Where does “-ain” come from?

-ain (French) comes from Middle French -ain, from Latin -āneus, from Latin -eus, from Proto-Italic *-eos — Forms adjectives indicating being formed out of a material.

-ain (French): Suffix used to form demonyms, both nouns and...

Definitions

  1. Suffix used to form demonyms, both nouns and...

Ancestry of “-ain”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle French-ainan (suffix forming adjectives from nouns)
2Latin-āneusforming adjectives Of or pertaining to; -aneous
3Latin-eusargentum + API → argenteus; ferrum + API →...
4Proto-Italic*-eosForms adjectives indicating being formed out of a material

Words derived from “-ain”

Every word from Proto-Italic *-eos →Every word from Latin -eus →Every word from Latin -āneus →