-n

See also: -ń and Appendix:Variations of "n"

Languages (26)

English

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Azerbaijani • Basque • Bavarian • Chuukese • Emilian • Esperanto • Finnish • Garo • German • Hopi • Hungarian • Ido • Ingrian • Japanese • Mokilese • Northern Sami • Ojibwe • Pitjantjatjara • Quechua • Romanian • Somali • Swedish • Tlingit • Turkish • Zazaki

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Page categories

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English -n, from Old English -n, rare alternative form of Old English -en (“-en”). More at -en.

Suffix

-n

1. Alternative form of -en.

   ‎silver + ‎-n → ‎silvern

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Middle English -n

English -n

Suffix

-n

2. Alternative form of -an, adjective or noun suffix meaning "of or pertaining to", used with words which already end in a.

   ‎Java + ‎-n → ‎Javan

   ‎Burma + ‎-n → ‎Burman

   ‎Minnesota + ‎-n → ‎Minnesotan

   ‎Russia + ‎-n → ‎Russian

Etymology 3

From Middle English -n, -en, from Old English -n, -en and Old Norse -inn, both from Proto-Germanic *-anaz, *-inaz, past participle ending of strong verbs. Cognate with Dutch -en, German -en, Swedish -en, Icelandic -inn.

Suffix

-n

2. Alternative form of -en (past participle ending).

   ‎grow + ‎-n → ‎grown

   ‎show + ‎-n → ‎shown

   ‎slow + ‎-n → ‎slown

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -n (past participle)

awoken

blown

broken

drawn

driven

forespoken

forfairn

forgiven

forsaken

frozen

given

glown

grown

hewn

known

mistaken

mown

proven

risen

sawn

screwn

seen

sewn

shaken

shown

slown

sown

spoken

taken

thrown

woken

Azerbaijani

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [n]

Suffix

	preceding vowel
	a / i	e / ə / i̇	o / u	ö / ü
postconsonantal except after L	-ıl	-il	-ul	-ül
after L	-ın	-in	-un	-ün
postvocalic	-n

-n

1. Postvocalic form of -il.

Derived terms

See -il.

Basque

Alternative forms

• -en (see usage notes)

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Pronoun

-n

1. what, which, that

   Eman didazun liburua irakurtzen ari naiz. ― I'm reading the book that you gave me.

   Esaten dizudana egia da. ― What I'm telling you is true.

2. Used to form indirect questions.

   Ez dakit nor zaren. ― I don't know who you are.

Usage notes

The form taken by this clitic depends on the ending of the verbal form to which it is attached.

• In verb forms ending with -ke, the result is -keen.

  ‎naiteke (“I can be”) + ‎-n → ‎naitekeen (“which I can be”).

• In verb forms ending with -n (excluding second-person singular informal feminine forms, see below), the ending doesn't change.

  ‎nintzen (“I was”) + ‎-n → ‎nintzen (“which I was”).

• In verb forms ending with -t, the result is -dan.

  ‎dakit (“I know it”) + ‎-n → ‎dakidan (“which I know”).

• In second-person singular informal forms, the endings in -k or -n become -an and -nan respectively.

  ‎duk (“you (masculine) have it”) + ‎-n → ‎duan (“which you (masculine) have”).

  ‎dun (“you (feminine) have it”) + ‎-n → ‎dunan (“which you (feminine) have”).

• In verb forms ending in -u where the ending is not related to the -gu, -zu person markers, the result is -uen.

  ‎ditu (“he has them”) + ‎-n → ‎dituen (“which he has”).

• In auxiliary forms ending in -a the ending becomes -en.

  ‎dira (“they are”) + ‎-n → ‎diren (“which they are”).

• All other forms ending in a vowel take the suffix -n and those ending in -z the variant -en.

  ‎naiz (“I am”) + ‎-n → ‎naizen (“which I am”).

  ‎zarete (“you are”) + ‎-n → ‎zareten (“which you are”).

  ‎dakartza (“he carries them”) + ‎-n → ‎dakartzan (“which he carries”).

Declension

This pronoun needs an inflection-table template.

Derived terms

• -nean (“when”)
• -nez (“as”)
• -nik

Further reading

• “adizkiaren forma-aldaketak, aditz laguntzailea + menderagailuak (-(e)n, -(e)la, -(e)lako...) elartzean”, in Euskara Batuaren Eskuliburua [Handbook of Standard Basque], Euskaltzaindia, 2023

Bavarian

Etymology

From Middle High German -en, a merger of various infinitive forms in Old High German. Cognates include German -en, -n and Luxembourgish -en.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-n/, /-n̩/

Suffix

-n

1. Used to form verbs.

Derived terms

Bavarian terms suffixed with -n

Fotzn

fotzn

palästern

passn

siaßn

åtmen

Chuukese

Suffix

-n

1. alternative form of -en

Emilian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n/

Pronoun

-n (adverbial)

1. (enclitic, after a vowel) alternative form of in

   Manjēn un pōk! ― Eat some of it! (imperative, plural)

Esperanto

Etymology

From Ancient Greek -ν (-n) (masculine and feminine accusative ending) and/or German -en (masculine accusative ending).

Suffix

-n

1. accusative ending

   ŝtono / li ĵetas la ŝtonon

   stone / he throws the stone

   afabla / mi renkontis la afablajn virinojn

   kind / I met the kind women

2. ending indicating destination: in the direction of, and arriving at

   tablo / la kato saltis sur tablon

   table / the cat jumped on(to) a table

   fridujo / ŝi metos la botelojn da lakto en la fridujon

   refrigerator / she will put the bottles of milk in(to) the refrigerator

Finnish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *-n, conflated from Proto-Uralic *-n (genitive suffix) and from Proto-Uralic *-m (accusative suffix).

Suffix

-n

1. Used to form the genitive case.

   talon ovi (talo (“house”)) ― the house's door

   tytön takki (tyttö (“girl”)) ― the girl's coat

   käden sormet (käsi (“hand”)) ― the hand's fingers

3. Used to form the accusative case in the singular.

   Näin tytön. ― I saw a/the girl.

   Tapasin poikani eilen. ― I met my son yesterday.

Usage notes

• (genitive):
  • See the appendix on Finnish nominal cases for more information on how the genitive case is used.
  • Attached to the weak stem (the stem with the weak grade, except for words with inverse gradation).
  • When possessive suffixes are used, the genitive suffix is replaced by the possessive suffix, but the genitive stem is used nonetheless.

    taloni ― my house, tyttösi ― your daughter, kätensä ― his/her hand

• (accusative):
  • See the appendix on Finnish nominal cases for more information on how the accusative case is used.
  • The genitive singular and accusative singular have become identical in modern Finnish (they have undergone syncretism), but from a diachronic standpoint they are distinct suffixes. The object of a transitive verb may look also like the nominative but is still called the accusative in traditional grammars (see also Appendix:Finnish nominal cases#Accusative). There's also the partial object, which uses the partitive case. For the accusative forms of personal pronouns and the interrogative pronoun ken, see -t.
  • -t is used for the accusative plural, which is always identical in form to the nominative plural.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *-n, probably of the same origin as the genitive suffix (see -n, etymology 1). The instructive singular only exists for a few nouns in modern Finnish (such as jalan from jalka); the case is usually used in the plural (-in).

Suffix

-n

1. Used to form the instructive case, usually only in the plural.

   Pääsin ojan yli kuivin jaloin.

   I could cross the ditch with dry feet.

Usage notes

• See the appendix on Finnish nominal cases for more information on how the instructive case is used.
• The only occasion (in Standard Finnish) where this suffix is used with a possessive suffix — without being to be translated — is the idiom käydä päinsä (“to be acceptable”) (the instructive plural of pää + possessive suffix -nsa).

Etymology 3

From Proto-Finnic *-n, from Proto-Uralic *-m, probably connected to the first-person singular personal pronoun minä.

Suffix

-n

1. (personal) the first-person singular suffix for verbs

   luen ― I read

   kadotin ― I lost/misplaced

   en mene ― I will not go

See also

• -t
• -mme
• -tte
• -vat

Further reading

• Wikipedia article on Finnish grammar

Etymology 4

Suffix

-n

1. alternative form of -ne (diminutive nominal suffix)

Garo

Suffix

-n

1. emphasis marker

   Uan re·angaha

   He did go away

   Napbabo, da·on!

   Come in, right now!

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [n]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Suffix

-n

1. alternative form of -en

Usage notes

• Used after -er, -el except in adjectives, where it is uncommon. Also used after vowels and vowel + -r, -l, but chiefly restricted to dated, poetic, or colloquial usage (except in Herrn, sein, tun).
• The use after reduced -e (as in Affe → Affen) is more often interpreted in such a way that -e is deleted before the suffix -en, because the same happens before other suffixes (cf. Äffin, Äffchen). However, it may also be interpreted as -e + -n.

Hopi

Postposition

-n

1. like, as (often attached to pronouns).

Hungarian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [n]

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-n (superessive case suffix)

2. on. Forms the superessive case from nouns, adjectives, participles, and certain pronouns.

   ‎hajó (“ship”) + ‎-n → ‎hajón (“on [the] ship”)

Usage notes

• (superessive case suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.

  -on is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -en is added to unrounded front-vowel words ending in a consonant

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

Hungarian case suffixes

case	back vowel a, á, o, ó, u, ú	front vowel
		unrounded e, é, i, í	rounded ö, ő, ü, ű
nominative	—
accusative	-t
	-ot / -at	-et	-öt
dative	-nak	-nek
instrumental	-val	-vel
causal-final	-ért
translative	-vá	-vé
terminative	-ig
essive-formal	-ként1
essive-modal	-ul	-ül
inessive	-ban	-ben
superessive	-n
	-on	-en	-ön
adessive	-nál	-nél
illative	-ba	-be
sublative	-ra	-re
allative	-hoz	-hez	-höz
elative	-ból	-ből
delative	-ról	-ről
ablative	-tól	-től

¹ Stem-final -a/-e changes to -á-/-é-, respectively, except before -ként.
    alma — almában, but almaként
    zene ― zenében, but zeneként

See also

• Category:Hungarian terms taking -n/-on/-en/-ön
• Category:Hungarian noun forms

Hungarian pronominal adverbs from case suffixes (see also postpositions)

case	suffix	who?	what?	this	that	he/she (it)1	verbal prefix	category
nominative	–	ki	mi	ez	az	ő* / -∅ az / -∅	–	–
accusative	-t / -ot / -at / -et / -öt	kit	mit	ezt	azt	őt* / -∅ azt / -∅	–	c1 c2
dative	-nak / -nek	kinek	minek	ennek	annak	neki	neki-	category
instrumental	-val / -vel	kivel	mivel	ezzel/ evvel	azzal/ avval	vele		category
causal-final	-ért	kiért	miért	ezért	azért	érte	–	category
translative	-vá / -vé	kivé	mivé	ezzé	azzá	–	–	category
terminative	-ig	–	meddig	eddig	addig	–	–	category
essive-formal	-ként	(kiként)	(miként)	ekként	akként	–	–	category
essive-modal	-ul / -ül	–	–	–	–	–	–	category
inessive	-ban / -ben	kiben	miben	ebben	abban	benne	–	category
superessive	-n/-on/-en/-ön	kin	min	ezen	azon	rajta	(rajta-)	category
adessive	-nál / -nél	kinél	minél	ennél	annál	nála	–	category
illative	-ba / -be	kibe	mibe	ebbe	abba	bele	bele-	category
sublative	-ra / -re	kire	mire	erre	arra	rá	rá-	category
allative	-hoz/-hez/-höz	kihez	mihez	ehhez	ahhoz	hozzá	hozzá-	category
elative	-ból / -ből	kiből	miből	ebből	abból	belőle	–	category
delative	-ról / -ről	kiről	miről	erről	arról	róla	–	category
ablative	-tól / -től	kitől	mitől	ettől	attól	tőle	–	category

¹Ő and őt refer to human beings; the forms below them might be construed likewise.
Forms in parentheses are uncommon. All Hungarian pronouns / edit this template

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

-n

2. (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) Added to an adjective to form an adverb.

   ‎ritka (“rare”) + ‎-n → ‎ritkán (“rarely”)

4. (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Added to a numeral to form an adverb.

   mindnyája (“all of us/you/them”, obsolete) → mindnyájan (“all of us/you/them”, as an adverb, compare “in full”)

Usage notes

• (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.

  -an is added to most back-vowel words ending in a consonant

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

  -en is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant, as well as some front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Their original word-final vowel may be lost (e.g. könnyű) or supplemented with a consonant (e.g. bő, hű).

• (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to some (very few) words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á-. Final -e changes to -é-.

  -an is added to back-vowel words ending in a consonant

  -en is added to front-vowel words ending in a consonant, as well as some front-vowel words ending in a vowel. Their original word-final vowel may be lost (e.g. kettő).

Derived terms

Hungarian adverbs suffixed with -n

buján

bután

büszkén

csupán

csúnyán

drágán

durván

enyhén

feketén

ferdén

furán

furcsán

gorombán

gyengén

heon

hetykén

hűn

későn

kurtán

lassacskán

lazán

némán

olcsón

őszintén

pusztán

ritkán

simán

süsün

sűrűn

tisztán

tropán

Etymology 3

Suffix

-n

2. (personal suffix, chiefly dialectal or archaic) Forms the indefinite third-person singular suffix (currently only in the imperative mood as part of -jen, formerly also occurring in the indicative).

   jön (“he/she/it comes / is coming”)

   lőn (“he/she/it became or came into being”, archaic)

Usage notes

• (personal suffix) Variants:

  -n is added to certain irregular stems

  -on is added to back-vowel words

  -en is added to unrounded front-vowel words

  -ön is added to rounded front-vowel words

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto -n, from German -en, Ancient Greek -ν (-n).

Suffix

-n

1. suffix forming accusative

Usage notes

The accusative ending in Ido is only required if the speaker breaks the subject–object word order in Ido, one can not use the accusative ending if the word order is followed. E.g.

• La hundo chasas la skurelo. ― The dog chases the squirrel.
• La skurelon chasas la hundo. ― The dog chases the squirrel.

Ingrian

Suffix

-n

1. alternative spelling of -nna

Usage notes

• May trigger vowel elongation of the preceding vowel.

Inflection

Possessive forms of -n
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	-nnaan	-nnamme
2nd person	-nnaas	-nnanne
3rd person	-nnaa	-nnasse

References

• V. I. Junus (1936), Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎^[1], Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 44

Japanese

Romanization

-n

1. Rōmaji transcription of ん
2. Rōmaji transcription of ン

Mokilese

Etymology

From Proto-Oceanic *-ña (used to mark third person singular inalienable possession)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-n/

Suffix

-n

1. used to form the construct state of inalienably possessed nouns
2. marks a third person singular possessor of inalienably possessed nouns

See also

Mokilese possessive suffixes

singular possessor	first person		-i, -ioa
	second person		-mw, -mwen
	third person		-a, -n, -∅
dual possessors	first person inclusive		-sa
	first person exclusive		-ma
	second person		-mwa
	third person		-ra
plural possessors	first person inclusive		-sai
	first person exclusive		-mai
	second person		-mwai
	third person		-rai
remote plural possessors	first person inclusive		-hs
	first person exclusive		-mi
	second person		-mwi
	third person		-hr
construct form			-n

Northern Sami

Etymology 1

From Proto-Samic *-mē, from Proto-Uralic *-ma. Cognate with Finnish -ma.

Suffix

-n (with odd-syllable stems -eapmi)

2. Forms verbal nouns from verbs.

Usage notes

• This suffix triggers the strong grade on a preceding stressed syllable.

Inflection

Odd, no gradation
Nominative	-n
Genitive	-ma
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	-n	-mat
Accusative	-ma	-miid
Genitive	-ma	-miid
Illative	-mii	-miidda
Locative	-mis	-miin
Comitative	-miin	-miiguin
Essive	-min
Possessive forms Singular Dual Plural 1st person -man -meamẹ -meamẹt 2nd person -mat -meattẹ -meattẹt 3rd person -mis -measkkạ -measẹt

Derived terms

Northern Sami terms suffixed with -n (verbal noun)

almmuheapmi

atnin

automatiseren

bálkkašuvvon

bávkkeheapmi

boksen

buollin

cuovkaneapmi

čállin

eallin

gávdnon

geahččaleapmi

hállan

jápmin

jearran

jienasteapmi

leahkin

mannan

njuiken

oaidnaleapmi

sárgun

sevnnjodeapmi

suonjardeapmi

vuovdin

Etymology 2

From Proto-Samic *-një.

Suffix

-n

2. Forms instrument nouns from verbs.

Usage notes

• This suffix triggers the weak grade on a preceding stressed syllable.

Inflection

Odd, no gradation
Nominative	-n
Genitive	-na
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	-n	-nat
Accusative	-na	-niid
Genitive	-na	-niid
Illative	-nii	-niidda
Locative	-nis	-niin
Comitative	-niin	-niiguin
Essive	-nin
Possessive forms Singular Dual Plural 1st person -nan -neamẹ -neamẹt 2nd person -nat -neattẹ -neattẹt 3rd person -nis -neaskkạ -neasẹt

Derived terms

Northern Sami terms suffixed with -n (instrument)

boson

ealán

vuoján

Etymology 3

From Proto-Samic *-nē, from Proto-Uralic *-na. Cognate with Finnish -na.

Suffix

-n

1. The ending of the essive case.

Usage notes

• This suffix triggers the strong grade on a preceding stressed syllable.

Etymology 4

From Proto-Samic *-më. Cognate with the first element of the Finnish fourth infinitive -mi-nen ~ -mi-se-.

Suffix

-n

1. The ending of the past participle.

Usage notes

• This suffix triggers the strong grade on a preceding stressed syllable.

Ojibwe

Final

-n

1. nominalizer

Derived terms

• atoobaan (“large container for liquid”)

See also

• -aagan
• -gan
• -win

Suffix

-n

1. A suffix denoting the plural of an inanimate noun
2. A suffix denoting the obviative of an animate noun
3. A suffix denoting the second-person singular imperative of an animate intransitive verb (vai)
4. A suffix denoting the first-, second- or third-person singular to singular object form of an animate intransitive verb with an object (vai+o)
5. A suffix denoting the first-, second- or third-person singular to singular object form of a Type 3 transitive inanimate verb (vti3)
6. A suffix denoting the second-person singular to singular or plural object imperative of a Type 3 transitive inanimate verb (vti3)
7. A suffix denoting the first-, second- or third-person singular to singular object form of a Type 4 transitive inanimate verb (vti4)
8. A suffix denoting the first-person singular to second-person singular form of a transitive animate verb (vta) with an -aw or Cw ending

See also

• -aan
• -an
• -iin
• -in
• -oon
• -wan
• -yan

References

• The Ojibwe People's Dictionary https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/word-part/n-final

Pitjantjatjara

Pronoun

-n (second person singular nominative, bound form of nyuntu)

1. you (singular)

Usage notes

Bound pronouns can be used instead of the regular "long form" pronouns. They act as clitics that attach to the last word of the first noun phrase in the sentence, or the conjunctions ka or munu if present.

Related terms

Pitjantjatjara personal pronouns (nominative case)

	singular	dual	plural
first person	ngayulu (I) Bound form: -ṉa	ngali (we two) Bound form: -li	nganaṉa (we, more than two) Bound form: -la
second person	nyuntu (you) Bound form: -n	nyupali (you two)	nyura (you, more than two)
third person	paluṟu (he/she/it)	pula (they two)	tjana (they, more than two) Bound form: -ya

Quechua

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-n/, [-ŋ]

Suffix

-n

1. Indicates third-person singular possessive.

   wasi (“house”) → wasin (“his/her/its house”)

2. Third-person singular subject.

   rimay (“to speak”) → pay riman (“he/she/it speaks”)

3. (Cuzco-Collao) alternative spelling of -m

See also

• -nku

Romanian

Preposition

-n

1. Contracted form of în "in" used after vowel.

Somali

Suffix

-n

1. Added to nouns to denote a specific or particular example

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n/

Suffix

-n

1. Suffix for singular definite form of common nouns, especially those ending with a vowel or with an unstressed -el, -er or -or. See also -en
2. Suffix for plural indefinite form of neuter nouns, if they end in a vowel. See also -t, -en.
3. A version of the -en of the fourth conjugation past participles. This allomorph is used only before the suffix -a, which marks for plural or definiteness. The -na of these participle forms may also be seen described as one morpheme.
4. Suffix which creates nouns out of certain verbs, usually denoting a result of an action. See also -an

Tlingit

Etymology

From Proto-Na-Dene *-ł, which sonorantized to pre-Tlingit *-l before nasalizing.

Noun

-n

1. A progressive suffix.

References

• Jeff Leer (2010), “The palatal series in Athabascan-Eyak-Tlingit, with an overview of the basic sound correspondences”, in Anthropological Papers of the University of Alaska: The Dene-Yeniseian, Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Press, page 176

Turkish

Suffix

-n

1. Postvocalic Form of -il

   ‎elemek (“to sift”) + ‎-n → ‎elenmek (“to be sifted”)

Zazaki

Suffix

-n

1. Suffix which creates nouns out of certain verbs, usually denoting a result of an action. See also -an