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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
      tree + ‎-y → ‎treey
      hole + ‎-y → ‎holey
      sponge + ‎-y → ‎spongy
      cake + ‎-y → ‎caky
      dice + ‎-y → ‎dicey
      guts + ‎-y → ‎gutsy
      • 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
      panic + ‎-y → ‎panicky
      twiddle + ‎-y → ‎twiddly
    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 (healthhealth-y (relating to health), distinct from healthy (in a state of wellness)).
    • The final consonant is doubled just like any other vowel suffix. if -> iffy.
    • For nouns and adjectives ending in Y, -ey is added. For example, clay -> clayey.
    • Nouns and adjectives ending in a silent E often drop this. For example, ease -> easy.
    • 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
    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.

    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), possibly from Proto-West Germanic *-ij-, *-j- (diminutive suffix).

    Not related with Dutch -je, -ie, regional Low German -je, which are from Proto-West Germanic *-ikīn (English -kin as in lambkin), nor with German -i, which is from Proto-West Germanic *-īn (English -en as in maiden). The vowel /i/ has an onomatopoeic quality to it, which may reinforce its occurrence in diminutives.

    Alternative forms

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    Suffix

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    -y

    1. Forming diminutive nouns.
      gran(nam) + ‎-y → ‎granny
      pin(afore) + ‎-y → ‎pinny
      (s)tom(ach) + ‎-y → ‎tummy
    2. Forming familiar names, pet names, nicknames and terms of endearment.
      And(rew) + ‎-y → ‎Andy
      Bill + ‎-y → ‎Billy
      John + ‎-y → ‎Johnny
      Jones + ‎-y → ‎Jonesy
      love + ‎-y → ‎lovey
    3. Added for metrical reasons to songs, often in children's music where it may carry diminutive associations.
    4. Forming nouns relative to an adjective.
      bald + ‎-y → ‎baldy
      dum(b) + ‎-y → ‎dummy
      right + ‎-y → ‎righty
    5. Forming colloquial interjections or phrases.
      alright + ‎-y → ‎alrighty
      oops + ‎-y → ‎oopsy
      right + ‎-y → ‎righty
      wake + ‎-y → ‎wakey
    Synonyms
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    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.

    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 (-eiă), -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.

    Etymology 4

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    Inherited from Middle English -y, -ie, for earlier -ien, from the Old English weak class 2 infinitival suffix -ian, -iġan, by syncope from earlier *-ōjan, North Sea Germanic form of Proto-West Germanic *-ōn, from Proto-Germanic *-ōną; reinforced by the suffix -ian, -ġan in Old English verbs of weak class 1 with roots ending in -r (and the exceptional strong class 6 verb swerian). Compare -en (infinitive ending).

    Alternative forms

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    Suffix

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    -y

    1. (West Country, obsolete) Denotes the infinitive of verbs when used intransitively.
      • June 1746, “An Exmoor Scolding”, in The Gentleman's Magazine, volume 16, London: Edward Cave, page 354:
        But thee, thee wut ruckee, and ſquattee, and doatee in the chimly coander lick an axwaddle; and wi’ the zame tha wut rakee up, and gookee, and tell doil, tell dildrams and buckingham jenkins.
      • 1886, Frederic Thomas Elworthy, “Gig, Gig-mill”, in The West Somerset Word-Book, volume 1, London: Trübner & Co., page 284:
        Where's your Tom now? Au! he do worky down to factory— he've a-workèd to the gig's two year
      • 2008 March 18 [c. 1955], Suzanne Wagner, “English dialects in the Southwest: morphology and syntax”, in Bernd Kortmann, Clive Upton, editors, Varieties of English, volume 1: The British Isles, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, →DOI, →ISBN, page 432:
        d. wiː də ˈbɽɪŋ æʊɽ ˈʃiːp ɪn l̴ami / ‘We bring our sheep in (to) lamb.’ (36 Co 6, book I)
    Usage notes
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    • This suffix can be added to any verb regardless of its class in Old or Middle English.

    Afar

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    Etymology 1

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    Pronunciation

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    Suffix

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    -y (clitic)

    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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    Suffix

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    -y (clitic)

    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
    • Yola: -ee
    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

    Etymology 4

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    Suffix

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    -y

    1. alternative form of -ien (infinitival suffix)

    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

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    • 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

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    Category Slovincian terms suffixed with -y not found