English Explanatory Dictionary

-ese

English dictionary entry

Meanings

suffix
  1. Used to form adjectives and nouns describing things and characteristics of a city, region, or country, such as the people and the language spoken by these people.
  2. Used to form nouns meaning the jargon or language used by a particular profession or being or in a particular context.

Pronunciation

/ˈiːz/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl--ese.wav /ˈiz/

Word forms

-ese

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Late Latin -iscus ▲ Vulgar Latin -iscus Latin -ēnsis Old French -eisbor. Middle English -eys English -ese From Middle English -eys, from Old French -eis, from Latin -ēnsis and, less often, Late Latin -iscus. Generally used in place of more common equivalent suffixes such as -er and -an on the model of equivalent terms in Italian and Portuguese, particularly for Italian, Portuguese African, and East Asian places first widely discussed in Portuguese and Latin.

Synonyms

-ish -an -ian -ic -ite -i -speak

Related words

-ess

Derived words

Algherese Ambonese Amoyese Andamanese Annamese Annobonese Aragonese Assamese Auvergnese Balinese Beninese Berlinese Bhutanese Brooklynese Burmese Canarese Cantonese Chinese Congolese Dublinese East Timorese Faroese Foochowese Foochownese Fukienese Gabonese Genoese Gilbertese Guyanese Hainanese Hoisanese Illinese Iroquese Japanese Javanese Katangese Kinmenese Lebanese Macanese Maltese Marshallese Milanese Nepalese Nipponese Parmese Pekingese Piedmontese Pitcairnese Pittsburghese Portuguese Reunionese Runyonese Rwandese Saigonese Senegalese Sentinelese Shanghainese Siamese Sikkimese Sudanese
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