English word origin

Etymology of -(s)

From -s (suffix forming regular plurals of nouns) and ( ) (encloses optional variants or variant elements).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

suffix

Added to the end of a singular noun (which normally uses the suffix -s to become plural) to indicate that the noun represents an unknown number which may be one or more than one.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From -s (suffix forming regular plurals of nouns) and ( ) (encloses optional variants or variant elements).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English:_regular_plural"
    ],
    [
      "( )",
      "( )#Translingual"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Added to the end of a singular noun (which normally uses the suffix -s to become plural) to indicate that the noun represents an unknown number which may be one or more than one."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "137998cd70055da428dd340ff7848d86c0ebd3dea483ef30b0020a46b5dcc3fa",
      "rawRecordSha256": "9e7ddc9814577a4f5a206c50cba6904a23ada04f56cd8f31d6efaff8d7cca9c0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 9729651
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

Added to the end of a verb in place of the suffix -s when the subject of the verb may be one or more than one.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From -s (suffix forming the third-person singular indicative present tense of verbs) and ( ) (encloses optional variants or variant elements).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English:_third-person_singular"
    ],
    [
      "( )",
      "( )#Translingual"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Added to the end of a verb in place of the suffix -s when the subject of the verb may be one or more than one."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "d4ca2d5304891b0247e3362a5e8fb98dee962c2e445ef32a4567c75be9e4fef0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "866b397c6d06d22bbecf07ae4d96aa44a04490cbb07bfc42c6048051b51766d7",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 9729652
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for -(s) →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-LShzKQ