English word origin

Etymology of -et

Inherited from Middle English -et, from Old French -et, from Late Latin -ittus, -ettus.

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

Used to form diminutives, loosely construed.

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

Inherited from Middle English -et, from Old French -et, from Late Latin -ittus, -ettus.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mention-etenm
Derivation mention-etfro

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "2": "i",
        "3": "I"
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      "expansion": "I"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "Inherited"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-et",
        "4": "",
        "5": "",
        "lit": "",
        "pos": "",
        "tr": "",
        "ts": "",
        "id": "",
        "sc": "",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
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        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -et"
    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-et"
      },
      "expansion": "Inherited from Middle English -et"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-et"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French -et"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "LL.",
        "3": "-ittus"
      },
      "expansion": "Late Latin -ittus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-et",
      "-et#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-et",
      "-et#Old_French"
    ],
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      "-ittus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-ettus",
      "-ettus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

Used to augment verbs, largely monosyllabic, to form verbs with a frequentative or imitative force.

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

Uncertain. Perhaps ultimately related to Middle English -ten, -eten, from Old English -ettan; possibly reinforced by Old Norse -ta.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mention-tenenm
Derivation mention-ettanang
Derivation mention-tanon

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "expansion": ""
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    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
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      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    },
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "Middle English -ten"
    },
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      "args": {
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      "expansion": "Old English -ettan"
    },
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}

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 -et →

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-LWV0