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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

-s en · X · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /z/
  • /ɪz/
  • /s/
  • /əz/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English -s, -es, from Old English -as, nominative-accusative plural ending of masculine a-stem (i.e. strong) declension nouns, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōs, from Proto-Germanic *-ōs, *‑ōz, from Proto-Indo-European *-es, *-oes (plural endings). The spread of this ending in later Middle English was once argued to have been the result of Anglo-Norman influence; however, -as was already the most common Old English plural marker (used in approximately 40% of Old English nouns), and was initially more common in the North of England where French influence was weakest, only later gradually spreading south, replacing the usual southern plural ending -en. Cognate with Scots -s (plural ending), Saterland Frisian -s (plural ending), West Frisian -s (plural ending), Dutch -s (plural ending), Low German -s (plural ending), Danish -er (plural ending), Swedish -r, -ar, -or (plural ending), Icelandic -ar (plural ending), Gothic -𐍉𐍃 (-ōs, nominative plural ending of a-stem masculine nouns). Not directly related to German -er (plural ending) which has a different origin.

Meanings

  1. (morpheme) Used to form regular plurals of nouns.
    • one computer → five computers; Kennedy → Kennedys; hanger-on → hangers-on; lapful → lapfuls; cul-de-sac → cul-de-sacs; standby → standbys; push-up → push-ups; gin and tonic → gin and tonics; pair → pairs; beef → beefs
  2. (morpheme) Used to form many pluralia tantum (nouns that are almost or entirely without singular forms).
    • sunglasses
    • shorts
  3. (morpheme) Used to form many pluralia tantum (nouns that are almost or entirely without singular forms). ▸ Forms names of sciences and fields of studies from adjectives (See Usage notes)
  4. (morpheme) When appended to a number ending in at least one 0, expresses a range of numbers which share the digits before some or (usually) all of the 0s; frequently used for decades, centuries and temperatures.
    • We often look back on the 1960s [the years from 1960 to 1969] with rose-tinted glasses.
    • High indicators of PFAS (in the 500s) were also found in a Chick-fil-A sandwich wrapper and in fiber bowls at Cava, a Mediterranean restaurant chain. Indicator levels in the 300s and 400s were found in a bag of cookies at Arby’s, bamboo paper plates at Stop & Shop, and in a bag for both cookies and French toast sticks at Burger King. Levels of PFAS indicators in the 200s were found in a Sweetgreen paper bag for focaccia, additional items at Cava, and in bags for french fries, cookies and Chicken McNuggets at McDonald’s. 2022 March 25, Sandee LaMotte, “Dangerous chemicals found in food wrappers at major fast-food restaurants and grocery chains, report says”, in CNN:
    • The Industrial Revolution went into full-swing during the 1800s [the years from 1800 to 1899 – but see usage notes].
    • The temperature today will be in the low 30s.
    • He placed in the 200s in the end.

Descendants

-s · -s · -s · -s · -സ് · · -s

Relateds

-z (other plural-forming suffixes) · -en (other plural-forming suffixes) · -es (other plural-forming suffixes) · -i (other plural-forming suffixes) · -a (other plural-forming suffixes)

Translations (197)

sah -дар (regular plurals of nouns) · su ar- (regular plurals of nouns) · my -တို့ (regular plurals of nouns) · pl -a (regular plurals of nouns) · da -e (regular plurals of nouns) · ja(regular plurals of nouns) · ga -ta (regular plurals of nouns) · ko -네 (regular plurals of nouns) · eo -j (regular plurals of nouns) · su -arar- (regular plurals of nouns) · de -s (regular plurals of nouns) · kjh -лер (regular plurals of nouns) · he ־ִין (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -tí (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -нор (regular plurals of nouns) · ar ـُونَ (regular plurals of nouns) · vi các (regular plurals of nouns) · el -αίοι (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ατα (regular plurals of nouns) · gl -is (regular plurals of nouns) · su -ar- (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -ydd (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -лар (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -s (regular plurals of nouns) · fr -s (regular plurals of nouns) · nn -er (regular plurals of nouns) · de -e (regular plurals of nouns) · kjh -нар (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -en (regular plurals of nouns) · it -e (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -acha (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -au (regular plurals of nouns) · tr -lar (regular plurals of nouns) · kk -лер (regular plurals of nouns) · vi mấy (regular plurals of nouns) · pt -ns (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -e (regular plurals of nouns) · la -ae (regular plurals of nouns) · it -i (regular plurals of nouns) · tl mga (regular plurals of nouns) · el -οι (-oi) (regular plurals of nouns) · ar ـِينَ (regular plurals of nouns) · nl -en (regular plurals of nouns) · am -ዎች (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -anna (regular plurals of nouns) · ca -s (regular plurals of nouns) · pt -s (regular plurals of nouns) · vi những (regular plurals of nouns) · fa ـها (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ές (-és) (regular plurals of nouns) · fi -t (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -дар (regular plurals of nouns) · he ־ֵי (regular plurals of nouns) · lv -s (regular plurals of nouns) · el -α (-a) (regular plurals of nouns) · lt -s (regular plurals of nouns) · ga(regular plurals of nouns) · bo ཚོ (regular plurals of nouns) · fa ـهایی (regular plurals of nouns) · th ทั้งหลาย (regular plurals of nouns) · kjh -тар (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -ion (regular plurals of nouns) · az -lar (regular plurals of nouns) · de -er (regular plurals of nouns) · eu -ak (regular plurals of nouns) · ja(regular plurals of nouns) · cy -aid (regular plurals of nouns) · el -άδες (-ádes) (regular plurals of nouns) · hu -ök (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -taí (regular plurals of nouns) · fa ـهان (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -iau (regular plurals of nouns) · kjh -тер (regular plurals of nouns) · nci -tin (regular plurals of nouns) · pl -i (regular plurals of nouns) · th เหล่า (regular plurals of nouns) · la(regular plurals of nouns) · pt -is (regular plurals of nouns) · pt -ões (regular plurals of nouns) · el(regular plurals of nouns) · el -ες (-es) (regular plurals of nouns) · es -s (regular plurals of nouns) · hu -k (regular plurals of nouns) · kmr -an (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -on (regular plurals of nouns) · nci -h (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -дэр (regular plurals of nouns) · da -er (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -лэр (regular plurals of nouns) · he ־וֹת (regular plurals of nouns) · gv -jyn (regular plurals of nouns) · su -al- (regular plurals of nouns) · is -ar (regular plurals of nouns) · gv -aghyn (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -дер (regular plurals of nouns) · et -d (regular plurals of nouns) · de -en (regular plurals of nouns) · el -έδες (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ά (-á) (regular plurals of nouns) · kn -ಗಳು (regular plurals of nouns) · bo དག (regular plurals of nouns) · io -i (regular plurals of nouns) · ro -e (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -aint (regular plurals of nouns) · es -es (regular plurals of nouns) · gug -kuéra (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -тар (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ια (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -a (regular plurals of nouns) · ka -ები (regular plurals of nouns) · gug -nguéra (regular plurals of nouns) · kn -ರು (regular plurals of nouns) · th พวก (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -нөр (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ή (-í) (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -oedd (regular plurals of nouns) · ca -es (regular plurals of nouns) · pcm -s (regular plurals of nouns) · gl -s (regular plurals of nouns) · kk -тар (regular plurals of nouns) · kk -тер (regular plurals of nouns) · ro -i (regular plurals of nouns) · tpw -etá (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -лар (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -i (regular plurals of nouns) · is -a (regular plurals of nouns) · kjh -нер (regular plurals of nouns) · ar ـَات (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ήδες (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -тэр (regular plurals of nouns) · sw ma- (regular plurals of nouns) · pt -ãos (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -тар (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -нар (regular plurals of nouns) · sw vi- (regular plurals of nouns) · hnn mga (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -тер (regular plurals of nouns) · ro -uri (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -дор (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -нер (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -төр (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -тор (regular plurals of nouns) · ar ـَانِ (regular plurals of nouns) · fr -x (regular plurals of nouns) · pl -y (depalatalized) (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -od (regular plurals of nouns) · ja(regular plurals of nouns) · kk -дер (regular plurals of nouns) · kw -ow (regular plurals of nouns) · el -οί (-oí) (regular plurals of nouns) · pt -ães (regular plurals of nouns) · my -တွေ (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -edd (regular plurals of nouns) · zh 們 /们 (regular plurals of nouns) · ml -കൾ (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -aigh (regular plurals of nouns) · kk -дар (regular plurals of nouns) · gv -yn (regular plurals of nouns) · nci -meh (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -iaid (regular plurals of nouns) · my -များ (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ηδες (-ides) (regular plurals of nouns) · nb -er (regular plurals of nouns) · he ־ִים (regular plurals of nouns) · kk -лар (regular plurals of nouns) · sv -ar -er -or -r -n (regular plurals of nouns) · nup -zhì (regular plurals of nouns) · tr -ler (regular plurals of nouns) · kw -yow (regular plurals of nouns) · hu -ek (regular plurals of nouns) · kjh -лар (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -дөр (regular plurals of nouns) · eu -ok (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -ed (regular plurals of nouns) · ro -le (regular plurals of nouns) · sw mi- (regular plurals of nouns) · la -a (regular plurals of nouns) · hu -ok (regular plurals of nouns) · ga -te (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -yr (regular plurals of nouns) · ar ـَيْنِ (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -нар (regular plurals of nouns) · pt -es (regular plurals of nouns) · az -lər (regular plurals of nouns) · bo རྣམས (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -лөр (regular plurals of nouns) · hu -ak (regular plurals of nouns) · gl -es (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -нэр (regular plurals of nouns) · ko -들 (regular plurals of nouns) · el -ούδες (-oúdes) (regular plurals of nouns) · sw wa- (regular plurals of nouns) · sah -лор (regular plurals of nouns) · pl -owie (regular plurals of nouns) · tyv -лер (regular plurals of nouns) · cy -ys (regular plurals of nouns) · nl -s (regular plurals of nouns)

Source: en.wiktionary, “-s” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-s en · X · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /z/
  • /ɪz/
  • /s/
  • /əz/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

From Middle English -(e)s (third-person singular ending), from Northumbrian Old English -es, -as (third-person singular endings). Gradually replaced the older -eth, from Old English -(e)þ, -aþ, during the Middle English and Early Modern English periods. It is predominantly believed that -(e)s is identical to the Old English second-person singular ending -es, -est (cf. archaic Modern English -est, as in thou singest). The use for the third-person singular would have been caused by speakers of Old Norse who switched to speaking English and confounded the endings due to analogy with their native tongue. In Old Norse, the second and third person singular indicative forms were identical (e.g. þú masar, hann masar; þú þekkir, hann þekkir; etc.). An alternative theory sees the shift from /θ/ in -eth to /s/ (later /z/) in -(e)s as a mere phonetic simplification due to the frequency of the ending, but the objection to this is that no such development can be observed anywhere else in English. Nevertheless the relative similarity in sound between both forms may have facilitated the spread of -es.

Meanings

  1. (morpheme) Used to form the third-person singular indicative present tense of verbs.
    • to eat → he eats
  2. (dialectal, morpheme, nonstandard) Used in various other indicative present tenses
    • I likes what I likes

Relateds

-ing (other verb endings) · -ed (other verb endings) · -t (other verb endings) · -en (other verb endings)

Source: en.wiktionary, “-s” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-s en · X · etymology 3

Pronunciation

  • /z/
  • /ɪz/
  • /s/
  • /əz/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *-as Proto-West Germanic *-as Old English -es Middle English -es English -s From Middle English -es, from Old English -es, the masculine and neuter genitive singular ending of strong nouns. More at -'s.

Meanings

  1. (morpheme) Used in the formation of certain English adverbs.
    • alway + -s → always
    • unaware + -s → unawares
    • sometime + -s → sometimes
    • downward + -s → downwards
    • while + -s → whiles
    • forward + -s → forwards
    • betide + -s → betides
    • night + -s → nights
    • evening + -s → evenings
    • toward + -s → towards
    • beside + -s → besides
    • Sunday + -s → Sundays
    • betime + -s → betimes

Deriveds

-st

Source: en.wiktionary, “-s” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-s en · X · etymology 4

Pronunciation

  • /z/
  • /ɪz/
  • /s/
  • /əz/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

A variant spelling of -'s, partly an archaism, partly by dropping the apostrophe.

Meanings

  1. (morpheme, qualifier:on pronouns) Possessive marker, indicating that an object belongs to the word bearing the marker.
    • hers; its; ones (now one’s); theirs
    • (neopronouns): eirs; hirs; pers; thons; xyrs; zirs
  2. (alt-of, alternative, morpheme, nonstandard, qualifier:on nouns) Alternative form of -'s.
    alt of -'s
    • devils doorbell; dogs-bane; St. Marys; (obsolete) kings

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
-es alternative lexicographic
-'s alternative lexicographic
Source: en.wiktionary, “-s” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-s en · X · etymology 5

Pronunciation

  • /z/
  • /ɪz/
  • /s/
  • /əz/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

Modern sense in slang [circa 1936]. According to OED, a colloquial clipping of the hypocoristic diminutive suffix -sy. As AHD writes, -sy itself usually being informal, ironic and/or jocular, and possibly a combination of -s (“plural marker”) and conflation of -y as adjectival with its sense as a diminutive suffix (e.g., puppy, kitty), the latter notion probably from Scots.

Meanings

  1. (colloquial, humorous, informal, morpheme, sometimes) Hypocoristic suffix
    • Babs; moms; pops; homes; toots

Relateds

-sies

wikipedia: American Heritage Dictionary · wikipedia: Oxford English Dictionary

Source: en.wiktionary, “-s” (suffix), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

-s en · VERB · etymology 6

Pronunciation

  • /z/
  • /ɪz/
  • /s/
  • /əz/ weak vowel merger

Etymology

Derived from 's.

Meanings

  1. (Internet, alt-of, alternative, clitic, informal) Alternative spelling of 's.
    alt of 's
    • whats he talking about