-th

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English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English , -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (-th, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, Dutch -te, Danish -de, Swedish -d, Icelandic , -d, Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa), Latin -itās (-ty, -ity). See -ity, -t.

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. (no longer productive) Used to form nouns from verbs of action.
    berth, birth, blowth, drawth, flowth, growth, sight, spilth, stealth, tilth, theft, weight, shrift
  2. (no longer productive except jocular coinages) Used to form nouns of quality from adjectives.
    breadth, chillth, coolth, dampth, dearth, depth, filth, health, height/heighth, illth, length, roomth, ruth, strength, troth, truth, sloth/slowth, warmth, wealth, width, wrath, wrength, youth/youngth
Synonyms[edit]
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Etymology 2[edit]

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (ordinal suffix), from Old English -þa, -þe, -oþa, -oþe, derived from a Proto-Indo-European superlative suffix. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. Used to form the ordinal numeral when the final term of the spelled number is not “first”, “second”, or “third”.
    1. (mathematics) Used to form a term denoting the ordinal numeral corresponding to the value, being a natural number, of a mathematical expression.
      The th term of a geometrical progression whose first term is and common ratio is is given by .
  2. Used to form the denominator of a fraction.
    one seventh; three tenths
Usage notes[edit]
  • Some numbers undergo a change in spelling: ‎five + ‎-th → ‎fifth, ‎eight + ‎-th → ‎eighth, ‎nine + ‎-th → ‎ninth, ‎twenty + ‎-th → ‎twentieth. See -eth
  • Use of this suffix with numbers ending in one, two, or three is occasionally heard in speech, particularly in forming fractions (**thirty-twoth) but is considered highly nonstandard.
  • In older texts, this suffix, and the other suffixes for forming ordinals, may be seen written as superscripts: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th. This is considered old-fashioned; the current preference is to write (when not spelling the numbers), 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th.
  • When used to suffix a mathematical expression, a hyphen is sometimes inserted: -th term.
Coordinate terms[edit]
Translations[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

From Middle English -eth, -th, from Old English -eþ, -aþ, .

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. (archaic) A variant of -eth, used to form the archaic third-person singular indicative present tense of verbs.
    comecometh
    havehath
    dodoth
    saysaith

See also[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Albanian[edit]

Etymology[edit]

from Proto-Albanian *-ts from Proto-Indo-European *-ḱos.

Suffix[edit]

-th m (-th m)

  1. used to form diminutive suffix.

Middle English[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Originally two distinct suffixes:

Alternative forms[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /-θしーた/, /-d/, /-t/

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. (non-productive) Forms abstract nouns denoting a state or attribute, usually from adjectives but occasionally from verbs; -th, -ness
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]
  • English: -th, -t (conflated with -the < *-iþō)
  • Scots: -th, -t (conflated with -the < *-iþō)
References[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. Alternative form of -the (abstract nominal suffix)

Etymology 3[edit]

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. Alternative form of -the (ordinal suffix)

Mohawk[edit]

Suffix[edit]

-th

  1. forms instrumentals

References[edit]

  • Nora Deering, Helga H. Delisle (1976) Mohawk: A teaching grammar (preliminary version), Quebec: Manitou College, page 417