Etymology and origin of the Latin word -ilis
-ilis1 from verbs
- Confidence
- Probable
- Formation
- Inherited
- First attested
- c. 250–184 BC Plautus
- Inherited from
- Proto-Italic *-elis
- Ultimate origin
- Proto-Indo-European *-elis
Pronunciation
Forms
-ilis (neuter -ile, comparative -ilior, superlative -illimus or -ilissimus); third-declension two-termination suffix[1]
Etymology
The suffix for deverbal adjectives is inherited from Proto-Italic *-elis, from Proto-Indo-European *-elis, probably from *-lós.[1] It is cognate with Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.[1] Meiser reconstructs facilis with a vowel inserted before the /l/, from /*fak-li-/.[2] Weiss thinks forms such as humilis and similis may replace earlier thematic ones, as their cognates and the feminine ⟨gracila⟩ in Terence and Lucilius suggest.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Plautus, of about 250–184 BC,[4] already has docilis (“teachable”) and facilis (“easy”), and Naevius similis (“like”).[3]
Semantic evolution
The core use is with verbs, passive in sense, as in docilis and fragilis.[3][1] Added to perfect passive participles it gives -tilis, which often means skilfully made: fictilis, sūtilis, textilis.[5][3] Weiss connects alacer and volucer with instrument nouns in /*-tlo-/.[3] English -ile continues it.[6]
Timeline
- c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses docilis and facilis.[3][4]
- c. 235–200 BC – Naevius has similis.[3][4]
- 234–149 BC – Cato has fictilis (“made of clay”).[3][4]
- 170–c. 90 BC – Accius has fragilis.[3][4]
Meanings
Suffix
- Forms adjectives from perfect passive participles: fictilis, sūtilis.[5]
- Forms adjectives from other bases, meaning able or prone to be acted on or to act: facilis, ūtilis, docilis.[5][1]
- (rare) Forms adjectives from a noun or adjective stem: supellectilis, humilis.[1][5][3]
Word family
-ilis2 from nouns
- Confidence
- Probable
- Formation
- Derivation
- First attested
- c. 250–184 BC Plautus
- Ultimate origin
- Latin -ilis#1
Pronunciation
Forms
-īlis (neuter -īle); third-declension two-termination suffix[1]
Etymology
The suffix for adjectives from nouns is from Latin -ilis1, first added to i-stems and then used freely.[1] Weiss likewise finds it on bases of both i-stems and o-stems, with aedīlis, cīvīlis and hostīlis among those from i-stems.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
Plautus, of about 250–184 BC,[4] already has hostīlis (“of an enemy”), made from hostis.[3]
Semantic evolution
It makes adjectives of relation from nouns, as in cīvīlis, fabrīlis, hostīlis and virīlis, and these are often used as nouns, as with aedīlis.[5]
Timeline
Meanings
Suffix
- Forms adjectives from nouns indicating a relationship: cīvīlis, fabrīlis, hostīlis, virīlis.[5][1]
- Such adjectives used as nouns: aedīlis.[5]
Word family
Related words
- -ālis
- -ēlis
- -ūlis
- English -ile
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ Meiser, Gerhard (2010), Historische Laut- und Formenlehre der lateinischen Sprache, 3rd ed., Darmstadt: WBG
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Weiss, Michael (2020), Outline of the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Latin, 2nd ed., Ann Arbor: Beech Stave
- ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
- ^ a b c d e f g Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
- ^ Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“-ilis.” Etymologically, 6 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/la/-ilis. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.
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