-ess
/ɛs/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.82 in modern English
3
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
2
Syllables
2
Unique Chars
Meaning
suffix
suffix
The wife of.
suffix
Used to form nouns from adjectives.
suffix
Used to form proper nouns from nouns.
Example Sentences
- "actor + -ess → actress"
- "chanter + -ess → chantress"
- "duke + -ess → duchess (“female ruler of a duchy”)"
- "god + -ess → goddess"
- "lion + -ess → lioness"
- "prince + -ess → princess (“daughter of monarch (holding this title in her own right, who would become a queen regnant); the female equivalent of a prince”)"
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-ih₂der. Ancient Greek -ῐᾰ (-ĭă) Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa)bor. Late Latin -issader. Old French -essebor. Middle English -esse English -ess From Middle English -esse, borrowed from Old French -esse, from Late Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa). Displaced Old English -en (feminine suffix of nouns).