

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      Further reading

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      • -y in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

      Egyptian

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      Pronunciation

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      Etymology 1

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      Suffix

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      ii
      1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Forms the plural imperative of verbs, particularly weak verbs.
      2. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally used to form the subjunctive of weak verbs.
      Usage notes
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      The plural imperative can also appear without this suffix, in a form identical to the singular imperative.

      Etymology 2

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      Suffix

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      ii
      1. Forms agent nouns from verbs.

      Etymology 3

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      Suffix

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      ii
      1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the masculine imperfective active participle, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
      Alternative forms
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      Etymology 4

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      Suffix

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      ii
      1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the masculine singular perfective passive participle of strong verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
      Alternative forms
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      Etymology 5

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      Suffix

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      ii
      1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective passive participle of weak verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
      2. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective relative form of weak verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
      3. (Late Egyptian) Marks the perfective passive participle of mostly third-weak transitive verbs, following the stem.
      4. (Late Egyptian) Occasionally marks the perfective active participle of mostly third-weak transitive verbs, following the stem.
      Alternative forms
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      Etymology 6

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      Suffix

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      ii
      1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Rarely marks the imperfective relative form of all verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
      Alternative forms
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      References

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      • James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 328–329, 354.
      • Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, page 66

      Finnish

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      Suffix

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      -y

      1. Front vowel variant of -u.

      Declension

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      Inflection of -y (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
      nominative -y -yt
      genitive -yn -yjen
      partitive -yä -yjä
      illative -yyn -yihin
      singular plural
      nominative -y -yt
      accusative nom. -y -yt
      gen. -yn
      genitive -yn -yjen
      partitive -yä -yjä
      inessive -yssä -yissä
      elative -ystä -yistä
      illative -yyn -yihin
      adessive -yllä -yillä
      ablative -yltä -yiltä
      allative -ylle -yille
      essive -ynä -yinä
      translative -yksi -yiksi
      abessive -yttä -yittä
      instructive -yin
      comitative See the possessive forms below.
      Possessive forms of -y (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
      first-person singular possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -yni -yni
      accusative nom. -yni -yni
      gen. -yni
      genitive -yni -yjeni
      partitive -yäni -yjäni
      inessive -yssäni -yissäni
      elative -ystäni -yistäni
      illative -yyni -yihini
      adessive -ylläni -yilläni
      ablative -yltäni -yiltäni
      allative -ylleni -yilleni
      essive -ynäni -yinäni
      translative -ykseni -yikseni
      abessive -yttäni -yittäni
      instructive
      comitative -yineni
      second-person singular possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ysi -ysi
      accusative nom. -ysi -ysi
      gen. -ysi
      genitive -ysi -yjesi
      partitive -yäsi -yjäsi
      inessive -yssäsi -yissäsi
      elative -ystäsi -yistäsi
      illative -yysi -yihisi
      adessive -ylläsi -yilläsi
      ablative -yltäsi -yiltäsi
      allative -yllesi -yillesi
      essive -ynäsi -yinäsi
      translative -yksesi -yiksesi
      abessive -yttäsi -yittäsi
      instructive
      comitative -yinesi
      first-person plural possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ymme -ymme
      accusative nom. -ymme -ymme
      gen. -ymme
      genitive -ymme -yjemme
      partitive -yämme -yjämme
      inessive -yssämme -yissämme
      elative -ystämme -yistämme
      illative -yymme -yihimme
      adessive -yllämme -yillämme
      ablative -yltämme -yiltämme
      allative -yllemme -yillemme
      essive -ynämme -yinämme
      translative -yksemme -yiksemme
      abessive -yttämme -yittämme
      instructive
      comitative -yinemme
      second-person plural possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ynne -ynne
      accusative nom. -ynne -ynne
      gen. -ynne
      genitive -ynne -yjenne
      partitive -yänne -yjänne
      inessive -yssänne -yissänne
      elative -ystänne -yistänne
      illative -yynne -yihinne
      adessive -yllänne -yillänne
      ablative -yltänne -yiltänne
      allative -yllenne -yillenne
      essive -ynänne -yinänne
      translative -yksenne -yiksenne
      abessive -yttänne -yittänne
      instructive
      comitative -yinenne
      third-person possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ynsä -ynsä
      accusative nom. -ynsä -ynsä
      gen. -ynsä
      genitive -ynsä -yjensä
      partitive -yään
      -yänsä
      -yjään
      -yjänsä
      inessive -yssään
      -yssänsä
      -yissään
      -yissänsä
      elative -ystään
      -ystänsä
      -yistään
      -yistänsä
      illative -yynsä -yihinsä
      adessive -yllään
      -yllänsä
      -yillään
      -yillänsä
      ablative -yltään
      -yltänsä
      -yiltään
      -yiltänsä
      allative -ylleen
      -yllensä
      -yilleen
      -yillensä
      essive -ynään
      -ynänsä
      -yinään
      -yinänsä
      translative -ykseen
      -yksensä
      -yikseen
      -yiksensä
      abessive -yttään
      -yttänsä
      -yittään
      -yittänsä
      instructive
      comitative -yineen
      -yinensä
      Inflection of -y (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
      nominative -y -yt
      genitive -yn -yjen
      -yiden
      -yitten
      partitive -yä -yjä
      -yitä
      illative -yyn -yihin
      singular plural
      nominative -y -yt
      accusative nom. -y -yt
      gen. -yn
      genitive -yn -yjen
      -yiden
      -yitten
      partitive -yä -yjä
      -yitä
      inessive -yssä -yissä
      elative -ystä -yistä
      illative -yyn -yihin
      adessive -yllä -yillä
      ablative -yltä -yiltä
      allative -ylle -yille
      essive -ynä -yinä
      translative -yksi -yiksi
      abessive -yttä -yittä
      instructive -yin
      comitative See the possessive forms below.
      Possessive forms of -y (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
      first-person singular possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -yni -yni
      accusative nom. -yni -yni
      gen. -yni
      genitive -yni -yjeni
      -yideni
      -yitteni
      partitive -yäni -yjäni
      -yitäni
      inessive -yssäni -yissäni
      elative -ystäni -yistäni
      illative -yyni -yihini
      adessive -ylläni -yilläni
      ablative -yltäni -yiltäni
      allative -ylleni -yilleni
      essive -ynäni -yinäni
      translative -ykseni -yikseni
      abessive -yttäni -yittäni
      instructive
      comitative -yineni
      second-person singular possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ysi -ysi
      accusative nom. -ysi -ysi
      gen. -ysi
      genitive -ysi -yjesi
      -yidesi
      -yittesi
      partitive -yäsi -yjäsi
      -yitäsi
      inessive -yssäsi -yissäsi
      elative -ystäsi -yistäsi
      illative -yysi -yihisi
      adessive -ylläsi -yilläsi
      ablative -yltäsi -yiltäsi
      allative -yllesi -yillesi
      essive -ynäsi -yinäsi
      translative -yksesi -yiksesi
      abessive -yttäsi -yittäsi
      instructive
      comitative -yinesi
      first-person plural possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ymme -ymme
      accusative nom. -ymme -ymme
      gen. -ymme
      genitive -ymme -yjemme
      -yidemme
      -yittemme
      partitive -yämme -yjämme
      -yitämme
      inessive -yssämme -yissämme
      elative -ystämme -yistämme
      illative -yymme -yihimme
      adessive -yllämme -yillämme
      ablative -yltämme -yiltämme
      allative -yllemme -yillemme
      essive -ynämme -yinämme
      translative -yksemme -yiksemme
      abessive -yttämme -yittämme
      instructive
      comitative -yinemme
      second-person plural possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ynne -ynne
      accusative nom. -ynne -ynne
      gen. -ynne
      genitive -ynne -yjenne
      -yidenne
      -yittenne
      partitive -yänne -yjänne
      -yitänne
      inessive -yssänne -yissänne
      elative -ystänne -yistänne
      illative -yynne -yihinne
      adessive -yllänne -yillänne
      ablative -yltänne -yiltänne
      allative -yllenne -yillenne
      essive -ynänne -yinänne
      translative -yksenne -yiksenne
      abessive -yttänne -yittänne
      instructive
      comitative -yinenne
      third-person possessor
      singular plural
      nominative -ynsä -ynsä
      accusative nom. -ynsä -ynsä
      gen. -ynsä
      genitive -ynsä -yjensä
      -yidensä
      -yittensä
      partitive -yään
      -yänsä
      -yjään
      -yitään
      -yjänsä
      -yitänsä
      inessive -yssään
      -yssänsä
      -yissään
      -yissänsä
      elative -ystään
      -ystänsä
      -yistään
      -yistänsä
      illative -yynsä -yihinsä
      adessive -yllään
      -yllänsä
      -yillään
      -yillänsä
      ablative -yltään
      -yltänsä
      -yiltään
      -yiltänsä
      allative -ylleen
      -yllensä
      -yilleen
      -yillensä
      essive -ynään
      -ynänsä
      -yinään
      -yinänsä
      translative -ykseen
      -yksensä
      -yikseen
      -yiksensä
      abessive -yttään
      -yttänsä
      -yittään
      -yittänsä
      instructive
      comitative -yineen
      -yinensä

      Ingrian

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      Pronunciation

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      Suffix

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      -y

      1. Front vowel variant of -u

      Declension

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      Declension of -y (type 4/koivu, no gradation)
      singular plural
      nominative -y -yt
      genitive -yn -yin, -ylöin
      partitive -yä -yjä, -ylöjä
      illative -yy -yi, -ylöihe
      inessive -ys -yis, -ylöis
      elative -yst -yist, -ylöist
      allative -ylle -yille, -ylöille
      adessive -yl -yil, -ylöil
      ablative -ylt -yilt, -ylöilt
      translative -yks -yiks, -ylöiks
      essive -ynnä, -yyn -yinnä, -ylöinnä, -yin, -ylöin
      exessive1) -ynt -yint, -ylöint
      1) obsolete
      *) the accusative corresponds with either the genitive (sg) or nominative (pl)
      **) the comitative is formed by adding the suffix -ka? or -kä? to the genitive.

      Derived terms

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      Lower Sorbian

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      Suffix

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      -y

      1. Alternative form of -i (used after “hard” consonants).

      Middle English

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      Etymology 1

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        From Old English -iġ, from Proto-West Germanic *-g, from Proto-Germanic *-gaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-kos. Doublet of -ik.

        Alternative forms

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        Pronunciation

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        Suffix

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        -y

        1. Designates an adjective, in many cases formed by being appended to a noun.
        Derived terms
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        Descendants
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        • English: -y, -ie, -ey
        • Scots: -ie, -y
        References
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        Etymology 2

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        Suffix

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        -y

        1. Alternative form of -yf

        Etymology 3

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          Suffix

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          -y

          1. Alternative form of -ie

          Northern Ohlone

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          Alternative forms

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          • -i (after consonants)

          Suffix

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          -y (plural -iṭ)

          1. Used to form the imperative mood of verbs

          References

          [edit]
          • María de los Angeles Colós, José Guzman, and John Peabody Harrington (1930s) Chochenyo Field Notes (Survey of California and Other Indian Langauges)‎[4], Unpublished

          Old Polish

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          Etymology

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          Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ъjь, the definite form of hard-stem adjectives. See *jь.

          Pronunciation

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          Suffix

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          -y

          1. forms adjectives

          Derived terms

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          Descendants

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          • Polish: -y

          Polish

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          Etymology

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          Inherited from Old Polish -y.

          Pronunciation

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          Suffix

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          -y

          1. forms adjectives

          Derived terms

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          Quechua

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          Suffix

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          -y

          1. Infinitive marker.
            mikhuy (to eat)
          2. Nominalizes verbs. The act of doing something. "-ing."
            pampachay (pardon, remission)
          3. Indicates first-person singular possessive.
            mikhuna (food)mikhunay (my food)
          4. Conjugative suffix for the second-person imperative mood.
            Uyariway! ("(You) listen to me!")

          Scots

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          Suffix

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          -y

          1. Alternative form of -ie

          References

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          Slovincian

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          Etymology

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          Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ъjь, the definite form of hard-stem adjectives. See *jь.

          Pronunciation

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          Suffix

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          -y

          1. forms adjectives
            aptécznjik + ‎-y → ‎aptécznjiczy

          Derived terms

          [edit]
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