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suffixe

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Etymology and origin of the French word suffixe

Confidence
Established
Formation
Borrowing
First attested
1809 Mauget, translation of Friedrich Schlegel More words from the 19th century
Borrowed from
Latin suffixus
Ultimate origin
Latin suffīgō

Pronunciation

Forms

suffixe m (plural suffixes)[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Latin suffixus (“fixed beneath”), the past participle of suffīgō (“to fix beneath, attach”), a compound of sub- and fīgō (“to drive in, fix”).[2][3][4] Bloch and Wartburg note that it was taken for its grammatical sense in contrast to préfixe.[5] affixe and infixe belong to the same series.[5]

The sources date it differently: 1809 in Mauget's translation of Friedrich Schlegel's essay on the language of India (TLFi), 1808 (Rey), 1838 (Bloch and Wartburg, the Grand Robert and the Petit Robert).[2][3][5][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

It appears in 1809 in Mauget's French translation of Schlegel's essay on the language and philosophy of India, as a grammatical term.[2]

Semantic evolution

The word names an element placed after a radical to form a derivative, as opposed to the inflectional endings, and in comparative grammar it was applied to the formation of nouns in Sanskrit.[3] The Académie recorded it in 1842.[4] It gave the learned derivatives suffixer and suffixation (1876), suffixal (late 19th century) and suffixable (mid-20th century).[3][5] In computing it also names the final part of an e-mail or web address.[7]

Timeline

  • 1809 – First record, in Mauget's translation of Schlegel.[2]
  • 1838 – The date Bloch and Wartburg give.[5][6]
  • 1842 – Recorded by the Académie.[4]
  • 1876 – Suffixation and the past participle suffixé appear.[3][5]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (grammar, linguistics) A suffix, an affix added after a root or stem to form a derivative: le suffixe -ette.[7][2]
  2. (computing) The final part of an e-mail or web address, showing its origin.[7]

Word family

  • suffixer
  • suffixal
  • suffixation

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  3. ^ a b c d e Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  4. ^ a b c Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
  5. ^ a b c d e f Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  6. ^ a b Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ a b c Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert

Related etymologies

Cite this entry

“Suffixe.” Etymologically, 15 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/fr/suffixe. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Last edited on . ·