*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -ette

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Latin -ittus Old French -ettebor. Middle English -ette English -ette Inherited from Middle English -ette, borrowed from Old French -ette, from Latin -ittus

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 nouns meaning a smaller form of something. · Used to form nouns meaning or implying the female equivalent of. · Used to form nouns meaning an imitation or substitute of something. · Used to form nouns with a Polari context or an association with gay subculture.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Latin -ittus Old French -ettebor. Middle English -ette English -ette Inherited from Middle English -ette, borrowed from Old French -ette, from Latin -ittus.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-ette<ety:bor<fro:-ete<alt:-ette>>>",
        "id": "diminutive suffix",
        "text": ":la",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Italic *-tosder.?\nLatin -ittus\nOld French -ettebor.\nMiddle English -ette\nEnglish -ette\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"-ette\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal adjectives\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-tos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ittus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-ete\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ette\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ette\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"diminutive suffix\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-ette\" id=\"English:_diminutive_suffix\">\nInherited from Middle English -ette, borrowed from Old French -ette, from Latin -ittus."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-ette<ety:bor<fro:-ete<alt:-ette>>>",
        "id": "diminutive suffix",
        "text": ":la",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Italic *-tosder.?\nLatin -ittus\nOld French -ettebor.\nMiddle English -ette\nEnglish -ette\nInherited from Middle English -ette, borrowed from Old French -ette, from Latin -ittus."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*-tós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tós#Proto-Indo-European:_verbal_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-tos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-tos"
    ],
    [
      "-ittus",
      "-ittus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-ette",
      "-ete#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "-ette",
      "-ette#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ette",
      "-ette#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ette",
      "-ete#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "-ittus",
      "-ittus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something.",
        "Used to form nouns meaning or implying the female equivalent of.",
        "Used to form nouns meaning an imitation or substitute of something.",
        "Used to form nouns with a Polari context or an association with gay subculture."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "diminutive",
        "morpheme",
        "Polari"
      ],
      "recordId": "d6afc8ace85808d0f4ad65b7cffba52e019708f0e0c442adfcfe221808c7b407",
      "rawRecordSha256": "680982b05992eef1aa3164add74ccadf7655549922ac112b50d708f718c25b87",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 187225
    }
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
suffix

Used to form nouns and adjectives signifying a person, especially a woman, with the specified hair color.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH-? Proto-Germanic *brūnaz Frankish *brūnbor. Old French brun Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tosder.? Late Latin -ittus Old French -et Old French brunet Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂ Proto-Italic *-ā Latin -am Old French -e Old French brunete French brunettebor. English brunettebf. English -ette Back-formation from brunette.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bf",
        "3": "brunette",
        "id": "hair color",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰerH-?\nProto-Germanic *brūnaz\nFrankish *brūnbor.\nOld French brun\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Italic *-tosder.?\nLate Latin -ittus\nOld French -et\nOld French brunet\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂\nProto-Italic *-ā\nLatin -am\nOld French -e\nOld French brunete\nFrench brunettebor.\nEnglish brunettebf.\nEnglish -ette\n[Appendix:Glossary#back-formation|Back-formation]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"brown\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"brown\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"id\" : \"brown\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰerH-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*brūnaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Frankish\", \"term\" : \"*brūn\", \"lang\" : \"frk\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"brun\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"verbal adjectives\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-tós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-tos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Late Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ittus\", \"lang\" : \"la-lat\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-et\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"brunet\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"-am\", \"id\" : \"nominal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"nominal\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"collective nouns\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-h₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\", \"pos\" : \"suffix originally used to form collective nouns, extended in Late PIE to also be a marker of feminine gender\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-eh₂\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ā\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-a\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-e\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"brunete\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : [ \"fro\", \":bor\", \"frk:*brūn<id:brown>\" ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"brun\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"term\" : \"brun\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fr\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"id\" : \"diminutive\", \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"fro\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"la-lat:-ittus<id:diminutive>\", \"id\" : \"diminutive\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-et\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle French\", \"term\" : \"-et\", \"lang\" : \"frm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"term\" : \"-et\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fr\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"term\" : \"brunet\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"fr\" }, { \"id\" : \"feminine suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"is_duplicate\" : true, \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : { \"1\" : \"fro\", \"2\" : \":inh\", \"3\" : \"la:-a<id:nominal><alt:-am>\", \"tree\" : \"+\" }, \"lang_name\" : \"Old French\", \"term\" : \"-e\", \"lang\" : \"fro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"term\" : \"-e\", \"lang\" : \"fr\" } ], \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"afeq\", \"is_invisible\" : \"all\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"French\", \"term\" : \"brunette\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"fr\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"brunette\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"back-formation\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ette\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"hair color\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-ette\" id=\"English:_hair_color\">\nBack-formation from brunette."
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bf",
        "3": "brunette",
        "id": "hair color",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰerH-?\nProto-Germanic *brūnaz\nFrankish *brūnbor.\nOld French brun\nProto-Indo-European *-tós\nProto-Italic *-tosder.?\nLate Latin -ittus\nOld French -et\nOld French brunet\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂\nProto-Italic *-ā\nLatin -am\nOld French -e\nOld French brunete\nFrench brunettebor.\nEnglish brunettebf.\nEnglish -ette\nBack-formation from brunette."
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*bʰerH-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰerH-#Proto-Indo-European:_brown"
    ],
    [
      "*brūnaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/brūnaz#Proto-Germanic:_brown"
    ],
    [
      "*brūn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/brūn#Proto-West_Germanic:_brown"
    ],
    [
      "brun",
      "brun#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*-tós",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-tós#Proto-Indo-European:_verbal_adjectives"
    ],
    [
      "*-tos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-tos"
    ],
    [
      "-ittus",
      "-ittus#Latin:_diminutive"
    ],
    [
      "-et",
      "-et#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "brunet",
      "brunet#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-ā",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-ā#Proto-Italic:_nominal"
    ],
    [
      "-am",
      "-a#Latin:_nominal"
    ],
    [
      "-e",
      "-e#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "brunete",
      "brunete#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "brunette",
      "brunette#French"
    ],
    [
      "brunette",
      "brunette#English"
    ],
    [
      "brunette",
      "brunette#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Used to form nouns and adjectives signifying a person, especially a woman, with the specified hair color."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "8b50008c54b97d38bbdb534deeff7fa8a2492500b6abec4059b76a46c0caef19",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 187226
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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 -ette →

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-LWV0dGU