-ety

Meanings

1. Added to monosyllabic words, typically verbs or nouns, to form adjectives characteristic of the verb or noun.
2. Often with frequentative force.
3. Also seen in other fanciful compounds.

1. Used to indicate qualities or states.

Etymology

In some uses, apparently an alteration of -edy, as seen in jaggedy, raggedy, scaredy, etc.; equivalent to -ed + -y. The alteration of -d- to -t- is perhaps due to Scottish influence, where it is common for the past participle of Scots verbs to end in -et/-it rather than -ed as in English. In other usage, perhaps imitative of repeated action, equivalent to -et + -y. In any case, it is used almost exclusively in sound-symbolic or expressive words.