-lesuffix

Primary stress is retained by the usual stressed syllable of the preceding element, with the suffix pronounced as a syllabic consonant or as a reduced vowel preceding a consonant.

Etymology: The form -el suffix¹ is retained where phonetic law or orthographical convention does not permit the change into -le, as after ch, g soft, n, r, sh, th, and v. After m the suffix becomes -ble.

A suffix of various function and origin.

The usual modern English form of Middle English -el(e, -le, representing. Old English -el, -ela, -(e)le in nouns and -ol, -ul, -el in adjectives.The Old English nouns and adjectives with l suffixes are probably in most cases of pre-English formation. The nouns formed on noun-stems have sometimes an originally diminutive sense, as in bramble; sometimes they express the notion of ‘an appliance or tool’, as in thimble, handle. In those formed on vb.-stems the function of the suffix is either agentive as in beadle, instrumental as in bridle, girdle, or expressive of some less definable relation, as in bundle. The adjectives, which are formed on vb.-stems, have the sense ‘apt or liable’ (to do what the verb expresses), as in brittle, fickle, gripple, nimble, †swikel.

b. In riddle the suffix represents Old English -els suffix, the s having been confused with the plural ending.

2. An occasional representative of Middle English -el(l, -elle, in nouns adopted from French. This has several different sources: in castle, mantle, it is Old French -el:—Latin -ellum diminutive suffix (see -el suffix¹); in cattle it is Old French -el:—Latin -āle, the neuter singular, and in battle it is Old French -aille the neuter plural, of the adjective suffix -ālis (see -al suffix¹); in bottle it is Old French -eille:—Latin -icula diminutive suffix.

3. A verbal formative, representing. Middle English -(e)len, Old English -lian:—Old Germanic type -ilôjan, with a frequentative or sometimes a diminutive sense. Among the few examples that go back to Old English are nestle, twinkle, wrestle. In Middle English and early modern English the suffix was extensively used (like the equivalent forms in Middle High German and modern German and in Dutch) to form verbs expressing repeated action or movement, as in brastle, crackle, crumple, dazzle, hobble, niggle, paddle, sparkle, topple, wriggle, etc. Many of these formations are from echoic roots, as babble, cackle, gabble, giggle, guggle, mumble, etc.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online September 2019).

单词	-le
释义	-lesuffix Primary stress is retained by the usual stressed syllable of the preceding element, with the suffix pronounced as a syllabic consonant or as a reduced vowel preceding a consonant. Etymology: The form -el suffix¹ is retained where phonetic law or orthographical convention does not permit the change into -le, as after ch, g soft, n, r, sh, th, and v. After m the suffix becomes -ble. A suffix of various function and origin. 1. The usual modern English form of Middle English -el(e, -le, representing. Old English -el, -ela, -(e)le in nouns and -ol, -ul, -el in adjectives.The Old English nouns and adjectives with l suffixes are probably in most cases of pre-English formation. The nouns formed on noun-stems have sometimes an originally diminutive sense, as in bramble; sometimes they express the notion of ‘an appliance or tool’, as in thimble, handle. In those formed on vb.-stems the function of the suffix is either agentive as in beadle, instrumental as in bridle, girdle, or expressive of some less definable relation, as in bundle. The adjectives, which are formed on vb.-stems, have the sense ‘apt or liable’ (to do what the verb expresses), as in brittle, fickle, gripple, nimble, †swikel. b. In riddle the suffix represents Old English -els suffix, the s having been confused with the plural ending. 2. An occasional representative of Middle English -el(l, -elle, in nouns adopted from French. This has several different sources: in castle, mantle, it is Old French -el:—Latin -ellum diminutive suffix (see -el suffix¹); in cattle it is Old French -el:—Latin -āle, the neuter singular, and in battle it is Old French -aille the neuter plural, of the adjective suffix -ālis (see -al suffix¹); in bottle it is Old French -eille:—Latin -icula diminutive suffix. 3. A verbal formative, representing. Middle English -(e)len, Old English -lian:—Old Germanic type -ilôjan, with a frequentative or sometimes a diminutive sense. Among the few examples that go back to Old English are nestle, twinkle, wrestle. In Middle English and early modern English the suffix was extensively used (like the equivalent forms in Middle High German and modern German and in Dutch) to form verbs expressing repeated action or movement, as in brastle, crackle, crumple, dazzle, hobble, niggle, paddle, sparkle, topple, wriggle, etc. Many of these formations are from echoic roots, as babble, cackle, gabble, giggle, guggle, mumble, etc. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online September 2019). < suffix
随便看	cryptogamian cryptogamic cryptogamical cryptogamist cryptogamists cryptogamous cryptogams cryptogamy cryptogenetic cryptogenic cryptogenous cryptogram cryptogrammatic cryptogrammatical cryptogrammatist crosseye crosseyed crosseyedness crossfade crossfader crossfaders crossfading crossfam crossfault crossferry