English word origin

Etymology of -el

From Middle English -el, from Old English -el, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

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

Suffix forming nouns, originally denoting an instrument, from verbs, usually spelt -le except after n and e. · Diminutive suffix in words of Germanic origin.

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

From Middle English -el, from Old English -el, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mention-elenm
Inherited-form mention-elang
Inherited-form mention*-ilazgem-pro

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "dercat",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*-ilaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *-ilaz"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*-ilaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ilaz"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Suffix forming nouns, originally denoting an instrument, from verbs, usually spelt -le except after n and e.",
        "Diminutive suffix in words of Germanic origin."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "1fa091a4fc467d64fcb4741805ff7d3ec5a2e64a11df2a497be1f6bad874e7ea",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ad97746635637cb6bcb8b49f00fc465bb88363738119e1ac23640292db94b1b4",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 476247
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

suffix

Suffix, originally diminutive, in words of mostly Romance origin.

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

From Middle English -el, a merger of two suffixes: * Old English -el (diminutive suffix) * Old French -el (diminutive suffix), from Latin -ellus

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mention-elenm
Inherited-form mention-elang
Derivation mention-elfro
Derivation mention-ellusla

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-el",
        "pos": "diminutive suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -el (diminutive suffix)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-el",
        "pos": "diminutive suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French -el (diminutive suffix)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-ellus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin -ellus"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "-ellus",
      "-ellus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Suffix, originally diminutive, in words of mostly Romance origin."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "57927e904a1289ff37fc6a72df696dd48754791579587bada5eea12bedf13413",
      "rawRecordSha256": "438615f470ff386acea2b5a7fd9c645becdfe8427c868f698810608d1e8d12a0",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 476248
    }
  ],
  "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 -el →

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-LWVs