-en

See also: Appendix:Variations of "en"

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English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/, [ən], [n̩]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• In many accents, -en routinely gives up its vowel syllable when given additional suffixes. For example, fatten /ˈfæt.ən/ + -ing /-ɪŋ/ can be /ˈfæt.ən.ɪŋ/ or /ˈfæt.nɪŋ/.
  • Even in many accents where this habitual syllable deletion is less usual, the syllable loss may still predominate for certain formations that have become common words in their own right, such as gardener /ɡɑː(ɹ)d.nə(ɹ)/.
  • Syllable loss is sometimes prevented to avoid merging with more normalized derivatives, such as for keeping lightening /ˈlaɪt.ən.ɪŋ/ from being pronounced identically to the established term lightning /ˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/ (notice the e is no longer written), even though they derive from a combination of lighten + -ing.
    • But syllable loss may resume with inflections that are not in danger of merging with an established word, such as enlightening, which can be pronounced /ɛnˈlaɪt.ən.ɪŋ/ or /ɛnˈlaɪt.nɪŋ/ because "enlightning" is not a common word.

Etymology 1

From Middle English -n, -en, past participle ending of strong verbs (compare Middle English take(n), took, taken (“take, took, taken”)), from Old English -en and Old Norse -inn, past participle ending of strong verbs (compare Old Norse taka, tók, tekinn (“take, took, taken”)), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *-inaz, a variant of *-anaz. In Middle English, the suffix was often weakened to -e or disappeared (compare Southern Middle English do(n), dud(e), ydo (“do, did, done”)), but not in others (compare cume(n), com, ycume (“come, came, come”)), from Proto-Germanic *-anaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós.

Alternative forms

• -n

Suffix

-en

1. (no longer productive) Denotes the past participle form when attached to a verb.

   ‎take + ‎-en → ‎taken

   ‎forgive + ‎-en → ‎forgiven

   ‎prove + ‎-en → ‎proven

2. Denotes a quasi-past participle or participle-like adjective when attached to a noun or verb.

   ‎fork + ‎-en → ‎forken (“forked”)

   ‎pave + ‎-en → ‎paven (“paved”)

   ‎barefoot + ‎-en → ‎bare-footen (“bare-footed”)

   ‎enslave + ‎-en → ‎enslaven (“enslaved”)

Usage notes

Some linguistic writing on English, such as The Oxford Dictionary of English Grammar, uses -en as the name of an abstract morpheme which forms the past participle of all English verbs. Including ones which do not actually use the suffix -en are described as "cook + -en → cooked".

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -en (past participle)

English terms suffixed with -n (past participle)

Etymology 2

From Middle English -en, from Old English -an, from Proto-Germanic *-an-, *-in-, from Proto-Indo-European *-én-.

From Middle English -n (in words ending in a vowel: flee: fleen "flea: fleas") and -en. Noun plural marker (predominantly in Southern dialects of Middle English), from Old English nominative-accusative plural ending of weak nouns (n-stem declension); compare ‎nama m (“name”) + ‎-en → ‎naman (“names”); ‎hlǣfdīġe f (“lady”) + ‎-en → ‎hlǣfdīġan (“ladies”); ‎ēare n (“ear”) + ‎-en → ‎ēaran (“ears”). Assisted by Middle English dative plural ending -n, -en from late O.E. -un, -on, weakened form of earlier -um. Akin to Old High German n-stem (compare namo: namon "name: names"), Latin n-stem (compare homo: homin-).

Alternative forms

• -n

Suffix

-en

1. Used to denote the plural form of a small number of English nouns, the majority of whose etymologies go back to the n-stem (i.e. weak noun) declension of Germanic languages.

   Examples in general modern use:

   ‎aurochs + ‎-en → ‎aurochsen

   ‎brother + ‎-en → ‎brethren (religious sense)

   ‎child + ‎-en → ‎children (cf. childer)

   ‎ox + ‎-en → ‎oxen

   Archaic or dialectal examples:

   ‎bee + ‎-en → ‎been

   ‎cheese + ‎-en → ‎cheesen

   ‎ky (“cows”) + ‎-en → ‎kine

   ‎knee + ‎-en → ‎kneen

   ‎eyre (“eggs”) + ‎-en → ‎eyren

   ‎eye + ‎-en → ‎eyen

   ‎feather + ‎-en → ‎feathern

   ‎fox + ‎-en → ‎foxen

   ‎horse + ‎-en → ‎horsen

   ‎hose + ‎-en → ‎hosen

   ‎house + ‎-en → ‎housen

   ‎pease + ‎-en → ‎peasen

   ‎shoe + ‎-en → ‎shoon

   ‎sister + ‎-en → ‎sistren

   ‎tree + ‎-en → ‎treen

   • 1890, John Drummond Robertson, lord Henry Haughton Reynolds Moreton, A Glossary of Dialect & Archaic Words Used in the County of Gloucester:

     Moder, gyn, will not y washen' the dishen'. i. Mother, Jone, will not wash the dishes.

2. (nonstandard, rare, often dialectal or humorous) Used to form the plural of nouns.

   ‎box + ‎-en → ‎boxen

   ‎VAX + ‎-en → ‎VAXen

   • 2007, James Patrick Kelly, John Kessel, Rewired: The Post-Cyberpunk Anthology:

     There was one other user logged in, “scaredy,” and he checked the process monitor and saw that scaredy had spawned all the hundreds of processes that were probing him and plenty of other boxen.

   • 2012, Jenny Lawson, Let's Pretend This Never Happened:

     Victor and I are having a huge argument about whether or not to feed the foxen. Victor says yes, because they're adorable and— according to the neighbors—are quite tame. I say no, because we have a fat little pug who likes to frolic outside occasionally and I don't want to see him eaten. I thought we were on the same page about the fox, but then Victor went and threw an apple at it. And I was all, “What the fuck? We don't feed the foxen,” and he said, “I was throwing the apple at it to chase it away,” but Victor is a tremendous liar, and he didn't go to pick up the apple, probably because he knows that foxen love apple cider.

   • 2015, David Greygoose, Brunt Boggart:

     For now the boys grew whiskers and hung fox pelts from their shoulders and the girlen all wore scarlet skirts and braided ribbons through their hair.

Usage notes

• Not productive, outside of occasional humorous use, particularly in computer hacker subculture. Notable examples are boxen, Unixen, VAXen, all of which are modelled on oxen.
• This ending is also found on some plurals that were borrowed intact from Dutch or German, like klompen, lagerstätten, lederhosen.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -en (plural noun)

Related terms

• -ren

See also

• Category:English plurals in -en

Etymology 3

From Middle English -(e)nen, -(e)nien, from Old English -nian, from Proto-West Germanic *-inōn, from Proto-Germanic *-inōną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian -enje, West Frisian -enje, Danish -ne, Swedish -na, Icelandic -na.

Suffix

-en

1. When attached to certain adjectives, it forms a transitive verb whose meaning is, to make (adjective). Usually, the verb is ergative, sometimes not. The same construction could also be done to certain (fewer) nouns, as, strengthen, in which case the verb means roughly, "to give (noun) to", or "to become like (noun)".

   ‎white (adjective) + ‎-en → ‎whiten

   ‎quick + ‎-en → ‎quicken

   ‎strength (noun) + ‎-en → ‎strengthen

   ‎haste + ‎-en → ‎hasten

   ‎night + ‎-en → ‎nighten

Usage notes

• Although -en is a very common verb ending, it is not currently very productive in forming new words, being mostly restricted to monosyllabic bases which end in an obstruent; new formations tend to be nonstandard or humorous.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -en (inchoative)

Translations

to make [adjective], to cause to be [adjective]

• Danish: -gøre (da), -ne
• Esperanto: -igi (eo)
• Hungarian: -ít (hu)
• Portuguese: -ecer (pt), -escer
• Spanish: -ecer (es)
• Swedish: -na (sv)

Etymology 4

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Proto-West Germanic *-īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz; suffix meaning "made of, consisting of, having the qualities of" applied to nouns to form adjectives. Akin to Dutch -en, German -en, Icelandic -inn, Latin -īnus. See -ine.

Alternative forms

• -in

Suffix

-en

2. Suffix meaning "pertaining to", "having the qualities of", "resembling", "like".

   ‎wolf + ‎-en → ‎wolven

   ‎peach + ‎-en → ‎peachen

   ‎goat + ‎-en → ‎goaten

4. When attached to certain nouns that are the names of a material, it forms an adjective whose meaning is, made of (noun). This is a formative pattern with many obsolescent remnants. Fowler (1926) pointed out the tendency for the -en forms to be restricted to metaphorical and secondary senses. Changes in the form of the root noun, and the dropping of the "e" in the suffix occur. There are also orphan formations whose root has been lost to the current language.

   Current examples used in a literal and sometimes metaphorical sense:

   ‎wood + ‎-en → ‎wooden

   ‎gold + ‎-en → ‎golden

   ‎wheat + ‎-en → ‎wheaten

   ‎oat + ‎-en → ‎oaten

   ‎silk + ‎-en → ‎silken

   ‎earth + ‎-en → ‎earthen

   ‎flax + ‎-en → ‎flaxen

   ‎lead + ‎-en → ‎leaden

   ‎wool + ‎-en → ‎woollen

   ‎oak + ‎-en → ‎oaken

   Examples where a metaphorical sense is common but the literal sense is rare or archaic:

   ‎brass + ‎-en → ‎brazen ("shameless")

   Rare or archaic examples:

   ‎ash + ‎-en → ‎ashen ("made of ash-tree wood"; ashen "grey like ashes, appalled" is still current)

   ‎beech + ‎-en → ‎beechen ("made of wood from, or otherwise concerning, the beech tree")

   ‎box + ‎-en → ‎boxen ("made of boxwood")

   ‎bronze + ‎-en → ‎bronzen

   ‎silver + ‎-en → ‎silvern

   ‎cedar + ‎-en → ‎cedarn

   ‎leather + ‎-en → ‎leathern

   ‎copper + ‎-en → ‎coppern

   ‎paper + ‎-en → ‎papern

   ‎brick + ‎-en → ‎bricken

   ‎board + ‎-en → ‎boarden

   ‎tree + ‎-en → ‎treen

   ‎hemp + ‎-en → ‎hempen

   Orphan examples:

   ‎line (“flax”) + ‎-en → ‎linen

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -en (resembling)

English terms suffixed with -en (made of)

Etymology 5

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from the neuter form of -en (“pertaining to”, adjective-forming suffix).

Suffix

-en

1. Used to form the diminutives of certain nouns.

   ‎chick + ‎-en → ‎chicken

   ‎maid + ‎-en → ‎maiden

   ‎smitch, smidge + ‎-en → ‎smidgen

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -en (diminutive noun)

See also

• -ock
• -ling

Etymology 6

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en, from Proto-West Germanic *inī.

Suffix

-en

1. Denotes a female form of a few nouns.

   ‎fox + ‎-en → ‎vixen (“female fox”)

   ‎monk + ‎-en → ‎minchen (“nun”) (obsolete)

Etymology 7

From Middle English -en, a blending of Old English infinitive -an, from Proto-Germanic *-aną; and Old English -on and -en, the indicative and subjunctive past tense plural endings of verbs.

Suffix

-en

2. (obsolete) Used to form the infinitive of verbs.
   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     The Sonne compell'd, beene Butcher to the Sire […]

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “(please specify the book)”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     As gentle Shepheard in sweete euen-tide, When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west, High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide […]

   • c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon,  […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     From others' labours; for though he strive
     To killen bad, keep good alive;

   • 1844, William Barnes, “Bringen Wonne Gwäin O' Zundays”, in Poems of Rural Life in the Dorset Dialect:
4. (obsolete) Used to form the plural present tense of verbs.
   • 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC:

     And when the shining sunne laugheth once,
     You deemen the spring is come attonce.
     Tho gynne you, fond flyes, the cold to scorne,
     And, crowing in pypes made of greene corne,
     You thinken to be lords of the yeare.

   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

     So forth they marchen in this goodly sort,
     To take the solace of the open aire,

   • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     And then the whole quire hold their hips and laugh,
     And waxen in their mirth and neeze and swear
     A merrier hour was never wasted there.

   • c. 1607–1608, William Shakeſpeare, The Late, And much admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: Imprinted at London for Henry Goſſon,  […], published 1609, →OCLC, [Act II, (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals)]:

     All perishen of man, of pelf,
     Ne aught escapen but himself;

6. (obsolete, now nonstandard, dialectal) Used to form the plural past tense of verbs.
   • 1883, Charlotte Sophia Burne, Georgina Frederica Jackson, Shropshire Folk-lore: A Sheaf of Gleanings, page 46:

     […] but they tooken on 'em soft, an' maden out as they wun right glad to see 'em agen, an axt 'em to come in an' a some mate an' drink.

   • 2010, Kathi Purnell, Silent Heroes, page 188:

     Both of them had snow on their boots, and a little on the hems of their coats, but they weren't all froze cold like yesterday. “We tooken the bus,” RJ told us.

   • 2014, John D. MacDonald, Deadly Welcome:

     Sure you've seen me before, Doyle. Turkey Kimbroy and I, we tooken you over to Davis long time ago to he'p you get in the army.

Usage notes

• Having begun to fade by the 15th century, it was used in Early Modern English primarily to show archaic or rustic speech.
• The weakening and loss of the marker caused some verbs to blend with verbs marked by Etymology 3; for example, Middle English leren (“to teach”) blended with lernen (“to learn”), which resulted in learn having a (dialectal) double meaning.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -en (plural present)

English terms suffixed with -en (plural past)

Anagrams

• nê, né, Ne., ne, -ne-, NE, ne., -ne

Basque

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

1. Used to form the superlative form of adjectives and adverbs.

   ‎handi (“big”) + ‎-en → ‎handien (“biggest”)

   ‎zahar (“old”) + ‎-en → ‎zaharren (“oldest”)

Derived terms

Basque terms suffixed with -en (superlative)

Etymology 2

Suffix

-en

1. Genitive indefinite suffix.

   Alternative form: -ren (after a vowel)

   ‎txakur (“dog”) + ‎-en → ‎txakurren (“of some dogs, some dogs'”)

2. Genitive plural suffix.

   ‎ahizpa (“sister”) + ‎-en → ‎ahizpen (“of the sisters, the sisters'”)

3. Used to form fractions; -th

   ‎bost (“five”) + ‎-en → ‎bosten (“fifth”)

Declension

Basque inflectional suffixes
		indefinite	singular	plural	proximal plural
absolutive		-∅	-a	-ak	-ok
ergative		-(e)k	-ak	-ek
dative		-(r)i	-ari	-ei	-oi
genitive		-(r)en	-aren	-en	-on
comitative		-(r)ekin	-arekin	-ekin	-okin
causative		-(r)engatik	-arengatik	-engatik	-ongatik
benefactive		-(r)entzat	-arentzat	-entzat	-ontzat
instrumental		-(e)z	-az	-ez	-oz
inessive	anim.	-(r)engan	-arengan	-engan	-ongan
	inanim.	-(e)tan	-an	-etan	-otan
locative	anim.	―	―	―	―
	inanim.	-(e)tako	-(e)ko	-etako	-otako
allative	anim.	-(r)engana	-arengana	-engana	-ongana
	inanim.	-(e)tara	-(e)ra	-etara	-otara
terminative	anim.	-(r)enganaino	-arenganaino	-enganaino	-onganaino
	inanim.	-(e)taraino	-(e)raino	-etaraino	-otaraino
directive	anim.	-(r)enganantz	-arenganantz	-enganantz	-onganantz
	inanim.	-(e)tarantz	-(e)rantz	-etarantz	-otarantz
destinative	anim.	-(r)enganako	-arenganako	-enganako	-onganako
	inanim.	-(e)tarako	-(e)rako	-etarako	-otarako
ablative	anim.	-(r)engandik	-arengandik	-engandik	-ongandik
	inanim.	-(e)tatik	-(e)tik	-etik	-otik
partitive		-(r)ik	―	―	―
prolative		-tzat	―	―	―

Derived terms

Basque terms suffixed with -en (genitive)

Etymology 3

Pronoun

-en

1. Allomorphic form of -n (“that, which”).

Further reading

• “adizkiaren forma-aldaketak, aditz laguntzailea + menderagailuak (-(e)n, -(e)la, -(e)lako...) elartzean”, in Euskara Batuaren Eskuliburua [Handbook of Standard Basque], Euskaltzaindia, 2023

Chuukese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

1. of

Synonyms

• -un

Danish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

1. Forms the singular definite form of nouns of the common gender.
2. Forms gerunds from verbs, these nouns being indeclinable and of the common gender.
3. (organic chemistry) Identifies an alkene, these being of either the common or the neuter gender; -ene.
4. (obsolete) Forms adverbs from adjectives, now displaced by -t.

   hjerteligen, antageligen

Usage notes

• If the noun from which the singular definite is formed already ends in an unstressed schwa, this is not doubled: kage, kagen (but if the -e is stressed, a schwa is appended normally: ske, skeen; allé, alléen). If it ends with a consonant and the last vowel is short, the last consonant is usually doubled in native and nativized words, if it is one of {k, l, m, n, p, s, t}: hat, hatten. This is however not a reliable rule.

Derived terms

Danish terms suffixed with -en

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ə(n)/
• In most regions the final -n is silent except optionally in enunciation and as a hiatus breaker before a (typically unstressed) vowel in the following word. In western Belgium and parts of the north-eastern Netherlands, however, the /n/ is commonly sounded and may become syllabic [m̩], [n̩], [ŋ̍] (as in German, see below).

Etymology 1

Primarily from weak class 2, from Middle Dutch -en, from Old Dutch -on, from Proto-West Germanic *-ōn, from Proto-Germanic *-ōną, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti (denominative) and *-h₂ti (factitive).

Suffix

-en

2. Forms verbs from nouns and adjectives. The stem of the word itself does not change.

Conjugation

For verb stems ending in a voiced consonant:

Conjugation of -en (weak)
infinitive	-en
past singular	-de
past participle	ge- -d
infinitive	-en
gerund	-en n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	-	-de
2nd person sing. (jij)	-t, -2	-de
2nd person sing. (u)	-t	-de
2nd person sing. (gij)	-t	-de
3rd person singular	-t	-de
plural	-en	-den
subjunctive sing.1	-e	-de
subjunctive plur.1	-en	-den
imperative sing.	-
imperative plur.1	-t
participles	-end	ge- -d
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

For verb stems ending in a voiceless consonant:

Conjugation of -en (weak)
infinitive	-en
past singular	-te
past participle	ge- -t
infinitive	-en
gerund	-en n
	present tense	past tense
1st person singular	-	-te
2nd person sing. (jij)	-t, -2	-te
2nd person sing. (u)	-t	-te
2nd person sing. (gij)	-t	-te
3rd person singular	-t	-te
plural	-en	-ten
subjunctive sing.1	-e	-te
subjunctive plur.1	-en	-ten
imperative sing.	-
imperative plur.1	-t
participles	-end	ge- -t
1) Archaic. 2) In case of inversion.

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -en (denominative)

Etymology 2

From Middle Dutch -ijn, -in, -en, from Old Dutch *-īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz.

Suffix

-en

2. Forms adjectives that indicate the substance from which something is made.

Declension

Declension of -en
uninflected	-en
inflected	-en
comparative	—
		positive
predicative/adverbial
indefinite	m./f. sing.	-en
	n. sing.	-en
	plural	-en
definite		-en
partitive

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -en (substance)

Etymology 3

From Middle Dutch -en, a merger of various Old Dutch infinitive suffixes:

• The strong infinitive -an, from Proto-Germanic *-aną.
• The weak class 1 infinitive -en, -ien, from Proto-Germanic *-janą, *-ijaną.
• The weak class 2 infinitive -on, from Proto-Germanic *-ōną.

Suffix

-en

1. Ending of the infinitive form of verbs.

Etymology 4

From Middle Dutch -en, from Old Dutch -an, from Proto-Germanic *-anaz, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós.

Suffix

-en

1. The ending of the past participle of strong verbs. This can also function as an adjective.

Declension

Declension of -en
uninflected	-en
inflected	-en
comparative	-ener
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		-en	-ener	het -enst het -enste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	-en	-ener	-enste
	n. sing.	-en	-ener	-enste
	plural	-en	-ener	-enste
definite		-en	-ener	-enste
partitive		-ens	-eners	—

Etymology 5

From various case forms of the Germanic weak nominal inflection.

Suffix

-en

1. The ending of the plural form of many nouns.
2. Taken by adjectives used as nouns, to form the plural form of such nouns.

   ‎groot + ‎-en → ‎de groten (“the great ones”)

3. (archaic, not productive) The ending of a number of weak case endings of the adjective or the article.

   ‎een + ‎-en → ‎ten enen male

4. (archaic, not productive) The ending of the genitive case of certain nouns.

   ‎de hertog + ‎-en → ‎des hertogen, a genitive preserved in 's-Hertogenbosch

Etymology 6

From various first- and third-person plural forms of Germanic verbs.

Suffix

-en

1. The ending of the plural forms of verbs, in both present and past tense.

Etymology 7

From Old Dutch -ana, from Proto-West Germanic *-anā, from Proto-Germanic *-anē.

Suffix

-en

1. A suffix present on certain adverbs.

   ‎voor + ‎-en → ‎van voren (“from the front”)

Emilian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /en/

Pronoun

-en (adverbial)

1. (enclitic, after a consonant) Alternative form of in

   Mānjen un pōk! ― Eat some of it! (imperative, singular)

Finnish

Etymology 1

See -Vn (illative).

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix variant for the illative singular, see -Vn.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *-dën.

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix for the genitive plural. Usually preceded by the plural marker -i- or -j-, but may also have a consonant separator -d- after the plural marker if the words would otherwise have 3 consecutive vowels.

Etymology 3

See -Vn (possessive).

Suffix

-en

1. (possessive) A variant for the third-person suffix -nsa.
2. (personal) Forms the impersonal potential present forms of verbs. Appended to the impersonal potential stem, which consists of the first infinitive followed by the potential mood marker -ne-.

Usage notes

See the usage notes under -Vn and -nsa.

Etymology 4

The instructive singular of -e-.

Suffix

-en

1. Forms the instructive case of the second infinitive of verbs.

Anagrams

• -ne, -ne-, ne

German

Etymology 1

From Middle High German -en, a merger of various terminations in Old High German reflecting different conjugational patterns, namely -an, -ōn, -en (-ien), and -nen, from Proto-Germanic *-aną, *-ōną, *-janą, *-āną, and *-naną.

Alternative forms

• -n (after -er, -el; in sein, tun, and some dated/poetic/colloquial forms such as gehn, stehn)
• -'n (alternatively in the dated/poetic/colloquial forms)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/
  • IPA^(key): [ən] (possible in all contexts, but rare in most regions)
  • IPA^(key): [m̩] (after labial stops and sometimes labial nasals and fricatives)
  • IPA^(key): [ŋ̍] (after velar stops and sometimes velar nasals and fricatives)
  • IPA^(key): [l̩n] (with -l- after a full vowel)
  • IPA^(key): [ɐn] (with -r- after a full vowel)
  • IPA^(key): [n̩] (otherwise)

Suffix

-en

1. A suffix of verbs in their infinitive form.

   Accordingly, the suffix is also applied to verbs borrowed from other languages, and may be understood as the suffix for denominal verbs in general (actually -∅ derivation or conversion plus an inflectional suffix that happens to be part of the citation form of a German verb).

   ‎Foul + ‎-en → ‎foulen (“to foul”)

   managen ― to manage

2. A suffix indicating the 1st and 3rd person plural forms (except the present indicative sind of sein).

   wir kommen ― we arrive

   sie kommen ― they arrive

3. A suffix appended to strong verb stems to form the past participle, usually together with ge-.

   fallen + ge- and -en → gefallen

Etymology 2

From Middle High German -en, a merger of various terminations in Old High German reflecting different declensional patterns.

Alternative forms

• -n (after -er, -el in nouns, but not usually in adjectives; in Herrn)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/ (variants as in etymology 1)

Suffix

-en

1. a suffix appended to some nouns in all of their plural forms; these nouns are so-called “weak” or “mixed” nouns; they are most often feminine, often masculine, rarely neuter
2. a suffix appended to weak masculine nouns in all oblique cases of the singular, and to some mixed nouns in the singular dative and accusative
3. a suffix appended to most other nouns, the so-called “strong” nouns, in their plural dative
4. a suffix (in fact, the most common declensional ending) which is appended to determiners, adjectives, and participles, for multiple forms of all grammatical cases, both singular and plural

See also

• (plural suffix): -e, -er, -s

Etymology 3

From Middle High German -en, from Old High German -īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz.

Alternative forms

• -n (after -er, -el)
• -ern

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/ (variants as in etymology 1)

Suffix

-en

2. A suffix which is used to create adjectives that most often refer to materials

   ‎Gold (“gold”, noun) + ‎-en → ‎golden (“gold, golden”, adjective)

Etymology 4

From the Ancient Greek -ηνός (-ēnós) feminine patronymic suffix.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈeːn/

Suffix

-en

1. (chemistry) -ene (alkene suffix)

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -en

Category German verbs suffixed with -en not found

German adjectives suffixed with -en

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛn]
• Rhymes: -ɛn

Etymology 1

Pronominal adverbs from case suffixes (cf. postpositions)
ed	suffix	who?	what?	this	that	he/she (it)*
case							v. pr.	c.
nom.	–	ki	mi	ez	az	ő* / -∅ az / -∅	–	–
acc.	-t / -ot / -at / -et / -öt	kit	mit	ezt	azt	őt* / -∅ azt / -∅	–	c1 c2
dat.	-nak / -nek	kinek	minek	ennek	annak	neki	neki-	c
ins.	-val / -vel	kivel	mivel	ezzel/ evvel	azzal/ avval	vele		c
c-f.	-ért	kiért	miért	ezért	azért	érte	–	c
tra.	-vá / -vé	kivé	mivé	ezzé	azzá	–	–	c
ter.	-ig	–	meddig	eddig	addig	–	–	c
e-f.	-ként	(kiként)	(miként)	ekként	akként	–	–	c
e-m.	-ul / -ül	–	–	–	–	–	–	c
ine.	-ban / -ben	kiben	miben	ebben	abban	benne	–	c
sup.	-n/-on/-en/-ön	kin	min	ezen	azon	rajta	(rajta-)	c
ade.	-nál / -nél	kinél	minél	ennél	annál	nála	–	c
ill.	-ba / -be	kibe	mibe	ebbe	abba	bele	bele-	c
sub.	-ra / -re	kire	mire	erre	arra	rá	rá-	c
all.	-hoz/-hez/-höz	kihez	mihez	ehhez	ahhoz	hozzá	hozzá-	c
el.	-ból / -ből	kiből	miből	ebből	abból	belőle	–	c
del.	-ról / -ről	kiről	miről	erről	arról	róla	–	c
abl.	-tól / -től	kitől	mitől	ettől	attól	tőle	–	c
*: Ő and őt refer to human beings; the forms below them might be construed likewise. – Forms in parentheses are uncommon. All »

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en (superessive case suffix)

2. on

   ‎szék (“chair”) + ‎-en → ‎széken (“on [a/the] chair”)

   Az asztal mellett ültem egy széken. ― I sat on a chair next to the table.

   A széken könyvek hevertek. ― There were books on the chair.

Usage notes

• (superessive case suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.

  -on is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -en is added to unrounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ön is added to rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant

   Hungarian case suffixes

Case	Back vowel a, á, o, ó, u, ú	Front vowel
		unrounded e, é, i, í	rounded ö, ő, ü, ű
nominative	—
accusative	-t
	-ot / -at	-et	-öt
dative	-nak	-nek
instrumental	-val	-vel
causal-final	-ért
translative	-vá	-vé
terminative	-ig
essive-formal	-ként
essive-modal	-ul	-ül
inessive	-ban	-ben
superessive	-n
	-on	-en	-ön
adessive	-nál	-nél
illative	-ba	-be
sublative	-ra	-re
allative	-hoz	-hez	-höz
elative	-ból	-ből
delative	-ról	-ről
ablative	-tól	-től
Note for all endings: Stem-final -a/-e changes to -á-/-é-, respectively, except -ként.     alma — almában, but almaként     zene ― zenében, but zeneként

See also

• Category:Hungarian terms taking -n/-on/-en/-ön
• Category:Hungarian noun forms

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

2. (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) -ly. Added to an adjective to create an adverb.

   ‎szép (“beautiful”) + ‎-en → ‎szépen (“beautifully”)

   ‎könnyű (“light, easy”) + ‎-en → ‎könnyen (“easily”)

   ‎bő (“ample”) + ‎-en → ‎bőven (“amply”)

   ‎hű (“faithful”) + ‎-en → ‎híven (“faithfully”), aside from the regular hűen

   1. In Hungarian, this adverb form is used for certain complements that are adjectives in English.

      Nyersen eszi a répát. ― S/he eats carrots raw.

4. (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Added to a numeral or a pronoun with this sense to create an adverb, expressing the number of people.

   ‎kettő (“two”) + ‎-en → ‎ketten (“two people, two of us/you/them”)

   Ketten vannak a szobában. ― There are two people in the room.

   ‎öt (“five”) + ‎-en → ‎öten (“five people, five of us/you/them”)

   ‎hét (“seven”) + ‎-en → ‎heten (“seven people, seven of us/you/them”)

   Heten mentünk moziba. ― Seven of us went to the cinema.

   ‎kevés (“few”) + ‎-en → ‎kevesen (“few people, few of us/you/them”)

   Sokan vannak a meghívottak, de kevesen a választottak. ― For many are called, but few are chosen.

   ‎ezer (“thousand”) + ‎-en → ‎ezren (“a thousand people, a thousand of us/you/them”)

Usage notes

• (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.

  -an is added to most back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -on is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -en is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant, as well as some front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Their original word-final vowel may be lost (e.g. könnyű) or supplemented with a consonant (e.g. bő, hű).

• (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to some (very few) words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.

  -an is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -en is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant, as well as some front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Their original word-final vowel may be lost (e.g. kettő).

Derived terms

Hungarian adverbs suffixed with -en

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

2. (verb-forming suffix) Added to a stem — often an onomatopoeia — to form a verb expressing an instantaneous action.

   reccsen (“to crackle, to make one cracking sound”)

   retten (“to be frightened, to recoil, to flinch, to shy away from”)

Usage notes

• (verb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -on is added to some back-vowel words

  -an is added to back-vowel words

  -en is added to front-vowel words

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -en

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

2. (personal suffix, chiefly dialectal or archaic) Forms the indefinite third-person singular suffix (currently only in the imperative mood as part of -jen, formerly also occurring in the indicative).

   nincsen (“he/she/it isn't, there is none of it”)

   van/lenni (“to be”) → legyen (“he/she/it should be, there should be”)

   ‎kér (“to ask/request”) + ‎-en → ‎kérjen (“he/she/it should ask for some[thing]”)

   ‎megy (“to go”) + ‎-en → ‎megyen (“he/she/it goes, is going”) (in the standard language: megy)

   ‎vesz (“to take/grab”) + ‎-en → ‎veszen (“he/she/it takes/grabs”) (in the standard language: vesz)

   ‎visz (“to take/carry”) + ‎-en → ‎viszen (“he/she/it takes/carries”) (in the standard language: visz)

Usage notes

• (personal suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to certain irregular stems

  -on is added to back-vowel words

  -en is added to unrounded front-vowel words

  -ön is added to rounded front-vowel words

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

Further reading

• László Honti (Q13780671). A magyar nyelv 3. személyeket jelölő morfémái (“Third-person morphemes in Hungarian”). In: Nyelvtudományi Közlemények, vol. 116, Budapest, 2020, pp. 7–70.
• László Grétsy (Q1028376). A nincs és a nincsen. In: Magyar Nemzet, January 16, 2003.
• (suffix of the adverb of number): Rounds, Carol. Hungarian: an Essential Grammar. London / New York: Routledge. 2001. →ISBN. Preview at Google Books, p. 189 (p. 204 in the PDF)

Japanese

Romanization

-en

1. Rōmaji transcription of えん

Low German

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German -inge, from Old Saxon -unga, from Proto-Germanic *-ingō, *-ungō. Cognate with Dutch -ing, Swedish -ning, German -ung, English -ing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ən/

Suffix

-en f

1. forms nouns from verbs (called gerunds) or other nouns, usually describing either an event in which an action is carried out, or the result of that action; the equivalent of English -ing

   ‎bedüden (“to mean”) + ‎-en → ‎de Bedüden (“the meaning”)

   ‎Huus (“house”) + ‎-en → ‎de Hüsen (“the dwelling”)

Derived terms

• Aflösen
• Afstimmen
• Anwiesen
• Bedüden
• Bereken
• Beropen
• Beschrieven
• Besinnen
• Besluten
• Bewegen
• Düngen
• Forschen
• Füern
• Gliekstellen
• Globaliseren
• Höpen
• Hüsen
• Levern
• Menen
• Nähren
• Opmuntern
• Regeren
• Reken
• Stiften
• Stärken
• Tehren
• Utdüden
• Uttehren
• Utwiesen
• Verafscheden
• Verfaten
• Verklappen
• Verköhlen
• Verornen
• Verplichten
• Versammeln
• Versöken
• Vertellen
• Verwanneln
• Verwohren
• Verwunnern
• Wickeln
• Överdüngen
• Ümwanneln
• Ümweltbelasten
• Ünnerscheden
• Ünnerstütten

 

Etymology 2

From Middle Low German -en, a blending of Old Saxon infinitives -an, -ian and -on, from Proto-Germanic *-aną.

Suffix

-en

1. Used to form the infinitive of verbs.

Alternative forms

• -'n

Luxembourgish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /en/, [ən]

Suffix

-en

1. Used for some nouns to form plural forms.
2. Used to show the infinitive form of verbs.
3. A suffix which is used to create adjectives that refer to materials

Usage notes

The suffix -en, like any ending that involves either -n or -nn, is subject to the Eifeler Regel. For example, Versioune weisen.

Malay

Etymology

• (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)
  • From English -ent, from Middle English -ent, also -ant, -aunt, etc., from Old French -ent and its source Latin -ēns (accusative singular -entem), suffix of present participles of verbs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th conjugations.
• (Indonesia)
  • From Dutch -ent.

Pronunciation

• (Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore)
  • IPA^(key): [-ən]
• (Indonesia)
  • IPA^(key): [-ɛn]
• Hyphenation: -en

Suffix

-en (Bruneian, Malaysian and Singaporean Jawi spelling -ن, Indonesian Jawi spelling -ين)

1. (unproductive) -ent.

   residen ― resident

   presiden ― president

   insiden ― incident

Derived terms

Malay terms suffixed with -en

Middle Dutch

Etymology 1

A merger of various infinitive suffixes:

• The strong infinitive Old Dutch -an, from Proto-Germanic *-aną.
• The weak class 1 infinitive Old Dutch -en, -ien, from Proto-Germanic *-janą, *-ijaną.
• The weak class 2 infinitive Old Dutch -on, from Proto-Germanic *-ōną.

Suffix

-en

1. The ending of the infinitive form of verbs, used as a suffix to form new verbs as well.

Descendants

• Dutch: -en

Etymology 2

From the Old Dutch [Term?] strong past participle ending -an, from Proto-Germanic *-anaz.

Suffix

-en

1. The ending of the past participle of strong verbs.

Descendants

• Dutch: -en

Etymology 3

From various first and third-person plural forms of Germanic verbs.

Suffix

-en

1. The ending of the first- and third-person plural forms of verbs.

Descendants

• Dutch: -en

Etymology 4

From Old Dutch *-īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz.

Suffix

-en

1. Alternative form of -in

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English -en and Old Norse -inn, past participle ending of strong verbs, from Proto-Norse -ᛁᚾᚨᛉ (*-inaz), both from Proto-Germanic *-inaz, *-anaz (past participle ending of strong verbs).

Alternative forms

• -n, -e

Suffix

-en

2. Denotes the past participle form when attached to a strong verb.

Usage notes

• In many cases, y- and -en were added together as a circumfix.
• The full -en was better-preserved in the northern dialects, whereas in the southern dialects, it was often shortened to -n, weakened to -e, or disappeared altogether.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -en (participial)

Descendants

• English: -en

References

• “-en, suf.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 2

From Old English -an. Originally used with class 1 weak verbs in Old English, it was extended to class 2 weak verbs in many dialects and thus supplanted -ien from Old English -ian.

Alternative forms

• -n, -e

Suffix

-en

2. Denotes the infinitive when attached to verbs.

Conjugation

Conjugation of -en (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) -en, -e
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	-e	-ed
2nd-person singular	-est	-edest
3rd-person singular	-eth	-ed
subjunctive singular	-e
imperative singular		—
plural1	-en, -e	-eden, -ede
imperative plural	-eth, -e	—
participles	-ynge, -ende	-ed, y-ed

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -en (infinitival)

References

• “-en, suf.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 3

From Old English -on, -en.

Alternative forms

• -e

Suffix

-en

1. Denotes the past indicative plural form of verbs.
2. Denotes the present and past subjunctive plural form of verbs.
3. Denotes the present indicative plural form of certain verbs.

Usage notes

This suffix was increasingly reduced to -e.

The use of this suffix as present indicative plural was common in the Midland area, replacing -eth, -eþ.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -en (verb plural)

Descendants

• English: -en

References

• “-en, suf.(7).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 4

From Old English -an, a plural and oblique case marker.

Alternative forms

• -n

Suffix

-en

2. Denotes the plural form of certain nouns.
3. Denotes the oblique cases of certain nouns.
4. Denotes the oblique cases and plural forms of weak adjectives.

Usage notes

This suffix as a plural marker is most heavily used in early Middle English, and is generally favoured in southern dialects, whereas northern dialects largely supplanted it with -es early.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -en (noun plural)

Descendants

• English: -en

References

• “-en, suf.(5).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.
• “-en, suf.(6).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 5

From Old English -um.

Suffix

-en

1. Denotes the dative singular and plural of strong adjectives.

References

• “-en, suf.(6).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 6

From Old English -en (“characteristic of; made of”), from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz.

Alternative forms

• -ene, -yn, -in, -on, -un, -n

Suffix

-en

1. Attached to a noun to form an adjective describing something as characteristic of, like, or pertaining to that noun.
3. Attached to a noun that denotes a material to form an adjective describing something as made of that material.

Usage notes

The affixion of -en is sometimes accompanied by a mutation in the root vowel.

Derived terms

Adjectives formed with -en denoting materials

• almaunden
• aspen
• asshen
• attern
• bechen
• birchen
• brasen
• cleyen
• copren
• elmen
• erden
• erthen
• flaxen
• gilden
• glasen
• golden
• haselen
• holinen
• leden
• letheren
• linden
• lynnen
• mapelyn
• oken
• rochen
• selken
• stenen
• stonen
• strawen
• sylveren
• treen
• wollen

 

Descendants

• English: -en
• Scots: -en, -in

References

• “-en, suf.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 7

From Old English -en.

Suffix

-en

2. Denotes a diminutive form of a noun.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -en (diminutive)

Descendants

• English: -en

Etymology 8

From Old English -en.

Suffix

-en

2. Denotes a female form of a small, fixed number of nouns.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -en (feminine)

References

• “-en, suf.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 24 April 2018.

Etymology 9

From Old English -nian, from Proto-Germanic *-inōną.

Suffix

-en

1. Alternative form of -enen.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Ancient Greek -ηνή (-ēnḗ), feminine form of -ηνός (-ēnós, added to place name to form an adjective), from -νός (-nós), alternative form of -νος (-nos), from Proto-Indo-European *-nós (creates verbal adjectives from roots).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /eːn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːn
• Hyphenation: -en
• Homophone: en

Suffix

-en (definite singular neuter -enet, definite singular masculine -enen, indefinite plural -en or -ener, definite plural -enene or -ena)

2. (organic chemistry) Used to form nouns denoting alkynes; -ene

   acetylen, benzen ― acetylene, benzene

4. (organic chemistry) Used to form nouns denoting alkenes; -ene

   etylen, propylen ― ethylene, propylene

References

• “-en” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Anagrams

• en, ne

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /en/

Etymology 1

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īną.

Suffix

-en n

1. (causes i-mutation) used to create diminutive neuter nouns

   ‎mæġeþ (“girl”) + ‎-en → ‎mæġden (“girl,” originally “little girl”)

   ‎cocc (“rooster”) + ‎-en → ‎ċycen, ċicen (“chick”)

   ‎broþ (“broth, brewing”) + ‎-en → ‎bryþen (“brewing, drink”)

Declension

Neuter

Declension of -en

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-en	-enu
accusative	-en	-enu
genitive	-enes	-ena
dative	-ene	-enum

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-ini, from Proto-Germanic *-inī.

Alternative forms

• -in

Suffix

-en f

2. (often causes i-mutation) used to create feminine nouns from other nouns

   ‎god (“(male) god”) + ‎-en → ‎gyden (“goddess”) (with i-mutation)

   ‎þēow (“(male) servant”) + ‎-en → ‎þēowen (“female servant”) (without i-mutation)

Declension

Feminine

Declension of -en (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-en	-enna, -enne
accusative	-enne	-enna, -enne
genitive	-enne	-enna
dative	-enne	-ennum

Derived terms

Old English terms suffixed with -en (feminine)

Etymology 3

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-īn, from Proto-Germanic *-īnaz.

Suffix

-en

1. (causes i-mutation) adjectival suffix meaning "material made of, consisting of”, also sometimes “characteristic of”.

   ‎gold (“gold”) + ‎-en → ‎gylden (“golden”)

   ‎ātor (“poison”) + ‎-en → ‎ǣtren (“venomous, poisonous”)

   ‎stān (“stone”) + ‎-en → ‎stǣnen (“stonen”)

   ‎āc (“oak”) + ‎-en → ‎ǣcen (“oaken”)

   ‎trēow (“tree”) + ‎-en → ‎triewen (“wooden”)

   ‎līn (“flax”) + ‎-en → ‎līnen (“linen”)

   ‎sǣ (“sea”) + ‎-en → ‎sǣn (“marine”)

   ‎fæder (“father”) + ‎-en → ‎fæderen (“paternal”)

Declension

Declension of -en — Strong

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	-en	-enu, -nu, -eno, -no	-en
Accusative	-enne	-ene, -ne	-en
Genitive	-enes, -nes	-enre	-enes, -nes
Dative	-enum, -num	-enre	-enum, -num
Instrumental	-ene, -ne	-enre	-ene, -ne
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	-ene, -ne	-ena, -na, -ene, -ne	-enu, -nu, -eno, -no
Accusative	-ene, -ne	-ena, -na, -ene, -ne	-enu, -nu, -eno, -no
Genitive	-enra	-enra	-enra
Dative	-enum, -num	-enum, -num	-enum, -num
Instrumental	-enum, -num	-enum, -num	-enum, -num

Declension of -en — Weak

Singular	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	-ena, -na	-ene, -ne	-ene, -ne
Accusative	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan	-ene, -ne
Genitive	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan
Dative	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan
Instrumental	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan
Plural	Masculine	Feminine	Neuter
Nominative	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan
Accusative	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan	-enan, -nan
Genitive	-enra, -enena, -nena	-enra, -enena, -nena	-enra, -enena, -nena
Dative	-enum, -num	-enum, -num	-enum, -num
Instrumental	-enum, -num	-enum, -num	-enum, -num

Descendants

• Middle English: -en
  • English: -en
  • Scots: -en, -in

Etymology 4

Inherited from Proto-West Germanic *-an, from Proto-Germanic *-anaz.

Suffix

-en

1. (verbal suffix) past participle ending of strong verbs

   ġecumen ― come

   ġecorfen ― carved

   ġeswōgen ― swooned

Etymology 5

Proto-Germanic *-an, from Proto-Germanic *-an-.

Suffix

-en

1. (adjective suffix) meaning belonging to or characterised by

   ‎tungol (“star”) + ‎-en → ‎tunglen (“of the stars, sidereal, starry”)

   ‎fæder (“father”) + ‎-en → ‎fæderen (“paternal, of a father”)

   ‎hund (“dog, hound”) + ‎-en → ‎hunden (“canine”)

Etymology 6

Inherited from Proto-Germanic *-īni, from Proto-Germanic *-īniz. Sometimes with geminate -nn-, probably due to confusion with the feminine suffix from *-inī.

Suffix

-en f

1. (causes i-mutation) forms nouns from class 1 weak verbs

   ‎byrgan (“to bury”) + ‎-en → ‎byrgen (“burying, grave”)

   ‎sellan (“to give, grant”) + ‎-en → ‎selen (“giving, gift”)

   ‎þicgan (“to take, accept”) + ‎-en → ‎þigen (“taking”) (inflected as strong and weak)

Declension

Declension of -en (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-en	-enna, -enne
accusative	-enne	-enna, -enne
genitive	-enne	-enna
dative	-enne	-ennum

Polish

Etymology

Derived from Ancient Greek -ηνός (-ēnós).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛn/
• Rhymes: -ɛn
• Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]

Suffix

-en m inan

1. (organic chemistry) -ene (alkene)

   ‎acetyl + ‎-en → ‎acetylen

Declension

Declension of -en

	singular
nominative	-en
genitive	-enu
dative	-enowi
accusative	-en
instrumental	-enem
locative	-enie
vocative	-enie

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -en

Romani

Alternative forms

• -ěn (International Standard)

Suffix

-en

1. Forms the accusative plural of oikoclitic animate nouns

   ‎rrom (“Romani man”) + ‎-en → ‎rromen

   ‎daj (“mother”) + ‎-en → ‎dajen

Derived terms

• -en-

Scots

Etymology

From Middle English -en, from Old English -en (“characteristic of; made of”).

Suffix

-en

1. Attached to a noun to form an adjective describing something as characteristic of, like, or pertaining to that noun.
3. Attached to a noun that denotes a material to form an adjective describing something as made of that material.

Derived terms

• aiken

 

Slovene

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-ən/

Suffix

-ən

1. Suffix appended to words to create an adjective.

Derived terms

Slovene terms suffixed with -en

Spanish

Etymology

From Latin -ent and -unt.

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix indicating the third-person plural present indicative of -er and -ir verbs.
2. Suffix indicating the third-person plural present subjunctive of -ar verbs.
3. Suffix indicating the third-person plural imperative of -ar verbs.

See also

• -an

Swedish

Etymology 1

From forms of Old Norse hinn (demonstrative pronoun), suffixed to the end of the noun stem. From Old Norse -inn, -in, from Proto-Germanic *jainaz, from Proto-Indo-European *i-.

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix for definite form singular of common gender nouns which end in a consonant, e.g. ‎fisk (“fish”) + ‎-en → ‎fisken (“the fish”); see also -n.
2. Definite plural suffix for certain nouns; see also -na.
   1. (neuter nouns ending in a consonant) ‎träd (“tree”) + ‎-en → ‎träden (“the trees”)
   2. (common-gender nouns in the fifth declension (with a suffixless plural) except for those ending in -are) ‎gäss (“geese”) + ‎-en → ‎gässen (“the geese”)
   3. (the irregular neuter plurals ögon ("eyes") and öron ("ears"))

Etymology 2

From Old Norse -inn, past participle ending of strong verbs.

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix for the past participle of verbs belonging to the fourth (strong) declension, e.g. ‎sjunga (“sing”) + ‎-en → ‎sjungen (“sung”), ‎skjuta (“shoot”) + ‎-en → ‎skjuten (“shot”).

Etymology 3

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix for indefinite form plural of only the neuter noun huvud (“head”), e.g. ‎huvud (“head”) + ‎-en → ‎huvuden (“heads”).

Etymology 4

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix which converts a few adjectives into adverbs, e.g. ‎möjlig (“possible”) + ‎-en → ‎möjligen (“possibly”).

Anagrams

• -ne

Welsh

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɛn/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /an/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɛn/

Etymology 1

From Middle Welsh -en, from Old Welsh -en, from Proto-Brythonic *-enn. Cognate with Cornish -en, Breton -enn.

Suffix

-en f (masculine -yn)

1. Used to form the singulative of certain words.

   ‎llygod (“mice”) + ‎-en → ‎llygoden (“mouse”)

   ‎sêr (“stars”) + ‎-en → ‎seren (“star”)

   ‎coed (“trees, wood”) + ‎-en → ‎coeden (“tree”)

2. Used to form certain singular words.

   llysywen (“eel”)

   matsien (“match”)

   taten (“potato”)

3. diminutive suffix

   ‎pêl (“ball”) + ‎-en → ‎pelen (“little ball, pellet”)

   ‎lloer (“moon”) + ‎-en → ‎lloeren (“satellite”)

   ‎gwraig (“woman, wife”) + ‎-en → ‎gwreigen (“little woman, little wife”)

4. female or feminine person or creature

   ‎coch (“red”) + ‎-en → ‎cochen (“(female) redhead”)

   ‎clebr (“gossip, chatter”) + ‎-en → ‎clebren (“(female) gossip”)

   ‎gwlith (“dew”) + ‎-en → ‎gwlithen (“slug”)

5. suffix indicating an object, item, thing

   ‎cwyr (“wax”) + ‎-en → ‎cwyren (“cake or tablet of wax”)

   ‎calch (“lime, chalk”) + ‎-en → ‎calchen (“limestone”)

   ‎awyr (“sky”) + ‎-en → ‎awyren (“aeroplane”)

   ‎crwm (“curved”) + ‎-en → ‎cromen (“dome”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (North Wales, standard, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ɛn/
  • (North Wales, colloquial) IPA^(key): /ai̯n/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɛn/

Suffix

-en

1. Used to form plural nouns.

   Synonyms: -aid, -aint, -au, -ed, -edd, -i, -iadau, -iaid, -iau, -ion, -od, -oedd, -on, -ydd, -yr, -ys

   ‎ych (“ox”) + ‎-en → ‎ychen (“oxen”)

Etymology 3

Alternative forms

• -sen

Suffix

-en

1. (colloquial) verb suffix for the first-person plural conditional
2. (colloquial) verb suffix for the third-person plural conditional

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -en

References

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-en”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Yucatec Maya

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix indicating the first-person singular present copular; added to nouns and adjectives

   Koolnáalen. ― I am a farmer.

   Teen na'en. ― I am a mother.

   Na'ajen. ― I am thirsty.

Suffix

-en

1. Suffix indicating the second-person plural imperative

   Ooken! ― Enter!