English word origin

Etymology of -ety

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

Often with frequentative force. · Also seen in other fanciful compounds.

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

In some uses, apparently an alteration of -edy, as seen in jaggedy, raggedy, scaredy, etc.; equivalent to -ed + -y. The alteration of -d- to -t- is perhaps due to Scottish influence, where it is common for the past participle of Scots verbs to end in -et/-it rather than -ed as in English. In other usage, perhaps imitative of repeated action, equivalent to -et + -y. In any case, it is used almost exclusively in sound-symbolic or expressive words.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Word-formation component-eden
Word-formation component-yen
Word-formation component-eten

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "expressive"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "af",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-ed",
        "3": "-y",
        "id2": "adjectival"
      },
      "expansion": "-ed + -y"
    },
    {
      "name": "af",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-et",
        "3": "-y",
        "id1": "frequentative",
        "id2": "adjectival"
      },
      "expansion": "-et + -y"
    },
    {
      "name": "sound-symbolic",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "nocap": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "sound-symbolic"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "expressive"
      },
      "expansion": "expressive"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-edy",
      "-edy#English"
    ],
    [
      "jaggedy",
      "jaggedy#English"
    ],
    [
      "raggedy",
      "raggedy#English"
    ],
    [
      "scaredy",
      "scaredy#English"
    ],
    [
      "-ed",
      "-ed#English"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "imitative",
      "imitative"
    ],
    [
      "-et",
      "-et#English:_frequentative"
    ],
    [
      "-y",
      "-y#English:_adjectival"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Often with frequentative force.",
        "Also seen in other fanciful compounds."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "593277b3300318dbb0a1e2b2e834502a8cc44fa411203fbcf425a702d85e7b8b",
      "rawRecordSha256": "a8cc42cdd33ad617d84d1a1b8e16c9feaa7f5719c7131508dbd49062078781a1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 7078630
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "links": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

Used to indicate qualities or states.

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

Cognate of -ity, ultimately from Latin -(i)tās. See more at -ity.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Derivation mention-tāsla

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "forming nouns"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "-ity",
        "notext": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "-ity"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-tās",
        "4": "-(i)tās"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin -(i)tās"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-ity",
      "-ity#English"
    ],
    [
      "-(i)tās",
      "-tas#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "-ity",
      "-ity#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Used to indicate qualities or states."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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    "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 -ety →

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-LWV0eQ