-ety
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
Uncertain origin. Perhaps imitative of repeated action.[1] Compare -et, a suffix used to form diminutives.
Suffix
-ety
- Added to monosyllabic words, typically nouns or adjectives, to extend their form. Often seen in fanciful compounds.
- dig + -ety → diggety, hot diggety dog
- lick + -ety → lickety, lickety-split
References
- “-ety, suffix.”, in OED Online
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