Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-elle” come from?

-elle (English) comes from French -elle, from Old French -ele, from Latin -ella, from Latin -ellus, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos, from Proto-Italic -elos, from Proto-Indo-European -e-lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.

-elle (English): Used to form feminine proper names

Definitions

  1. Used to form feminine proper names

Ancestry of “-elle”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1French-elleForming feminine nouns, often with a diminutive...
2Old French-elediminutive suffix, forming feminine nouns
3Latin-ellainflection of -ellus: ## nominative/vocative...
4Latin-ellusAlternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine...
5Latin-ulusUsed to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating...
6Proto-Italic-olos—
7Proto-Italic-elos—
8Proto-Indo-European-e-lós—
9Proto-Indo-European-lósForms agent nouns from verbal roots

Words derived from “-elle”

  • organelle
  • Janelle
  • organellar
  • roselle
  • rosella
  • suborganellar
  • suborganelle
  • intraorganellar
  • chevronelle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -lós →