-ety
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English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]Cognate of -ity, ultimately from Latin -(i)tās.[1] See more at -ity.
Suffix
[edit]-ety
- Used to indicate qualities or states.
- contrary + -ety → contrariety
Etymology 2
[edit]Uncertain. Perhaps imitative of repeated action.[2]
Suffix
[edit]-ety
- Added to monosyllabic words, typically nouns or adjectives, to extend their form.
- Often with frequentative force.
- jig + -ety → jiggety
- hip-hop + -ety → hippety-hoppety
- yack + -ety → yackety-yak
- Also seen in other fanciful compounds.
- dig + -ety → diggety, hot diggety dog
- lick + -ety → lickety, lickety-split
- Often with frequentative force.
References
[edit]- ^ “-ity, suffix”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2020.
- ^ “-ety, suffix”, in OED Online , Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, November 2010.