Where does “-ie” come from?
-ie (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch -ie, from Old French -ie, from Latin -ia, from Latin -ius, from Proto-Italic -jōs, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.
Ancestry of “-ie”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle Dutch | -ie | — |
| 2 | Old French | -ie | indicates a feminine noun, often an abstract one |
| 3 | Latin | -ia | Used to form a feminine abstract noun, usually... |
| 4 | Latin | -ius | forming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter... |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -jōs | Forms comparative adjectives |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |