*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -es

From Middle English -es, from Old English -as. More at -s.

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 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

ch, when pronounced as /tʃ/: glitch→glitches (but psych→psychs) · j: hajj→hajjes (j is only final in loan words raj, hajj) · s: bus→buses, Jones → Joneses; yes → yeses. · x: box→boxes

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

From Middle English -es, from Old English -as. More at -s.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mention-esenm
  • Inherited-form mention-asang

This page abbreviates 5 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

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": "-es"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -es"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-as"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -as"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-es",
      "-es#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-as",
      "-as#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "ch, when pronounced as /tʃ/: glitch→glitches (but psych→psychs)",
        "j: hajj→hajjes (j is only final in loan words raj, hajj)",
        "s: bus→buses, Jones → Joneses; yes → yeses.",
        "x: box→boxes"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "5842706131ba11522f33a81c32e33d488d7738758c1964bb2559948310ed3b00",
      "rawRecordSha256": "26dff559c410091e874154eb6a68006615301aa7fa023be13966b5fe3ecfc244",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 476311
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 5,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
suffix

that end in (t)ch pronounced as /tʃ/: impeach→impeaches (but psych→psychs) · that end in (s)s: miss → misses, yes → yesses; bus → buses; buss → busses · that end in x: tax → taxes · that end in (z)z: fizz→fizzes

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

From Middle English -es, -is, from Old English -es, -as, Northern variants of -est, -ast (second person singular indicative ending). Replaced Middle English -eth, from Old English -eþ, -aþ. The falling together of the second and third person singular verb forms in Old English is believed to be due to Scandinavian influence, where the employment of the same verbal endings for both 2nd and 3rd singular indicative follows a similar pattern to that seen in Old Norse (e.g. þú masar, hann masar; þú þekkir, hann þekkir; etc.).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mention-esenm
  • Derivation mention-esang
  • Inherited-form mention-eþang

This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "third-person singular"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-es"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -es"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-es"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -es"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-eþ"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -eþ"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-es",
      "-es#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-is",
      "-is#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-es",
      "-es#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-as",
      "-as#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-est",
      "-est#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ast",
      "-ast#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-eth",
      "-eth#English"
    ],
    [
      "-eþ",
      "-eþ#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-aþ",
      "-aþ#Old_English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "that end in (t)ch pronounced as /tʃ/: impeach→impeaches (but psych→psychs)",
        "that end in (s)s: miss → misses, yes → yesses; bus → buses; buss → busses",
        "that end in x: tax → taxes",
        "that end in (z)z: fizz→fizzes"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "fc78299f9fe59b203c6c76ceff5cc08b023f7d768d585050f7aaf406440b74f0",
      "rawRecordSha256": "f18cd5e7380e739cacf790d20c99c8169ffd8c2c4411db48a963d05f14e2a3b1",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 476312
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 3,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
suffix

Possessive marker; see -s, -'s.

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

See -s, -'s.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [],
  "links": [
    [
      "-s",
      "-s#English"
    ],
    [
      "-'s",
      "-'s#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Possessive marker; see -s, -'s."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "morpheme",
        "obsolete"
      ],
      "recordId": "f38dd8965a3f91e67be2b817d537af8b50db88ae8abbcc7b02dc073776333edc",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2aa5a80691f3c88f915adc1dd41ffe61895de0942a9db8a85755cdbb80c46077",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 476313
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
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    "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 -es →

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-LWVz