*-ilaz²

Runic: ᛁᛚᚨᛉ Pronunciation: /i.lɑz/

suffix · forms nouns · masculine · a-stem

Function

  1. forms diminutives and hypocoristics, especially nouns denoting small, young, or affectionate versions of the base
  2. forms agent nouns and person nouns, denoting someone associated with or characterized by the base

Etymology

Probably from pre-Germanic *-i-lo-s / *-il-o-s, from the widespread Proto-Indo-European denominal/adjectival suffix *-ló-s, here specialized in Proto-Germanic as a diminutive and agent suffix similar to Latin -ulus of the same origin (de Goede 2014: 14–15). Ringe (2017: 149) identifies a PIE diminutive suffix *-el- which seems to likely be derived from the same suffix. This suffix is formally identical with the instrument suffix *-ilaz, but the two are historically distinct.

Paradigm

CaseSingularPlural
Nom.-ilaz-ilōz, -ilōs
Acc.-ilą-ilanz
Gen.-ilas, -ilis-ilǫ̂
Dat.-ilai-ilamaz
Inst.-ilō-ilamiz
Voc.-il-ilōz, -ilōs

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Descendants

  • *-il (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -el, -il (Old English)
      • -el (Middle English)
        • -el, -le (English)
        • -el, -il (Scots)
  • *-il (Proto-West Germanic)
    • -il (Old High German)
      • -el (German)
  • -ill, -la (Old Norse)
    • -il (Faroese)
    • -ill, -la (Icelandic)
  • -ill, -la (Old Norse)
    • -il (Old Swedish)
      • -el (Swedish)
  • -𐌹𐌻𐌰 (-ila) (Gothic)

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