Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “-ance” come from?

-ance (French) comes from Old French -ance, from Latin -ia, from Latin -ius, from Proto-Italic -jōs, from Proto-Indo-European -yós — Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems.

-ance (French): -ance

Definitions

  1. -ance

Ancestry of “-ance”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old French-ance-ance
2Latin-iaUsed to form a feminine abstract noun, usually...
3Latin-iusforming adjectives from nouns; nominative neuter...
4Proto-Italic-jōsForms comparative adjectives
5Proto-Indo-European-yósCreates adjectives from noun or verb stems

Words derived from “-ance”

  • performance
  • independence
  • accordance
  • guidance
  • compliance
  • Renaissance
  • relevance
  • reliance
  • surveillance
  • dominance
  • utterance
  • reluctance
  • clearance
  • deference
  • ambulance
  • impedance
  • hindrance
  • issuance
  • brilliance
  • forbearance
  • contrivance
  • pursuance
  • nuanced
  • appliance
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -yós →