*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of -le

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *-lōną Old English -lian Middle English -len English -le From Middle English -len, -elen, from Old English -lian (frequentative verbal suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-lōn, from Proto-Ger

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

A frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating repetition or continuousness

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

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *-lōną Old English -lian Middle English -len English -le From Middle English -len, -elen, from Old English -lian (frequentative verbal suffix), from Proto-West Germanic *-lōn, from Proto-Germanic *-lōną (frequentative verbal suffix). Cognate with West Frisian -elje, Dutch -elen, German -eln, Danish -le, Norwegian Bokmål -le, Norwegian Nynorsk -la, Swedish -la, Icelandic -la. Compare -er.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mention-lenenm
  • Inherited-form mention-lianang
  • Inherited-form mention*-lōngmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*-lōnągem-pro
  • Cognate mention-eljefy
  • Cognate mention-elennl
  • Cognate mention-elnde
  • Cognate mention-leda
  • Cognate mention-lenb
  • Cognate mention-lann
  • Cognate mention-lasv
  • Cognate mention-lais
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-len",
        "id": "frequentative",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *-lōną\nOld English -lian\nMiddle English -len\nEnglish -le\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-lian\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-len\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-le\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"frequentative\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-le\" id=\"English:_frequentative\">"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-len"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -len"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-lian",
        "pos": "frequentative verbal suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English -lian (frequentative verbal suffix)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*-lōn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *-lōn"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*-lōną",
        "pos": "frequentative verbal suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *-lōną (frequentative verbal suffix)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "-elje"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian -elje"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "-elen"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch -elen"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "-eln"
      },
      "expansion": "German -eln"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "-le"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish -le"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "-le"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål -le"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nn",
        "2": "-la"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Nynorsk -la"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "-la"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish -la"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "-la"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic -la"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-len",
        "id": "frequentative",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *-lōną\nOld English -lian\nMiddle English -len\nEnglish -le"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*-lōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-lōną#Proto-Germanic:_frequentative"
    ],
    [
      "-lian",
      "-lian#Old_English:_frequentative"
    ],
    [
      "-len",
      "-len#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-len",
      "-len#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-elen",
      "-elen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-lian",
      "-lian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*-lōn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/-lōn"
    ],
    [
      "*-lōną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-lōną"
    ],
    [
      "-elje",
      "-elje#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "-elen",
      "-elen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "-eln",
      "-eln#German"
    ],
    [
      "-le",
      "-le#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "-le",
      "-le#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "-la",
      "-la#Norwegian_Nynorsk"
    ],
    [
      "-la",
      "-la#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "-la",
      "-la#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "-er",
      "-er#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "A frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating repetition or continuousness"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
suffix

Forming adjectives from verbs with the meaning of "prone to", "tending to", "apt to", "capable of"; compare -ative

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

From Middle English -el, -le (adjectival), from Old English -el, -ol, from Proto-Germanic *-ulaz and *-ilaz (adjective suffixes). Cognate with West Frisian -el, Dutch -el, Low German -el, German -el, Icelandic -ill.

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*-ulazgem-pro
  • Cognate mention-elfy
  • Cognate mention-elnl
  • Cognate mention-elnds
  • Cognate mention-elde
  • Cognate mention-illis
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-el",
        "id": "adjectival",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-le\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"adjectival\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"-le\" id=\"English:_adjectival\">"
    },
    {
      "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": "*-ulaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *-ulaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "German -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "-ill"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic -ill"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:-el",
        "id": "adjectival",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-le",
      "-le#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ol",
      "-ol#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*-ulaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ulaz"
    ],
    [
      "*-ilaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ilaz#Proto-Germanic:_adjectival"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#German"
    ],
    [
      "-ill",
      "-ill#Icelandic"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "suffix",
      "glosses": [
        "Forming adjectives from verbs with the meaning of \"prone to\", \"tending to\", \"apt to\", \"capable of\"; compare -ative"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "morpheme"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
suffix

Forming diminutives from other nouns. · Forming agent nouns from verbs

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

From Middle English -el (agent suffix), from a combination of two suffixes: * Old English -el, -il (diminutive suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (diminutive suffix). * Old English -el, -ol, -ul (agent suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (agent suffix). Cognate with West Frisian -el, Dutch -el, Low German -el, German -el.

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
  • Cognate mention-elfy
  • Cognate mention-elnl
  • Cognate mention-elnds
  • Cognate mention-elde
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "id": "diminutive"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "noun"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "-el",
        "pos": "agent suffix",
        "id": "agentive"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English -el (agent suffix)"
    },
    {
      "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"
    },
    {
      "name": "gloss",
      "args": {
        "1": "diminutive suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "(diminutive suffix)"
    },
    {
      "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"
    },
    {
      "name": "gloss",
      "args": {
        "1": "agent suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "(agent suffix)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German -el"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "-el"
      },
      "expansion": "German -el"
    },
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      },
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    }
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    [
      "-el",
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    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_English"
    ],
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      "-il",
      "-il#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*-ilaz",
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    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ol",
      "-ol#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "-ul",
      "-ul#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "*-ilaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-ilaz"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "-el",
      "-el#German"
    ]
  ],
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        "Forming diminutives from other nouns.",
        "Forming agent nouns from verbs"
      ],
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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 -le →

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-LWxl