-i-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "i"

English

Etymology 1

From Latin -i-.

Interfix

-i-

1. (in coining neologisms) A vowel inserted interconsonantally between morphemes of Latinate origin in order to ease pronunciation (an anaptyxis, a linking vowel).

Derived terms

Derived terms

• equi- (equidistant)
• -iferous (sudoriferous)
• -iform (cuneiform, setiform)

See also

English terms interfixed with -i-

• -o- (the Greek parallel)

References

• The Concise Oxford English Dictionary [Eleventh Edition] lists -i- as an entry.

Etymology 2

The initial vowel of primate.

Interfix

-i-

1. (pharmacology) a monoclonal antibody derived from a non-human primate source

Related terms

• -mab is the base suffix common to all monoclonal antibodies. (See that entry for full paradigm.)

References

• USP Dictionary of USAN and International Drug Names, U.S. Pharmacopeia, 2000

Etymology 3

A word-internal spelling variant of a word-final y.

Suffix

-i-

1. A spelling variant of a word-final -y vowel when followed by a suffix that does not begin with an i, for example -ied, -ier, -iest.

   happiness (happy +‎ -ness)

   penniless (penny +‎ -less)

   beautiful (beauty +‎ -ful)

2. In compound words, a spelling variant of a final or suffixed -y vowel in the first word.

   pantiliner (panty +‎ liner)

Usage notes

This convention applies to any final y vowel, not just to the suffix -y. It does not apply to digraph vowels ending in y and followed by a suffix -s, for example lay → lays (cf. laid, lain), nor to a single-letter y vowel before a suffix such as -ing that begin with an i, for example spying (cf. spies, spied). There is no pattern predicting when the spelling change happens; for example, penniless is far more common than pennyless, but babiless is very rare.

Czech

Interfix

-i-

1. connecting two parts of some compound words

   konipas (kůň +‎ -i- +‎ pást)

Derived terms

Czech terms interfixed with -i-

Finnish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *-i-, from Proto-Uralic *-j (oblique plural marker).

Interfix

-i-

1. Plural marker in nominal forms, except in nominative case, in which it is -t.

   talossa - taloissa ― in the house - in the houses

Usage notes

• if the plural indicator is between two vowels it becomes -j-

  talon - talojen ― of the house - of the houses

Derived terms

• -ikko
• -ittaa

 

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *-i-, from Proto-Uralic *-j (past tense marker).

Interfix

-i-

1. Past tense marker in verbs.

   katson - katsoin ― I watch - I watched

Latin

Etymology

From the reduction of several historical unstressed short stem vowels during the Old Latin period. The reduced vowel was later reinterpreted as part of various suffixes.

Interfix

-i-

1. Connecting vowel inserted between a stem and a suffix or other appended words in compound words.

Derived terms

Latin terms interfixed with -i-

Old Irish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ʲ] (realized on the following consonant)

Palatalization of a word-final consonant or consonant cluster is indicated by the insertion of an orthographic ⟨i⟩ before the letter(s) representing the consonant(s).

Simulfix

-i-

1. Creates i-stem adjectives from prefixed bases.

   ‎so- (“good”) + ‎nert (“strength”) + ‎-i- → ‎sonairt (“strong”, literally “(with) good strength”)

   ‎dí- + ‎folud + ‎-i- → ‎deolaid (“gratuitous”)

   ‎ess- (privative prefix) + ‎ómun (“fear”) + ‎-i- → ‎esamain (“fearless”)

2. Marks various inflections, including:
   1. the genitive singular of masculine and neuter o-stem nouns and o/ā- and u-stem adjectives
   2. the vocative singular and nominative plural of masculine o-stem nouns and o/ā-stem adjectives
   3. the accusative and dative singular of feminine ā-stem nouns and o/ā- and u-stem adjectives
   4. the nominative, vocative and accusative dual of feminine ā-stem nouns
   5. the accusative and dative singular; nominative, vocative and accusative dual; and nominative plural of masculine and feminine consonant-stem nouns
   6. the dative singular of neuter consonant-stem nouns
   7. the third-person singular absolute and conjunct of suffixless preterite active verb forms
   8. the third-person singular absolute of present s-subjunctive active verb forms

Derived terms

Old Irish terms interfixed with -i-

Further reading

• Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940, reprinted 2017) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, § 345, page 219

Old Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (10^th–15^th CE) /i/
• IPA^(key): (15^th CE) /i/

Interfix

-i-

1. used in forming certain compounds

Derived terms

Old Polish terms interfixed with -i-

Descendants

• Polish: -i-

Polish

Alternative forms

• -y-

Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish -i-.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i/
• Rhymes: -i
• Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]
• Homophones: i, -i

Interfix

-i-

1. used in forming certain compounds

   łamać + strajk → łamistrajk

Derived terms

Polish terms interfixed with -i-

See also

• -o-, -u-

Further reading

• -i- in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Spanish

Interfix

-i-

1. forms compounds

Derived terms

Spanish terms interfixed with -i-

Swahili

Infix

-i-

1. it, them; mi class_(IV)/n class_(IX) object concord

See also

Swahili verbal concords (third person)

Class	Subject concord		Object concord	Relative
	affirmative	negative
m(I)	a-, yu-	ha-, hayu-	-m-, -mw-, -mu-	-ye
wa(II)	wa-	hawa-	-wa-	-o
m(III)	u-	hau-	-u-	-o
mi(IV)	i-	hai-	-i-	-yo
ji(V)	li-	hali-	-li-	-lo
ma(VI)	ya-	haya-	-ya-	-yo
ki(VII)	ki-	haki-	-ki-	-cho
vi(VIII)	vi-	havi-	-vi-	-vyo
n(IX)	i-	hai-	-i-	-yo
n(X)	zi-	hazi-	-zi-	-zo
u(XI)	u-	hau-	-u-	-o
ku(XV/XVII)	ku-	haku-	-ku-	-ko
pa(XVI)	pa-	hapa-	-pa-	-po
mu(XVIII)	m-, mw-, mu-	ham-, hamw-, hamu-	-mu-	-mo
For a full table including first and second person, see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns.