Where does “-ith” come from?
-ith (Middle English) comes from Old English -aþ, from Old English -oþ, from Proto-Germanic *-ōþi, from Proto-Indo-European -eh₂yéti, from Proto-Indo-European -yéti, from Proto-Indo-European yé-, from Chichewa iye — he, she.
-ith (Middle English): Alternative form of -eth
Definitions
- Alternative form of -eth
Ancestry of “-ith”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | -aþ | First, second and third person plural present... |
| 2 | Old English | -oþ | used to form concrete nouns from verbs |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *-ōþi | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -eh₂yéti | Creates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 7 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |