-el

See also: Appendix:Variations of "el"

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əl/, /l̩/

Etymology 1

From Middle English -el, from Old English -el, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Alternative forms

• -le, -al

Suffix

-el

2. Suffix forming nouns, originally denoting an instrument, from verbs, usually spelt -le except after n and e.

   runnel, shovel, dotel

4. Diminutive suffix in words of Germanic origin.

   hatchel, hovel, gomeral

Etymology 2

From Middle English -el, a merger of two suffixes:

• Old English -el (diminutive suffix)
• Old French -el (diminutive suffix), from Latin -ellus

Suffix

-el

1. Suffix, originally diminutive, in words of mostly Romance origin.

   cupel, chapel, tunnel

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -el

Anagrams

• -le, LE, Le, LαE, le

Abenaki

Suffix

-el

1. Used on verbs, together with the prefix k-, to indicate that the first person singular (I) is the actor and the second person singular (you) is the object of the verb.

   n'kezalmô

   I love

   k'kezalmel

   I love you (singular)

Usage notes

The suffix is spelled -ol by some writers.

See also

• -elba

Breton

Etymology

Cf. French -el (e.g. sexuel, individuel, industriel)

Suffix

-el

1. To make an adjective of a noun; -al

   ‎broad (“nation”) + ‎-el → ‎broadel (“national”)

Derived terms

Breton terms suffixed with -el

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ ɛl]

Suffix

-el f (noun-forming suffix)

1. forms nouns

   ‎koupat + ‎-el → ‎koupel

Derived terms

Czech terms suffixed with -el

Further reading

• -el in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /el/, [ˈɛlˀ]

Suffix

-el

1. -al

Derived terms

Danish terms suffixed with -el

Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *-el, from Proto-West Germanic *-il, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. probably more than one etymology involved

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əl/

Suffix

-el

1. A now-unproductive suffix forming diminutive and instrument nouns.

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -el

Esperanto

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-el

1. in [...] way

   -el is the ending for correlatives of manner or degree

Derived terms

• kiel (“in what way, in what manner, how”)
• tiel (“in that way, in that manner, thus”)
• ĉiel (“in every way, in every manner”)
• iel (“in some way, in some manner, somehow”)
• neniel (“in no way, nohow”)
• (nonce) aliel (“in another way, somehow else”)

Franco-Provençal

Pronoun

-el f

1. postpositive form of el

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French -el, from Latin -ālis. Doublet of -al.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-el (feminine -elle, masculine plural -els, feminine plural -elles)

1. forms adjectives from nouns: -al

Derived terms

French terms suffixed with -el

Descendants

• → Danish: -el
• → Dutch: -eel
  • Afrikaans: -eel
  • → Indonesian: -il
• → German: -ell
• → Norwegian Bokmål: -ell
• → Norwegian Nynorsk: -ell
• → Swedish: -ell
• → Turkish: -sel
• → Yiddish: ־על (-el)

See also

• -al

German

Etymology

From Middle High German -el, from Old High German -il, direct descendant of Proto-West Germanic *-il, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz, or from dialectal variants of -lein, which as well ultimately go back to *-ilaz or to *-ilingaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /əl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-el

1. suffix in diminutives (regional)

   ‎Kind (“child”) + ‎-el → ‎Kindel (“little child, darling”)

   ‎Haus (“house”) + ‎-el → ‎Häusel (“little house”)

2. suffix in nouns indicating appurtenance

   ‎Arm (“arm”) + ‎-el → ‎Ärmel (“sleeve”)

   ‎Eiche (“oak”) + ‎-el → ‎Eichel (“acorn”)

3. suffix in agent and instrumental nouns

   Büttel, Meißel, Weisel

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -el

Further reading

• “-el” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

Hungarian

Etymology

From -e- +‎ -l.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛl]
• Rhymes: -ɛl

Suffix

-el

2. (personal suffix) Forms the second-person singular present tense of verbs ending in s, sz, z, dz (indicative mood, indefinite conjugation).

   ‎keres (“to seek”) + ‎-el → ‎keresel (“you seek, you are seeking”)

4. (verb-forming suffix) Added to a noun to form a verb.

   ‎ebéd (“lunch”) + ‎-el → ‎ebédel (“to eat lunch”)

6. (noun-forming suffix) Added to a verb to form a noun. No longer productive in this role.

   ‎lep (“to cover”) + ‎-el → ‎lepel (“wrap”)

Usage notes

    Present tense indefinite – personal suffixes

Person		Back     vowel	Front vowel
			unrounded	rounded
én	1st person singular	-ok	-ek	-ök
	-ik verbs (optional)	-om	-em	-öm
te	2nd person singular	-sz
	after two consonants or a long vowel + t	-asz	-esz
	after s, sz, z, dz	-ol	-el	-öl
ő maga ön	3rd person singular	–
	-ik verbs	-ik
mi	1st person plural	-unk	-ünk
ti	2nd person plural	-tok	-tek	-tök
	after two consonants or a long vowel + t	-otok	-etek	-ötök
ők maguk önök	3rd person plural	-nak	-nek
	after two consonants or a long vowel + t	-anak	-enek
See also: present-tense definite-object suffixes and second-person-object suffixes for informal addressing.

• (personal suffix) Variants:

  -sz added to verbs not in the categories listed below

  ‎vár (“to wait”) + ‎-sz → ‎vársz (“you wait, you are waiting”)

  -asz added to back-vowel verbs ending in two consonants or -ít

  ‎hall (“to hear”) + ‎-asz → ‎hallasz (“you hear, you are hearing”)

  ‎tanít (“to teach”) + ‎-asz → ‎tanítasz (“you teach, you are teaching”)

  -esz added to front-vowel verbs ending in two consonants or -ít

  ‎dönt (“to decide”) + ‎-esz → ‎döntesz (“you decide, you are deciding”)

  ‎segít (“to help”) + ‎-esz → ‎segítesz (“you help, you are helping”)

  -ol added to back-vowel verbs ending in s, sz, z, dz

  ‎olvas (“to read”) + ‎-ol → ‎olvasol (“you read, you are reading”)

  -el added to unrounded front-vowel verbs ending in s, sz, z, dz

  ‎vesz (“to buy”) + ‎-el → ‎veszel (“you buy, you are buying”)

  -öl added to rounded front-vowel verbs ending in s, sz, z, dz

  ‎főz (“to cook”) + ‎-öl → ‎főzöl (“you cook, you are cooking”)

• (verb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -l is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-. Final long vowels may shorten, e.g. ű → ü.

  -ol is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -al is added to other back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -el is added to unrounded (and some rounded) front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -öl is added to most rounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -ál is added to some back-vowel words ending in a consonant

Note: Certain words take another, synonymous suffix, -z/-oz/-az/-ez/-öz/-áz or -zik/-ozik/-azik/-ezik/-özik.

• (noun-forming suffix) Variants:

  -al is added to back-vowel words

  -el is added to front-vowel words

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -el

Hungarian nouns suffixed with -el

See also

• Category:Hungarian verb forms
• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

Low German

Etymology 1

From Middle Low German -el, from Old Saxon -il, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Suffix

-el m

1. Suffix forming nouns originally denoting an agent from verbs.

   Lepel, Snavel, Stickel

Etymology 2

From Middle Low German -ling. Result of resegmentation of nouns with -el and -ing suffixes. See the English suffix -ling. Akin to English, Dutch and German -ling.

Suffix

-el m

1. A suffix that describes a male person (or other creature) in terms of a place of origin or a quality, as defined by the root to which it is added. Now often replaced by a compound with Jung for a male person, and Deern for a female person such as Lehrjung, Lehrdeern (male/female pupil).

Derived terms

• Bückel
• Stickel

Middle English

Etymology 1

From Old English -el, -ol, from Proto-West Germanic *-ul, from Proto-Germanic *-ulaz.

Alternative forms

• -le

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-əl/

Suffix

-el

1. Forms adjectives meaning "tending to" or "able to" from verbs.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -el (adjectival)

Descendants

• English: -le
• Scots: -le

References

• “-el, suf.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

From Old English -el, -ol, from Proto-West Germanic *-il, from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Alternative forms

• -ell, -il, -ill, -le, -ul, -yl, -yll, -ylle

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-əl/

Suffix

-el

1. Forms diminutives from verbs or other nouns.
2. Forms agent nouns from verbs or other nouns.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -el (agentive)

Descendants

• English: -le, -el
• Scots: -le, -el

References

• “-el, suf.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 3

From Old French -el, -ele, from Latin -ālis and -ellus, -ella.

Alternative forms

• -ele, -ell, -elle, -eylle, -le, -yll, -ylle

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-ˈɛːl(ə)/, /-ɛl(ə)/

Suffix

-el

1. Forms diminutives from verbs or other nouns.

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -el (diminutive)

Descendants

• English: -el, -le

Etymology 4

Suffix

-el

1. Alternative form of -al

Etymology 5

Suffix

-el

1. Alternative form of -elen

Norman

Etymology

From Old French -el, from Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-el

1. makes an adjectival form of a noun; -al

Derived terms

Norman terms suffixed with -el

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /el/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *-a-l-.

Suffix

-el

1. Alternative form of -ol

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *-ilaz.

Alternative forms

• -il

Suffix

-el

1. (causes i-mutation) agent and instrumental suffix creating nouns from verbs

   ‎crēopan (“to creep”) + ‎-el → ‎crypel (“cripple”)

   ‎bēodan (“to command”) + ‎-el → ‎bydel (“herald, messenger”)

   ‎spittan (“to dig”) + ‎-el → ‎spitel (“shovel”)

   ‎hladan (“to lade”) + ‎-el → ‎hlædel (“ladle”)

   ‎þrēapian (“to reprove, reprehend”) + ‎-el → ‎þrīpel (“instrument of punishment, cross”)

Declension

Declension of -el

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-el	-elas, -las
accusative	-el	-elas, -las
genitive	-eles, -les	-ela, -la
dative	-ele, -le	-elum, -lum

Descendants

• Middle English: -el
  • English: -le, -el
  • Scots: -le, -el

Old French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɛl/

Etymology 1

From Latin -ālis.

Suffix

-el

1. used to form an adjective

Descendants

• French: -el

Etymology 2

From Latin -ellus.

Suffix

-el

1. used to form a diminutive

Descendants

• French: -eau
• → Middle English: -el, -ele, -ell, -elle, -eylle, -le, -yll, -ylle
  • English: -el, -le

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛl
• Syllabification: el

Suffix

-el m

1. forms masculine agent nouns

   ‎śmierdzieć + ‎-el → ‎śmierdziel

Declension

Masculine personal:

Declension of -el

	singular	plural
nominative	-el	-ele / -elowie
genitive	-ela	-eli / -elów
dative	-elowi	-elom
accusative	-ela	-eli / -elów
instrumental	-elem	-elami
locative	-elu	-elach
vocative	-elu	-ele / -elowie

Masculine animate:

Declension of -el

	singular	plural
nominative	-el	-ele
genitive	-ela	-eli
dative	-elowi	-elom
accusative	-ela	-ele
instrumental	-elem	-elami
locative	-elu	-elach
vocative	-elu	-ele

Masculine inanimate:

Declension of -el

	singular	plural
nominative	-el	-ele
genitive	-elu	-eli
dative	-elowi	-elom
accusative	-el	-ele
instrumental	-elem	-elami
locative	-elu	-elach
vocative	-elu	-ele

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -el

Further reading

• -el in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Romani

Suffix

-el

1. Forms the third-person singular present indicative of consonantal oikoclitic verbs

Romanian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ellus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /el/

Suffix

-el m (plural -ei, feminine -ea, feminine plural -ele)

1. used to form a masculine diminutive of a word (e.g. ‎băiat (“boy”) + ‎-el → ‎băiețel (“little boy”)

   Synonyms: -uș, -aș, -uț, -șor

Declension

Declension of -el

	singular		plural
	indefinite articulation	definite articulation	indefinite articulation	definite articulation
nominative/accusative	(un) -el	-elul	(niște) -ei	-eii
genitive/dative	(unui) -el	-elului	(unor) -ei	-eilor
vocative	-elule		-eilor

Derived terms

Romanian terms suffixed with -el

Related terms

• -ea

Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛl/

Etymology 1

preceding vowel
A / I / O / U	E / İ / Ö / Ü
-al	-el

A variation of -il (“derives deverbals and denominals”), from Proto-Turkic *-il or Proto-Turkic *-gil. Both variants are likely merged with homophonic -il (“derives adjectives for onomatopoeia and colors”).
See şırıltı (“onomatopoeia for flowing water”), kızıl (“red”) and yeşil (“green”).
For words from using the same suffix, see güzel (“beautiful”), tombul (“chubby”), tükel (“complete, perfect”), kutsal (“holy, sacred”), çatal (“fork”) and çakıl (“gravel”).
Perhaps influenced by French -al, whence -sel as in göksel or işitsel but not kutsal.

Suffix

-el

1. Derives adjectives from nouns and verbs.

   özel (“private, special”) from öz (“self”)

Derived terms

Turkish terms suffixed with -el

Etymology 2

preceding vowel
A / I / O / U	E / İ / Ö / Ü
-al	-el

From Ottoman Turkish ـال (-al, -el) or ـل (-l), a combination of Proto-Turkic *-(g)a (verb-forming suffix) and *-il (passive suffix).

Suffix

-el

2. Derives intransitive verbs from adjectives.

   ‎ince (“thin”) + ‎-l → ‎(int.) incelmek (“to thin”)

   ‎dar (“narrow”) + ‎-al → ‎(int.) daralmak (“to narrow”)

   ‎çok (“many, much”) + ‎-al → ‎(int.) çoğalmak (“to multiply”)

   ‎düz (“straight”) + ‎-el → ‎(int.) düzelmek (“to straighten”)

   ‎kısa (“short”) + ‎-al → ‎(int.) kısalmak (“to shorten”)

   ‎yön (“direction”) + ‎-el → ‎(int.) yönelmek (“to face, to turn towards”)

   ‎diri (“alive, not dead”) + ‎-l → ‎(int.) dirilmek (“to come alive, to come back to life”)

Derived terms

Turkish terms suffixed with -el (verb-forming suffix)

Volapük

Suffix

-el

1. Used to indicate a maker of a certain thing.

Derived terms

Volapük terms suffixed with -el