-ence
/(ə)ns/suffix
Forming nouns:
1Denoting a quality or an instance of it: impertinence
2Denoting an action or its result: reference reminiscence
Origin
From French -ence, from Latin -entia, -antia (from present participial stems -ent-, -ant-). Since the 16th century many inconsistencies have occurred in the use of -ence and -ance.