-ese

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See also: Appendix:Variations of "ese"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -eys, from Old French -eis, from Latin -ēnsis and, less often, Late Latin -iscus. Generally used in place of more common equivalent suffixes such as -er and -an on the model of equivalent terms in Italian and Portuguese, particularly for Italian, Portuguese African, and East Asian places first widely discussed in Portuguese and Latin.

Pronunciation

Suffix

-ese

  1. Used to form adjectives and nouns describing things and characteristics of a city, region, or country, such as the people and the language spoken by these people.
    Synonym: -ish
    Viennese waltz (sausage, etc), Maltese falcon, Chinese, Togolese, Beninese, Congolese, Milanese, Parmese, Japanese, Faroese, Portuguese, Vietnamese
  2. Used to form nouns meaning the jargon or language used by a particular profession or being or in a particular context.
    Synonym: -speak
    ‎journal + ‎-ese → ‎journalese
    ‎legal + ‎-ese → ‎legalese
    ‎translation + ‎-ese → ‎translationese

Usage notes

Generally speaking, nouns formed with the suffix -ese have no distinct plural form (e.g. two Viennese) and, with the definite article, are plural in itself and refer to an entire group (e.g. the Ravennese). They are also generally and historically not used in the singular, as in "I am a Chinese"; instead, phrases like "I am a Chinese person" are used, since "Chinese" in that occurrence acts as an adjective. (In some British dialects, "a Chinese" can be used, but to refer to an ellipsis of Chinese meal, rather than a person.) This is not always the case, particularly for non-native English speakers from East Asia who use it to translate demonyms such as 日本人 and 中国人, but such countable uses may have nonstandard meanings and historically non-native unsystematic usage. See also -ish, which "I am an English" is similarly considered improper.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -ese
Adjectives and nouns describing characteristics of a region
Nouns denoting jargon

Translations

Note: these translations are a guide only. For more precise translations, see individual words ending in -ese.

See also

References

  1. ^ See e.g.
    “Annamese”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. / “Annamese”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present. / “Annamese”, in Collins English Dictionary. / “Annamese”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.,
    “Chinese”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. / “Chinese”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present. / “Chinese”, in Collins English Dictionary. / “Chinese”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.,
    “legalese”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. / “legalese”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.,
    “Viennese”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present. / “Viennese”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present. / “Viennese”, in Collins English Dictionary. / “Viennese”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC., etc.

Anagrams

German

Etymology

Presumably from Italian -ese, Portuguese -ese and English -ese + -e.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈeː.zə]
  • Audio:(file)

Suffix

-ese m (weak, genitive -esen, plural -esen, feminine -esin)

  2. Forms nouns indicating an inhabitant of a place.

Usage notes

As in English, -ese is generally only used to form words on the model of Italian and Portuguese terms, with particular use in Italy, Portuguese Africa, and East Asia. Unlike English, the German terms only function as demonyms that can easily be discussed in the singular and many such terms are now obsolete, having been replaced by equivalents using -er.

Declension

Declension of -ese [masculine, weak]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der -ese die -esen
genitive eines des -esen der -esen
dative einem dem -esen den -esen
accusative einen den -esen die -esen

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -ese

Interlingua

Etymology

Borrowed from English -an, French -ain, Italian -ano, Portuguese -ano/Spanish -ano, all ultimately from Latin -ānus.

Pronunciation

Suffix

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-ese

  1. forms nouns and adjectives from nouns, denoting or pertaining to a native, citizen or inhabitant; -ese
    Synonyms: (noun) -ano, -ana, -ita, (adjective) -an
    ‎China (“China”) + ‎-ese → ‎chinese (“Chinese”)
    ‎Geneva (“Geneva”) + ‎-ese → ‎genevese (“Genevese”)
    ‎Francia (“France”) + ‎-ese → ‎francese (“French”)
  2. forms nouns and adjectives from nouns, denoting or pertaining to a language; -ese
    Synonyms: (noun) -ano, (adjective) -an
    ‎China (“China”) + ‎-ese → ‎chinese (“Chinese”)
    ‎Brooklyn (“Brooklyn”) + ‎-ese → ‎brooklynese (“Brooklynese, Brooklyn dialect”)

Derived terms

Interlingua terms suffixed with -ese

References

Italian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -ēnsem (“originating in”), whence also Italian -ense.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈe.ze/, (traditional) /ˈe.se/
  • Rhymes: -eze, (traditional) -ese
  • Hyphenation: -é‧se

Suffix

-ese m

  1. -ese (both senses); -er
    ‎Libano (“Lebanon”) + ‎-ese → ‎libanese (“Lebanese”)
    ‎Cina (“China”) + ‎-ese → ‎cinese (“Chinese”)
    ‎sinistra (“left”) + ‎-ese → ‎sinistrese (“left-wing political jargon”)
    ‎giornalista (“journalist”) + ‎-ese → ‎giornalistese (“journalese”)

Derived terms

Italian terms suffixed with -ese
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