*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -ian

From Latin -iānus, which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun.

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

From, related to, or like. · One from, belonging to, relating to, or like. · Having a certain profession.

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

From Latin -iānus, which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
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    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "la:-iānus",
        "id": "related to"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suffix forming adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suffix forming adjectives\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective suffix\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-ijos\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*-(i)yós\", \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ios\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ios\", \"lang\" : \"itc-ola\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" }, { \"id\" : \"-ian\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-nós\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-nos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-ānos\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ānus\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-iānus\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-ian\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"related to\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-ian\" id=\"English:_related_to\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "-iānus"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin -iānus"
    },
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":bor",
        "3": "la:-iānus",
        "id": "related to"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-iānus",
      "-ianus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "From, related to, or like.",
        "One from, belonging to, relating to, or like.",
        "Having a certain profession."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "dd650cd3ceee2f6f85eb047fb96cb19f5f265cddf919334b80d4b7419abdb24f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "2f214d6bc50a535e65afdb9e632856c83181cf82c3345e7a5da8991051487191",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 153878
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
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    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
suffix

A romanization of the Armenian surname suffix -յան (-yan).

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

From Armenian -յան (-yan), from Old Armenian -եան (-ean).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "hy",
        "3": "-յան"
      },
      "expansion": "Armenian -յան (-yan)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xcl",
        "3": "-եան"
      },
      "expansion": "Old Armenian -եան (-ean)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-յան",
      "-յան#Armenian"
    ],
    [
      "-եան",
      "-եան#Old_Armenian"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "A romanization of the Armenian surname suffix -յան (-yan)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
      "recordId": "9cb0c54462416ad7b3d09e42038d9e5939c56092d0f41b6e623c2451cc337680",
      "rawRecordSha256": "bf9ef470e619ca8221fcabd70d0df9c06223ea2ea5534ebdbc14cb6ed4f1ad48",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 153879
    }
  ],
  "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 -ian →

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-LWlhbg