Forming agent nouns from nouns and verbs, esp. also names of persons engaged in a trade or profession. (a) Inherited from OE: e.g. bōk-ere scribe [OE bōc-ere, from bōc document, charter], salt-ere……
A derivational suffix in nouns designating nations, races, or languages, and in adjectives describing them; from OE: Brittish, English, Denish (var. of Danish), Frensh, Grekish, Romanish, Welsh……
A suffix combining with adjectives, numerals, and pronouns (rarely also with adverbs) to form adjectives denoting: 'of a (certain) kind'; e.g., al(le-kinnes, ani-kinnes, foure-kinnes, ech-kinnes,……
A derivational suffix in abstract nouns derived from OE or ON: brud-lac, fair-lek, fight-lak, freo-lac, godleic, grimme-leȝȝc, haȝherleȝc, meklac, reflac, wedlok, etc. In ME formations it is……
A derivational suffix denoting deprivation and added to nouns to form adjectives. It appears frequently in adjectives from OE: berdles, bonles, endeles, faderles, frendles, godles, groundles,……
A derivational suffix in adjectives derived from OE or ON: armlich, ateoriendlic, atterlich, bigli, craftli, dedli, dirstlece, evenli, fokenlich, forwordenlic, greithli, gromlich, idafenlich,……
A derivational suffix forming nouns: (a) from other nouns, the referent of the derived noun being connected with, or similar to, that of the root noun: (from OE) erthling, fosterling, gadeling,……
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,……
