-ean

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ean"

English

Etymology

From Latin -ānus, following Latin stems ending in -e(us), -ē(us) (many from Ancient Greek -ηιος), or -æ(us) (many from -αιος).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-ˈiːən/, /-iən/

Suffix

-ean

1. Forms adjectives, usually from proper nouns.

Usage notes

• Almost all English words ending in "ean" are originally from Latin (Caesarean) or Greek (Euclidean). A few were later formed by adding -an to a stem or word ending in -ea (Korean), -es (Andean), or a silent -e (Boolean).

• Prescriptively, the suffix should be stressed if the word derives from a Latin stem ending in -ē(us) or -æ(us), and unstressed otherwise, but in practice in many words it has both pronunciations.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -ean

Anagrams

• ANE, -ane, NAE, NEA, ENA

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• -eanu

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-ěninъ.

Suffix

-ean m (feminine singular -eanã, masculine plural -eanj or -enj, feminine plural -eani or -eane)

1. Forms adjectives and nouns indicating origin or place of birth (such as from a certain city or region).

   ‎Pindu (“Pindus”) + ‎-ean → ‎pindean (“pindian”)

   ‎Gramusti (“Grammos village”) + ‎-ean → ‎grãmustean (“Grammostian”)

Derived terms

Aromanian terms suffixed with -ean

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic -ѣнинъ (-ěninŭ), from Proto-Slavic *-ěninъ. Might also be conflated with Latin -iānus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /e̯an/

Suffix

-ean m or n (feminine singular -eană or -eancă, masculine plural -eni, feminine and neuter plural -ene or -eance)

1. Forms adjectives and nouns indicating origin or place of birth (such as from a certain city or region), or occasionally nationality.

   ‎Ardeal (“Transylvania”) + ‎-ean → ‎ardelean (“Transylvanian”)

   ‎București (“Bucharest”) + ‎-ean → ‎bucureștean (“Bucharestian”)

Usage notes

-eancă is often used instead of -eană to form feminine nouns.

Declension

Declension of -ean

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	-ean		-eană	-eni	-ene
	definite	-eanul		-eana	-enii	-enele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	-ean		-ene	-eni	-ene
	definite	-eanului		-enei	-enilor	-enelor

Derived terms

Romanian terms suffixed with -ean

Romanian terms suffixed with -eană

See also

• -eancă
• -oaică

Spanish

Suffix

-ean

1. third-person plural present indicative of -ear