Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “-e” come from?

-e (Middle English) comes from Old English -e, from Old English -en, from Old Norse -inn, from Proto-Norse -īna-, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.

-e (Middle English): Alternative form of -y; Alternative form of -yf;...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of -y; Alternative form of -yf;...

Ancestry of “-e”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old English-eforming adverbs from adjectives; -ly
2Old English-enmæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;...
3Old Norse-innUsed to create adjectives from nouns, meaning...
4Proto-Norse-īna-—
5Proto-Germanic-īnaz-en
6Proto-Indo-European-iHnosCreates adjectives of materials
7Proto-Indo-European-no-adjectival suffix

Words derived from “-e”

  • mad
  • madman
  • madhouse
  • madwoman
  • madstone
  • maddish
  • bemad
  • unmad
  • madwort
  • madbrained
  • madling
  • madperson
  • madbrain
  • maddle
  • semimad
  • madnep
  • madsome
  • madwomyn
  • MAD
  • made
  • madde
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -no- →