An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

A suffix used to form abstract nouns expressing state, degree, or condition: metallicity, luminosity, periodicity, Gaussianity.

From M.E. -ite, from O.Fr. -ité, from L. -itas (-itat-), from -i- (thematic or, rarely, connective vowel) + -tas (-tat-), may be cognate with Av./Skt. -tāt (as in Av. uparatāt, Skt. uparátāt "supremacy," Av. ha^urvatāt, Skt. sarvátāt "completeness").

The suffix -igi, from -ig adj. suffix, variant of -ik, → -ic, + -i noun suffix.

Note: The Pers. suffix -i forms state/condition nouns from adjectives, as in: xubi, zešti, râsti, âzâdi, tanhâyi. There is though a phonetic problem when the adj. ends in -i, since two successive i's are not easily articulable, e.g.: felez "metal," felezi "metallic," *felezii "metallicity." Mid.Pers. did not have this problem, since the adj. suffix was -îg or -îk (instead of -i) and the noun suffix -îh (instead of -i). Some examples in Mid.Pers.: tuhîg "empty," tuhîgîh "emptiness," tuwânîg "able," tuwânîgîh "ability," spurrîg "complete," spurrîgîh "completeness, perfection," nazdîk "near," nazdîkîh "proximity." A way out of this phonetic problem is to use the Mid.Pers. -igi. This solution, first introduced in the case of tohi, tohigi (→ void), was generalized by M. Sch. Adib-Soltâni (Irânigi, Âlmânigi, darunâxtigi, borunâxtigi, etc.). This seems a natural solution since the adj. suffix -i is the evolution of the Mid.Pers. -ig, and moreover Pers. currently revives the g phoneme in comparable phonetic situations, as in the ending phoneme -é (-eh), which derives from Mid.Pers. -ag. A number of examples: adj. âzâdé, n. âzâdegi; adj. tâbandé, n. tâbandegi; adj. mardâné, n. mardânegi; likewise xâné, xânegi, setâré, setâregân; âzâdé, âzâdegân. Interestingly, the -igi suffix has this specified function in some dialects, for example (Tajik, Šahrezâ-yi) xâligi "emptiness," from xâli.
Some examples for the use of -igi in this work: felezigi, → metallicity; mâddigi, → materiality; beyzigi, → ellipcity, tâštigi, → certainty, etc.

1) A suffix occurring in names of → chemical elements, such as → barium, → sodium, → titanium, → uranium. Variant -um, as in → lanthanum.
2) It also occurs in names of chemical radicals (ammonium, carbonium) and ions of complex cations (imidazolium, nitrosylium, pyridinium).

From L. suffix forming certain neuter nouns (odium, tedium, colloquium; equilibrium, millennium; collegium, consortium), from Gk. -ion.

A suffix forming adjectives from verbs expressing tendency, disposition, function, connection, etc.: active; corrective; destructive; detective; passive; sportive.

From L. -ivus, but sometimes from O.Fr. -if.

-i and -andé current suffixes.

A verb-forming suffix occurring originally in loanwords from Gk. that have entered English through L. or Fr.

From M.E. -isen, from O.Fr. -iser, from L.L. -izare, from Gk -izein.

-idan, -astan infinitive suffixes; kardan "to do, to make," auxiliary verb of compound verbs (Mid.Pers. kardan; O.Pers./Av. kar- "to do, make, build;" Av. kərənaoiti "he makes;" cf. Skt. kr- "to do, to make," krnoti "he makes, he does," karoti "he makes, he does," karma "act, deed;" PIE base k^wer- "to do, to make").

An adjective suffix meaning "without."

M.E. -les, from O.E. -leas, from leas "free (from), devoid (of), false;" cf. Du. -loos, Ger. -los "-less," , O.N. lauss "loose, free, vacant," M.Du. los, Ger. los "loose, free," Goth. laus "empty, vain."

Bi- privative prefix, → a-.

A diminutive, noun-forming suffix (booklet; platelet).

M.E., from M.Fr. -elet, from L. -ellus + M.Fr. -et, from L. -ittus, both diminutive suffixes.

-Cé diminutive suffix, from Mid.Pers. -cak, variants -êžak (as in kanicak "little girl," sangcak "small stone," xôkcak "small pig"), also Mod.Pers. -ak.

Resembling or similar to. → spacelike, → timelike; → solar-like star.

A suffixal use of like " of the same form, appearance," in the formation of adjectives, from M.E. lic, lik, shortening of O.E. gelic "like, similar;" cf. O.S. gilik, Du. gelijk, Ger. gleich "equally, like."

-sân suffix of similarity, from sân "way, manner."
-vâr a suffix meaning "resembling, like," from Mid.Pers. -wâr; Av. -vara, -var; cf. Skt. -vara.
-mânand, suffix from mânand, → similar.

A combining form used in the names of sciences or bodies of knowledge, such as → biology, → geology, → cosmology. See also → -ics.

M.E. -logie, from O.Fr. -logie, from L. -logia, from Gk. -logia, from legein "to speak, tell over; to choose, gather," logos "word, speech, thought, account."

-Šenâsi, from šenâs, present stem of šenâsidan, šenâxtan "to know, discern, distinguish, be acquainted with;" Mid.Pers. šnâxtan, šnâs- "to know, recognize," dânistan "to know;" O.Pers./Av. xšnā- "to know, learn, come to know, recognize;" cf. Skt. jñā- "to recognize, know," jānāti "he knows;" Gk. gignoskein "to know, think, judge;" L. gnoscere, noscere "to come to know" (Fr. connaître; Sp. conocer); P.Gmc. *knoeanan; O.E. cnawan; E. know; Rus. znat "to know;" PIE base *gno- "to know."

1) A suffix forming adverbs from adjectives.
2) An adjective suffix meaning "-like."

M.E. -li, -lich(e); O.E. -lic; cf. O.Fris. -lik, Du. -lijk, O.H.G. -lih, Ger. -lich, O.N. -ligr.

1) -âné suffix of adverbs, from Mid.Pers. -ânag.
2) -vâr denoting "resembling, like," from Mid.Pers. -wâr, Av. -vara, -var; cf. Skt. -vara.

A suffix of nouns indicating state, condition, or quality, or the result or product of an action.

From Fr., from L. -mentum.

A combining form meaning "measure," used in the names of instruments measuring quantity, extent, degree.

From Fr. -mètre; → meter.

Suffix -sanj, present stem of sanjidan "to measure; to compare," from Mid.Pers. sanjidan "to weigh," from present tense stem sanj-, Av. θanj- "to draw, pull;" Proto-Iranian *θanj-. Other terms from this base in Pers.: lanjidan "to pull up," hanjidan, âhanjidan "to draw out," farhang "education, culture."

A suffix with the meaning "the process of measuring."

→ -meter + -y a suffix used in the formation of action nouns.

-sanji, from sanj, → -meter, + -i a suffix of verbal nouns.

A native English suffix attached to adjectives and participles, forming abstract nouns denoting quality and state, such as brightness, cloudiness, compactness, skewness, and so on.

M.E., O.E. -nes(s), cf. M.Du. -nisse, O.H.G. -nissa, Ger. -niss.

A combining form denoting a system of laws governing or sum of knowledge regarding a specified field. → astronomy, → economy.

From Gk. -nomia "law," from nomos, related to nemein "to distribute, allot, arrange."

Dât, dâd "law, justice;" dâti, from Mid.Pers. dâtik, dâdig "related to law, legal," from from O.Pes./Av. dāta- "law," from dā- "to put, make, create;" cf. Skt. dhā- "to put, to place;" Gk. tithemi "to put down, to place;" L. fecit "made;" E. do, deed; PIE *dhe- "to put, to place;" -ik, → ics; -šenâsi, → -logy; -nâmusi, from nâmus loan from Gk. -nomos, as above.

A suffix meaning "like, resembling," used in the formation of adjectives and nouns; e. g. asteroid, cycloid, ellipsoid.

From Gk. -oeides, from eidos "form," related to idein "to see," eidenai "to know;" PIE *weid-es-, from base *weid- "to see, to know;" cf. Pers. bin- "to see" (present stem of didan); Mid.Pers. wyn-; O.Pers. vain- "to see;" Av. vaēn- "to see;" Skt. veda "I know."

Suffix -vâr denoting "resembling, like," from Mid.Pers. -wâr, Av. -vara, -var, cf. Skt. -vara.

1) Suffix used in the names of subatomic particles (electron, proton, neutron, gluon, etc.), quanta (photon, graviton, etc.), and other minimal entities or components.
2) Suffix used in the meaning of inert gases (e.g. neon, krypton).

1) Probably extracted from → ion.
2) From Gk. -on, neuter of -os adj. ending.

A suffix forming agent nouns, occurring originally in loanwords from Anglo-French; it now functions in E. as an orthographic variant of -er.

From M.E., from O.Fr. -o(u)r, from L. or-, extracted from -tor; Gk. -tor (e.g. dotor "giver," genetor "begetter," ktistor "founder"); cf. Av. -tar- (dātar- "giver," astar- "thrower," baxtar- "tributor"); Skt. -tr- (kartr- "doer," dhātr- "founder," astr- "thrower").

Agent suffix -gar, variant -gâr, -kâr, from kar-, kardan "to do, to make" (Mid.Pers. kardan; O.Pers./Av. kar- "to do, make, build;" Av. kərənaoiti "makes;" cf. Skt. kr- "to do, to make;" krnoti "makes," karma "act, deed;" PIE base k^wer- "to do, to make"). Suffix -âr, as in parastâr, xaridâr, foruxtâr, virâstâr, xâstâr, nemudâr. Agent suffix -andé, used with verbs.

A suffix forming adjectives that have the general sense "possessing, full of, inclined to." Variant -ious.

M.E., from O.Fr. -ous, -eux, from L. -osus.

A combining form meaning "lover of, attracted to" that specified by the initial element.

-phile, also -phil, from M.L. -philus, from Gk. -philos, common suffix in personal names (such as Theophilos), from philos "loving, dear," from philein "to love," which is of unknown origin.

-dust, from dust "friend; lover;" Mid.Pers. dôst "friend;" O.Pers. dauštar- "friend;" Av. zaoša- "pleasure," zuš- "to like," zušta- "loved;" cf. Skt. jos- "to like, be pleased, enjoy," jósa- "satisfaction," jóstar- "loving;" Gk. geuomai "to taste;" L. gustare "to taste."

A suffix meaning "instrument for viewing," used in the formation of compound words, such as → telescope, → microscope; → spectroscope.

N.L. -scopium, from Gk. -skopion, -skopeion, from skopein "to behold, look, consider," skeptesthai "to look at;" PIE base *spek- "to see;" cf. Av. spasiieiti "looks at, perceives," spas- "spy;" Skt. paś- "to see, watch," spasati "sees;" L. specere "to look at;" O.H.G. spehhon "to spy," Ger. spähen "to spy."

-bin, short for binandé "seer," present stem of didan "to see," from Mid.Pers. wyn-; O.Pers. vain- "to see;" Av. vaēn- "to see;" cf. Skt. veda "I know;" Gk. oida "I know," idein "to see;" L. videre "to see;" PIE base *weid- "to know, to see."
-nemâ, present stem of nemudan "to show;" Mid.Pers. nimūdan, nimây- "to show," from O.Pers./Av. ni- "down; into," → ni- (PIE),+ māy- "to measure;" cf. Skt. mati "measures," matra- "measure;" Gk. metron "measure;" L. metrum; PIE base *me- "to measure."