A derivational suffix in many ME nouns, frequently of OE origin but sometimes of ON origin, usu. denoting either a quality, condition, state of being, etc.: drought(e, ermthe, filth, height(e, helth(e, length(e, leuthe, mirth(e, sleight (ON), sleuthe, strength(e, theft(e, treuth, wrath(e, etc.; or an action, the result or object of an action, etc.: bath, bight, birth(e (OE and ON), blast, deth, drift (ON and perh. also MDu.), erth(e (2), flight (1) & (2), frost, ishaft(e, isighthe, math, oth, shaft(e (1), shrift, sight(e, thought, thrift (ON), tilth, weft(e, yift(e (OE and ON), etc. At least three Gmc. noun suffixes have been combined under this heading because in ME they work in similar ways both phonologically and semantically. A moderately active suffix in ME, -th(e was usu. added to adjectives: e.g., arghthe, depthe, fulthe, slouth(e, warmeth, but could also be added to verbs: e.g., akþe, heft, or nouns: e.g., bredth, welth(e; with bihofþe all three parts of speech may be involved. Occasionally it was added to words from other languages, e.g., tactþe, from a Latin noun or participle. A few other ME nouns which are thought to derive from nonextant OE nouns, e.g., derth(e, draught, herthe, iherthe, stelth(e, could also have come from the corresponding OE or ME verb or adjective.