Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “-es” come from?

-es (English) comes from Middle English -es, from Old English -es, from Proto-Germanic -as, from Proto-Indo-European -ēs, from Proto-Indo-European -ess, from Proto-Indo-European -os — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

-es (English): Used to form the regular plural of nouns; Used to...

Definitions

  1. Used to form the regular plural of nouns; Used to...

Ancestry of “-es”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle English-esAlternative form of -yssh; Alternative form of...
2Old English-espossessive marker, indicating that an object...
3Proto-Germanic-as—
4Proto-Indo-European-ēsPrimarily forms adjectival bahuvrīhi compounds
5Proto-Indo-European-ess—
6Proto-Indo-European-osCreates action nouns or result nouns from verbs;...

Words derived from “-es”

  • scratches
  • whitewashes
  • newses
  • blackwashes
  • re-establishes
  • intricoes
  • molasseses
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -os →