-ese

Forms

-ese (plural -esi)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Latin -ēnsis (“belonging to, originating in”), from the accusative -ēnsem, the popular outcome beside the learned -ense.^[2][1][3] Sabatini–Coletti explains the form by the weakening of /n/ before a consonant, against the Latinizing -ense, and Zingarelli starts from Vulgar Latin -ēsem for the classical form with /n/.^[4][5] The same suffix is Sicilian -isi.^[1]

The ironic sense, naming a jargon, as in politichese, grew out of the use of francese, inglese and similar adjectives as names of languages.^[3][6] Zingarelli treats it as a second suffix and adds the model of the English suffix -ese of journalese.^[5]

In Latin the suffix formed adjectives mainly from words for places, as castrēnsis and forēnsis, and also from place names.^[7] Its origin is unknown: Gähwiler, following a suggestion of Leumann, saw it as Etruscan, because its earliest use outside place names is in ātriēnsis, and the Roman atrium came from the Etruscans;^[1] Castrén rejected that word as late and placed the suffix among peoples of ancient Latium, perhaps borrowed from another Italic language;^[1] Kircher-Durand proposed a source in Proto-Indo-European *-went-ti-.^[1]

Semantic evolution

The suffix first formed the names of the inhabitants of places, as in lucchese and casentinese, and adjectives of origin from cities, regions and countries: milanese, calabrese, francese.^[2][3] Much more rarely it marks social standing, as in borghese, cortese and marchese.^[3][4]

More recently, especially in the language of journalism, it has spread with an ironic or disparaging value to name the jargon of a group, as in politichese, sinistrese, burocratese and computerese, and even a degraded way of speaking, as in italianese.^[2][8][3]

Meanings

Suffix

1. Forms adjectives and nouns of origin or nationality from the names of cities, regions and countries: milanese, calabrese, francese.^[3][4][5]
2. Forms words for a social standing or title: borghese, marchese.^[3][4][5]
3. (ironic, disparaging) Forms names for the jargon of a group: politichese, burocratese.^[8][5][3]

Word family

• milanese
• francese
• inglese
• borghese
• cortese
• marchese
• politichese
• burocratese
• sinistrese

Related words

• -ense
• Latin -ensis

Usage notes

The learned form of the suffix is -ense, as in statunitense and forense.^[3][9] The s may be voiced or voiceless.^[4][1]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c Nocentini, Alberto; Parenti, Alessandro (2010), l'Etimologico: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Firenze: Le Monnier
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Duro, Aldo (ed.) (1986–1994), Vocabolario della lingua italiana, Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana; online ed. treccani.it/vocabolario (2008 copy)
4. ^ a b c d e Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
5. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
6. ^ Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
7. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
8. ^ a b Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
9. ^ Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana