Where does “-cy” come from?

-cy (English) comes from Anglo-Norman -cie, from Latin -tia, from Latin -ia, from Latin -ius, from Proto-Italic -jōs, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.

-cy (English): Used to form nouns of state, condition or quality...

Definitions

  1. Used to form nouns of state, condition or quality...

Ancestry of “-cy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Anglo-Norman-cie—
2Latin-tiaoffice, rank
3Latin-iaUsed to form a feminine abstract noun, usually...
4Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
5Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
6Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

Words derived from “-cy”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →
-cy — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer