-ity

See also: ity and -itý

English

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɪti]; but see the usage notes below

Etymology 1

From Middle English -ite, from Old French -ite, -ete, -eteit (-ity), from Latin -itātem, from -itās, from Proto-Indo-European *-teh₂ts (suffix). Cognate with Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa, -th), Old High German -ida (-th), Old English -þo, -þu, (-th). More at -th.

Alternative forms

Suffix

-ity

  1. Used to form a noun from an adjective; especially, to form the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description.
    absurd + -ityabsurdity
    modern + -itymodernity
  2. Used to form other nouns, especially abstract nouns.
Usage notes
  • Many nouns formed with -ity are uncountable; those that are countable form their plurals in -ities.
  • The addition of -ity to an adjective results in a shift of stress to the antepenultimate syllable; that is, words in -ity are stressed on the last syllable before the -ity, even in cases where this syllable is part of another suffix (as in words in -ability and -icity). Further, this shift typically results in a change in vowel quality; compare, for example, real and reality, where the sound [æ] in the second word is not present in the first. These vowel quality changes are usually consistent with the spelling of both forms — note that the letter <a> in the second word is present in the first — but sometimes spelling changes are seen, as with the suffix -ous, which when it combines with -ity produces the suffix -osity.
  • While a final -c is pronounced [k], before -ity it becomes [s]; compare, for example, elastic and elasticity.
  • Final -e is dropped before adding this suffix.
Derived terms
English terms suffixed with -ity
Translations
See also

Etymology 2

See -ety.

Suffix

-ity

  1. Alternative form of -ety
    hip + -ityhippity, hippity-hop

Polish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈi.tɨ/
  • Rhymes: -itɨ
  • Syllabification: i‧ty

Suffix

-ity m

  1. Forms masculine adjectives
    pracować + -itypracowity

Declension

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -ity

Further reading

  • -ity in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • -ity in Polish dictionaries at PWN
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