-z

See also: Appendix:Variations of "z"

English

Etymology 1

Eye dialect spelling variant of -s.

Suffix

-z

1. (urban slang, lolspeak, leetspeak) Used as a substitute for -s in marking the plural of nouns. Usually used in words in which the -s suffix is actually pronounced /z/.

   Boyz are always trouble.

   Oh hai. In teh beginnin Ceiling Cat maded teh skiez An da Urfs (Gen 1:1, LOLcat Bible)

2. (urban slang) Used as a substitute for -s in marking verb inflections.

   He lovez me.

Etymology 2

Rhotacism of /ɹ/

Documented since at least 1987.^[1]

Suffix

-z

1. (UK, Australia, New Zealand) Forms nicknames, especially of personal names.

   ‎Barry + ‎-z → ‎Baz

   ‎Sharon + ‎-z → ‎Shaz

   ‎Jeremy + ‎-z → ‎Jez

2. (UK) Forms colloquial variants of words.

   ‎sorry + ‎-z → ‎soz

   ‎tomorrow + ‎-z → ‎tomoz

   ‎apparently + ‎-z → ‎appaz

Usage notes

• Applied to words whose stressed syllable ends in /ɹ/, with the suffix replacing the /ɹ/ and the rest of the word.

Derived terms

• -zza

References

1. John Silverlight (1987) More Words, Macmillan, →ISBN, page 53: “Examples are 'Kaz', 'Shaz', 'Baz' and Waz' for Karen, Sharon, Barry, and Warwick, and the latest, 'soz' for sorry.”

Basque

Alternative forms

• -ez (after consonants)

Etymology

Unknown.^[1]

Suffix

-z

1. Instrumental indefinite suffix.

   ‎autobus (“bus”) + ‎-z → ‎autobusez (“by bus”)

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 -z

References

1. “-z” in Etymological Dictionary of Basque by R. L. Trask, sussex.ac.uk

Hungarian

Etymology

This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “Sense query: is this a causative suffix? The semantics in tiszta → tisztáz and só → sóz suggest that it is.”

From Proto-Uralic *-ta-. The preceding vowel, if any, is from the original stem of the root word.

Suffix

-z

1. (verb-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form a verb.

   ‎só (“salt”) + ‎-z → ‎sóz (“to salt”)

2. (obsolete noun-forming suffix) Found in igaz, száraz. See the main variant -sz.

Usage notes

• (verb-forming suffix) Variants:

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

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

  -az is added to other back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ez is added to unrounded (and some rounded) front-vowel words ending in a consonant

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

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

Note: Certain words take another, synonymous suffix, -zik/-ozik/-azik/-ezik/-özik or -l/-ol/-al/-el/-öl/-ál.

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -z

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

Old French

Suffix

-z

1. Replaces -ts at the end of a word.

   mort (“dead”) (oblique singular) → morz (“dead”) (oblique plural)

   • c. 1100s, Marie de France, Equitan:

     Femme espuse ot li seneschals,
     Dunt puis vient el païs granz mal[s]

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Swahili

Suffix

-z

1. (Sheng) "urbanizes" a word, makes it more hip with youth

Usage notes

In Kenya, (-z) can be applied to nouns and verbs. In Tanzania, (-z) is usually only applied to nouns, like mtotoz.