-aggine

Forms

-aggine f (noun-forming suffix, plural -aggini)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin -āgō.^[2][3][1][4] In Latin the suffix formed mainly names of plants; it was later extended to abstract qualities.^[2][5][6] Sabatini–Coletti and Zingarelli explain the extension by the parallel suffix -īgō (Italian -iggine), which expressed such qualities.^[6][5]

Semantic evolution

The old value of the Latin suffix survives in a few plant names: borraggine, fusaggine, piantaggine.^[4] Most Italian words in -aggine are abstract nouns made from adjectives, less often from nouns or verbs, naming a condition or quality that is usually negative: balordaggine, fanciullaggine, testardaggine, tetraggine.^[2][5][4] Many can also name an act typical of a person with that quality, or its result.^[4]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forms abstract nouns, mostly from adjectives, that name a condition or a quality, usually a negative one: cocciutaggine, dabbenaggine, lungaggine, sfacciataggine.^[7][4][1]
2. Forms nouns for an act that shows such a quality: a scempiaggine is a foolish act or remark.^[4][6]

Word family

• balordaggine
• fanciullaggine
• testardaggine
• tetraggine
• cocciutaggine
• dabbenaggine
• lungaggine
• sfacciataggine
• scempiaggine
• buffonaggine

Related words

• -iggine
• Latin -ago

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d e f Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
5. ^ a b c Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ a b c Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
7. ^ Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier