Where does “-ten” come from?
-ten (Middle English) comes from Old English -ettan, from Proto-West Germanic -attjan, from Proto-Germanic -atjaną, from Proto-Indo-European -dyé-.
-ten (Middle English): Alternative form of -tene; causative suffix
Definitions
- Alternative form of -tene; causative suffix
Ancestry of “-ten”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | -ettan | verbal suffix denoting frequency or intensification |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | -attjan | Creates intensive verbs |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | -atjaną | Creates intensive verbs |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -dyé- | — |
Words derived from “-ten”