Where does “-en” come from?
-en (Middle High German) comes from Old High German -īn, from Proto-Germanic -īnaz, from Proto-Indo-European -iHnos, from Proto-Indo-European -no- — adjectival suffix.
Ancestry of “-en”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old High German | -īn | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |