-ity

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: ity and -itý

English

[edit]

Pronunciation

[edit]

Etymology 1

[edit]

From Middle English -ite, -itee, 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

[edit]

Suffix

[edit]

-ity

  1. Used to form an uncountable noun from an adjective; especially, to form the noun referring to the state, property, or quality of conforming to the adjective's description.
    absurd + ‎-ity → ‎absurdity (the quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment)
    anonym(ous) + ‎-ity → ‎anonymity (the quality or state of being anonymous)
    modern + ‎-ity → ‎modernity (the quality of being modern or contemporary)
    precar(ious) + ‎-ity → ‎precarity (a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare)
  2. Used to form a countable noun from an adjective, referring to someone or something that conforms to the adjective's description.
    absurd + ‎-ity → ‎[an] absurdity (that which is absurd; an absurd action; a logical contradiction)
    anonym(ous) + ‎-ity → ‎[an] anonymity (that which is anonymous)
    insipid + ‎-ity → ‎[an] insipidity (something that is insipid; an insipid utterance, sight, object, etc.)
    odd + ‎-ity → ‎[an] oddity (an odd or strange thing or opinion; a strange person; an oddball)
  3. Used to form other nouns, especially abstract nouns.
Usage notes
[edit]
  • Many nouns formed with -ity are uncountable; those that are countable form their plurals in -ities.
  • Final -e is dropped before adding this suffix.
  • Pronunciation:
    • 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.
Derived terms
[edit]
[edit]
Translations
[edit]
See also
[edit]

Etymology 2

[edit]

Variant of -ety, likely an alteration of -edy, equivalent to -ed +‎ -y.

Suffix

[edit]

-ity

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

Polish

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-itъ.

Pronunciation

[edit]
  • IPA(key): /ˈi.tɘ/
  • Rhymes: -itɘ
  • Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]

Suffix

[edit]

-ity m

  1. forms masculine adjectives
    pracować + ‎-ity → ‎pracowity

Declension

[edit]

Derived terms

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]
  • -ity in Polish dictionaries at PWN