English Explanatory Dictionary

-ie

English dictionary entry

Meanings

suffix
  1. Forming diminutive or affectionate forms of nouns or names.
  2. Forming feminine or gender‐neutral forms of given names.
  3. Forms colloquial clippings (often functioning as familiarizers), truncating the root to a single stressed syllable.
  4. Forming colloquial nouns signifying the person or thing associated with the suffixed noun or verb.
  5. Forming nouns relative to an adjective.
  6. Forming colloquial interjections or phrases.
suffix
  1. Alternative spelling of -y (adjectival suffix).
suffix
  1. A photograph, especially a selfie.

Pronunciation

-ē /-iː/ /-i/

Word forms

-ie -ee -ey

Etymology

Variant spelling of -y, heavily influenced by the cognate Scots -ie. The diminutive suffix originated in Northern Middle English and Middle Scots. It was historically restricted to Scotland and Northern England until the late 18th and 19th centuries, when it was borrowed into Standard English and highly popularized by the success of Scottish literature.

Synonyms

-cule -ee -el -et -ette -icle -kin -le -let -ling -ole -ule -y mini- micro- nano-
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