Where does “-el” come from?
-el (Old French) comes from Latin -ellus, from Latin -ulus, from Proto-Italic -olos, from Proto-Italic -elos, from Proto-Indo-European -e-lós, from Proto-Indo-European -lós — Forms agent nouns from verbal roots.
-el (Old French): Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun
Definitions
- Suffix that usually denotes a masculine noun
Ancestry of “-el”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Latin | -ellus | Alternative form of -ulus; "forming masculine... |
| 2 | Latin | -ulus | Used to form a diminutive of a noun, indicating... |
| 3 | Proto-Italic | -olos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | -elos | Forms desubstantival and deadjectival diminutive nouns |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | -e-lós | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -lós | Forms agent nouns from verbal roots |