Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “-ette” come from?

-ette (Middle English) comes from Old French -ette, from Latin -itta, from Hungarian iszik, from Proto-Uralic jëxe- — to drink; to flow?.

Ancestry of “-ette”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old French-etteAlternative form of -ete
2Latin-itta—
3Hungarianiszikto drink
4Proto-Uralicjëxe-to drink; to flow?

Words derived from “-ette”

  • statuette
  • kitchenette
  • suffragette
  • diskette
  • novelette
  • wagonette
  • dinette
  • barrette
  • bachelorette
  • waggonette
  • palmette
  • farmerette
  • flannelette
  • luncheonette
  • majorette
  • usherette
  • sermonette
  • barret
  • featurette
  • towelette
  • roomette
  • cellarette
  • ladette
  • leaderette
Every word from Proto-Uralic jëxe- →