-ess en · X · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ɛs/
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ɪs/
- /əs/
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der. Ancient Greek -ῐᾰ (-ĭă) Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa)bor. Late Latin -issader. Old French -essebor. Middle English -esse English -ess From Middle English -esse, borrowed from Old French -esse, from Late Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa). Displaced Old English -en (feminine suffix of nouns).
Meanings
-
(morpheme) Used to form female equivalents.
chanter + -ess → chantress
actor + -ess → actress
prince + -ess → princess (“daughter of monarch (holding this title in her own right, who would become a queen regnant); the female equivalent of a prince”)
god + -ess → goddess
duke + -ess → duchess (“female ruler of a duchy”)
lion + -ess → lioness
-
(morpheme) The wife of.
squire + -ess → squiress (“squire’s wife”)
mayor + -ess → mayoress (“mayor’s wife”)
priest + -ess → priestess (“priest’s wife”)
prince + -ess → princess (“prince’s wife (who would become a queen consort)”)
alderman + -ess → aldermaness (“alderman’s wife”)
duke + -ess → duchess (“duke’s wife”)
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| -esses | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Synonyms
-ress · -trix · -ette · she- · -a · -ine
Translations (68)
am -ት (female suffix) · ru -иня (female suffix) · pl -ka (female suffix) · ro -iță (female suffix) · da -inde (female suffix) · ru -и́са (female suffix) · fi -tär (female suffix) · fr -e (female suffix) · sq onjë (female suffix) · fr -esse (female suffix) · la -issa (female suffix) · hi -नी (female suffix) · grc -ῐσσᾰ (female suffix) · ga ban- (female suffix) · cmn 母- (female suffix) · ru -ница (female suffix) · ru -ыня (female suffix) · sv -inna (female suffix) · bn -আ (female suffix) · hu -né (wife of) · eo -ino (female suffix) · ru -ша (female suffix) · pl -owa (wife of) · he ־ה (female suffix) · fr -euse (female suffix) · ang -en (female suffix) · ru -ица (female suffix) · br -ez (female suffix) · nl -esse (female suffix) · pt -esa (female suffix) · ru -е́сса (female suffix) · ru -чица (female suffix) · cy -es (female suffix) · bn -নী (female suffix) · uk -еса (female suffix) · ru -и́ха (female suffix) · sv -essa (female suffix) · he ־ית (female suffix) · ar ـَة (female suffix) · ru -ья (female suffix) · my မ (female suffix) · vo ji- (female suffix) · ru -а (female suffix) · nb -inne (female suffix) · cmn 女- (female suffix) · el -ισσα (female suffix) · de -in (-trix f, -öse f) (female suffix) · hu -nő (female suffix) · ia -a (female suffix) · io -ino (female suffix) · nb -esse (female suffix) · it -essa (female suffix) · ru -у́ха (female suffix) · nb -ske (female suffix) · ia -essa (female suffix) · ro -easă (female suffix) · bn -ঈ (female suffix) · fi -tar (female suffix) · pt -a (female suffix) · sq -eshë (female suffix) · nrf -êsse (female suffix) · la -trīx (female suffix) · ru -ка (female suffix) · gl -esa (female suffix) · bn -ইনী (female suffix) · srn uma- (female suffix) · sv -ska (female suffix) · nl -in (female suffix)