-ity
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /əti/, /ɪti/; but see the usage notes below
- (General American) IPA(key): /əti/, [əɾi], [ɾi], /ɪti/, [ɪɾi]
- (General Australian) IPA(key): /əti/, [əɾi]
Etymology 1
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, -þ (“-th”). More at -th.
Alternative forms
Suffix
-ity
- 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”)
- 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”)
- 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.
- 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
Related terms
Translations
Used to form nouns from adjectives.
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See also
Etymology 2
Variant of -ety, likely an alteration of -edy, equivalent to -ed + -y.
Suffix
-ity
- Alternative form of -ety
- hip + -ity → hippity, hippity-hop
Polish
Etymology
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-itъ.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-ity m
Declension
| singular | plural | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| masculine animate | masculine inanimate | feminine | neuter | virile (= masculine personal) | non-virile | |
| nominative | -ity | -ita | -ite | -ici | -ite | |
| genitive | -itego | -itej | -itego | -itych | ||
| dative | -itemu | -itej | -itemu | -itym | ||
| accusative | -itego | -ity | -itą | -ite | -itych | -ite |
| instrumental | -itym | -itą | -itym | -itymi | ||
| locative | -itym | -itej | -itym | -itych | ||
Declension of -ity (hard)
Derived terms
Further reading
- -ity in Polish dictionaries at PWN
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