-an

• -ian (euphonic variant, also spelled -aean or -æan)
• -n (when added to a word ending in a)

From Middle English -an, regularly -ain, -ein, -en, from Old French -ain, -ein, or before i, -en (modern French -ain, -en, feminine -aine, -enne), from Latin -ānus (feminine -āna), which forms adjectives of belonging or origin from a noun, being -nus [cognate with Ancient Greek -νος (-nos)] preceded by a vowel, from Proto-Indo-European *-nós. Cognate with English -en. Compare with -in, -ine.

-an

1. Of or pertaining to; an adjectival suffix appended to various words, often nouns, to make an adjective form. (Often added to words of Latin origin, but also used with words of other origins. When a word ends in a, -n is used instead.)

   Synonyms: -al, -ar, -ese, -esque, -ic, -id, -ish, -like, -oid, -ous, -y

   ‎Rome + ‎-an → ‎Roman

2. Appended to nouns to form an agent noun. (When males with a profession are distinguished from females, males are -an, females -(i)enne.)

   ‎comedy + ‎-an → ‎comedian

   ‎history + ‎-an → ‎historian

• N.A., N/A, NA, n.a., n/a, na

-an

1. Postconsonantal form of -ən after the vowels A / I / O / U.

From Proto-Philippine *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.

-an

1. a place where a large quantity of the thing meant by the root is put, planted, or can be found

   ‎basura (“trash”) + ‎-an → ‎basurahan (“trash can”)

2. a place where the action expressed by the root is performed

   ‎kawat (“play”) + ‎-an → ‎kawatan (“playground”)

-an

1. (added to possessive nouns) his, hers, its

From Middle High German -en, a merger of various terminations in Old High German reflecting different conjugational patterns, namely -an, -ōn, -en (-ien), and -nen, from Proto-Germanic *-aną, *-ōną, *-janą, *-āną, and *-naną. Cognate with German -en.

-an

1. A suffix of all verbs in their infinitive form.

Inherited from Old Czech -ěnín, from Proto-Slavic *-janinъ.

• IPA^(key): [ an]

-an m anim (noun-forming suffix, feminine -anka)

1. forms nouns, including inhabitant names

• -an in Slovník afixů užívaných v češtině, 2017

-an

1. Obsolete form of -am.

From earlier -han, -hVn (now dialectal), from Proto-Finnic *-hën, *-sën (passive or reflexive suffix), the same as the third-person singular possessive suffix (see the possessive suffix entry on -Vn). Initial -ta- is from the passive marker *-tta-.

-an (front vowel harmony variant -än, linguistic notation -An)

1. (personal) Forms the impersonal indicative present forms of verbs, appended to the first infinitive.

Attached to the passive verb stem.

See -Vn (illative suffix).

-an (front vowel harmony variant -än, linguistic notation -An)

1. (case suffix) A suffix variant for the illative singular, see -Vn.

   ‎laiva + ‎-an → ‎laivaan

See -Vn (possessive suffix).

-an (front vowel harmony variant -än, linguistic notation -An)

1. (possessive) A variant for the third-person suffix -nsa.

See the usage notes under -Vn and -nsa.

• -na

-an

1. (Pulaar) indicates that the subject is doing the verb for someone or something

   ‎defde (“to cook”) + ‎-an → ‎defande (“to cook for someone”)

• M. Niang, Pulaar-English English-Pulaar Standard Dictionary, New York: Hippocrene Books, 1997.

• IPA^(key): [ɒn]
• Rhymes: -ɒn

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

-an

1. (deadjectival adverb-forming suffix) Added to an adjective to create an adverb.

   ‎pontos (“accurate”) + ‎-an → ‎pontosan (“accurately”)

2. (denumeral and depronominal adverb-forming suffix) Added to a numeral or a pronoun with this sense to create an adverb, expressing the number of people.

   ‎hat (“six”) + ‎-an → ‎hatan (“six people, six of us/you/them”)

   Hatan mentünk moziba. ― Six of us went to the cinema.

   ‎nyolc (“eight”) + ‎-an → ‎nyolcan (“eight people, eight of us/you/them”)

   Nyolcan vannak a szobában. ― There are eight people in the room.

   ‎hány (“how many”) + ‎-an → ‎hányan (“how many (of us/you/them)”)

   ‎néhány (“some, a few”) + ‎-an → ‎néhányan (“some (of us/you/them)”)

   ‎sok (“many”) + ‎-an → ‎sokan (“many (of us/you/them)”)

   Sokan vannak a meghívottak, de kevesen a választottak. ― For many are called, but few are chosen.

   ‎millió (“million”) + ‎-an → ‎millióan (“a million (of us/you/them)”)

• (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).

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

-an

1. (verb-forming suffix) Added to a stem ― often an onomatopoeia ― to form a verb expressing an instantaneous action.

   kattan (“to click, to make one clicking sound”)

   robban (“to explode”)

• (verb-forming suffix) Variants:

  -on is added to some back-vowel words

  -an is added to back-vowel words

  -en is added to front-vowel words

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

• (suffix of the adverb of number): Rounds, Carol. Hungarian: an Essential Grammar. London / New York: Routledge. 2001. →ISBN. Preview at Google Books, p. 189 (p. 204 in the PDF)

• IPA^(key): [-an]

From Malay -an, from Classical Malay -ان (an), from Proto-Malayic *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.

-an

1. Added to a noun
   1. Suffix for collectivity

      ‎laut (“sea”) + ‎-an → ‎lautan (“ocean”)

   2. Suffix for place

      ‎pangkal (“origin”) + ‎-an → ‎pangkalan (“base”)

   3. Suffix for value

      ‎ribu (“thousand”) + ‎-an → ‎ribuan

   4. Suffix for measurement result; -s

      ‎kilo (“kilo”) + ‎-an → ‎kiloan

   5. (colloquial) -s; Suffix for quantity (about value)

      ‎ratus (“hundred”) + ‎-an → ‎ratusan (“hundreds”)

   6. -ly, specifying time intervals, having the sense of "occurring at such intervals".

      ‎hari (“day”) + ‎-an → ‎harian (“daily”)

2. Added to an verb to create an noun
   1. Suffix for object

      ‎makan (“to eat”) + ‎-an → ‎makanan (“food”)

   2. Suffix for place

      ‎kubur (“to bury”) + ‎-an → ‎kuburan (“grave”)

   3. Suffix for result

      ‎didik (“to educate”) + ‎-an → ‎didikan

   4. Suffix for tool

      ‎timbang (“to weigh”) + ‎-an → ‎timbangan (“balance”)

   5. Suffix for way or method

      ‎pimpin (“to lead”) + ‎-an → ‎pimpinan (“leader”)

3. Added to an adjective to create an noun
   1. Suffix for having property

      ‎asin (“salty”) + ‎-an → ‎asinan (“pickle”)

   2. (colloquial) Suffix for intensity (quality or quantity)

      ‎tinggi (“high”) + ‎-an → ‎tinggian (“higher”)

4. Suffix for similarity

Semantic loan from Javanese -ꦲꦤ꧀ (-an).

-an

1. verb-forming
   1. (colloquial) to use of [base]

      ‎sepeda (“bicycle”) + ‎-an → ‎sepedaan (“to ride a bicycle”)

   2. (colloquial) to hold or to have [base]

      ‎selamat (“safe”) + ‎-an → ‎selamatan (“to celebrate with offerings to the spirits to assure the safety”)

      ‎rujak (“a kind of salad”) + ‎-an → ‎rujakan (“to have rujak to be eaten or made”)

   3. (colloquial) to do as indicated by the [base]

      ‎sendiri (“alone”) + ‎-an → ‎sendirian (“by oneself”)

2. noun-forming
   1. (colloquial) the location of [base]

      ‎sekolah (“school”) + ‎-an → ‎sekolahan (“school complex”)

   2. (colloquial) the cost of [base]

      ‎becak (“rickshaw”) + ‎-an → ‎becakan (“rickshaw fare”)

   3. (colloquial) [base]-usage

      ‎sepeda (“bicycle”) + ‎-an → ‎sepedaan (“bicycle-riding”)

   4. (colloquial) event of [base]

      ‎selamat (“safe”) + ‎-an → ‎selamatan (“celebration with offerings to the spirits to assure the safety”)

      ‎rujak (“a kind of salad”) + ‎-an → ‎rujakan (“rujak eating or production”)

      ‎susu (“milk”) + ‎-an → ‎susuan (“breast-feeding period”)

Semantic loan from Javanese -ꦲꦼꦤ꧀ (-en).

-an

1. (colloquial) suffering of [base]

   ‎koreng (“ulcer”) + ‎-an → ‎korengan (“serious infection disease”)

   ‎uban (“grey hair”) + ‎-an → ‎ubanan (“grey haired condition”)

• Badan Pengembangan dan Pembinaan Bahasa (2017) Tata Bahasa Baku Bahasa Indonesia [Standard Grammar of Indonesian Language]‎ (in Indonesian), 4 edition, Jakarta: Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan, →ISBN, archived from the original on 13 June 2022
• James N. Sneddon (2010) Indonesian : a comprehensive grammar, 2 edition, London: Roultedge, →ISBN, →OCLC

From Proto-Malayic *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.

• IPA^(key): /an/
• Rhymes: -an

-an (Jawi spelling -ان)

1. Suffix for collectivity
2. Suffix for similarity
3. Suffix for object
4. Suffix for place
5. Suffix for instrument

   ‎bangun (“to wake up, to get up”) + ‎-an → ‎bangunan (“building”)

From Old Irish -án, from Primitive Irish -ᚐᚌᚅᚔ (-agni).

-an m

1. Alternative form of -ane

-an

1. Used to form stative verbs from nouns

-an

1. be in a state or condition

• waaban
• aawan

• -aa
• -izi

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

-an

1. A suffix denoting the plural of an inanimate noun
2. A suffix denoting the obviative form of an animate noun
3. A suffix denoting the second-person singular imperative of a transitive inanimate verb (vti)

As the suffix denoting the second-person singular imperative form, -an also acts as the class marker for unmarked (-am theme) transitive inanimate verbs (vti).

• -n
• -iin
• -oon
• -wan
• -yan

• IPA^(key): /ɑn/

From Proto-Germanic *-aną.

-an

1. (verbal suffix) used to form the infinitive of most verbs (exceptions are verbs like flēon (“to flee”))

   singan ― to sing

   niman ― to take

From Proto-West Germanic *-anā, from Proto-Germanic *-anē.

• -ane

-an

1. Forms adverbs with ablative direction.

   ēastan ― from the east

   westan ― from the west

Inherited from Latin -ant.

-an (1st conj.)

1. a suffix indicating the third-person plural indicative present of a verb in -ar

   ‎amar (“to love”) + ‎-an → ‎aman (“[They] love”)

   ‎cantar (“to sing”) + ‎-an → ‎cantan (“[They] sing”)

• Galician: -an
• Portuguese: -am

Presumably from Proto-Germanic *-ōniz.

-an

1. (deverbative suffix) Used to derive nouns from class 2 weak verbs.

   ‎friða (“to pacify”) + ‎-an → ‎friðan (“pacifying”)

   ‎sanna (“to assert, prove”) + ‎-an → ‎sannan (“assertion, confirmation”)

   ‎synja (“to deny”) + ‎-an → ‎synjan (“denial”)

Inherited from Proto-Norse -ᚨᚾᚨ (-ana), from Proto-Germanic *-anē.

-an

1. Forms adverbs with ablative direction.

-an

1. strong accusative singular ending of adjectives

From Proto-Germanic *-aną.

-an

1. (verbal suffix) used to form the infinitive of strong verbs (exceptions are a few verbs ending in -ian like biddian or liggian)

   drinkan (“to drink”)

   hwerƀan (“to travel”)

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

• IPA^(key): /-an/

-an

1. Third person plural suffix

• -íin (With e-ending verb stems)
• -óon (With a-ending verb stems)
• -en (Biori)
• -éen (With e-ending verb stems in Biori)
• -áan (With a-ending verb stems in Biori)

• Liljegren, Henrik, Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎, Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

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

• IPA^(key): /an/
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: an

-an m

1. (chemistry) -ate, used to form names of derivates of oxyacids whose name ends with -owy (-ic)

   ‎chlor (“chlorine”) + ‎-an → ‎chloran (“chlorate”)

2. forms people

   ‎młody + ‎-an → ‎młodzian

Inanimate declension:

Animate declension:

• -an in Polish dictionaries at PWN

• IPA^(key): /an/

Borrowed from Latin -anus.

-an m or n (feminine singular -ană, masculine plural -ani, feminine and neuter plural -ane)

1. Forms adjectives and nouns describing things and characteristics of a city, region, or country; -an

   ‎Australia (“Australia”) + ‎-an → ‎australian (“Australian”)

   ‎America (“America”) + ‎-an → ‎american (“American”)

For the countries that end in -ia, the plural form of the suffix is -ieni when masculine and -iene when feminine/neuter.

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

-an m or n (feminine singular -ană, masculine plural -ani, feminine and neuter plural -ane)

1. Added to nouns and adjectives as an augmentative suffix.

   ‎gras (“fat”) + ‎-an → ‎grăsan (“fatso”)

2. Forms names of male animals.

   ‎gâscă (“goose”) + ‎-an → ‎gâscan (“gander”)

From Old Irish -án, from Primitive Irish -ᚐᚌᚅᚔ (-agni).

• IPA^(key): /an/

The non-schwa clear vowel /a/ distinguishes this from the homograph plural suffix -an which is pronounced /ən/ i.e. with a schwa.

-an m

1. A masculine suffix used to form nouns meaning a smaller form of something, often used for male given names.

   Cailean, Eòghan, Ailean, Beathan

   clàran, clachan, bioran

Cognate to Irish -anna, Manx -yn.

• IPA^(key): /ən/

-an pl

1. Used to form regular plurals of nouns.

   ‎clach (“stone”) + ‎-an → ‎clachan

   ‎damh (“ox, stag”) + ‎-an → ‎damhan

   ‎leannan (“lover, sweetheart”) + ‎-an → ‎leannanan

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

-an (Cyrillic spelling -ан)

1. Suffix appended to words to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a (often negative) feature or endearment.

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ.

-an (Cyrillic spelling -ан)

1. Suffix appended to words to create an adjective.

   ‎jad(iti) + ‎-an → ‎jadan (“miserable”)

From Latin -ant, the third-person plural present active indicative ending of first conjugation verbs.

-an

1. Suffix indicating the third-person plural (also used with ustedes) present indicative of -ar verbs.

From Latin -eant, Latin -ant, and Latin -iant, the third-person plural present active subjunctive endings of second, third, and fourth conjugation verbs, respectively.

-an

1. Suffix indicating the third-person plural (also used with ustedes) present subjunctive of -er and -ir verbs.
2. Suffix indicating the third-person plural imperative of -er and -ir verbs.

• -en

From Old Norse -an.

-an

1. making a noun from a verb, similar to -ing and -ning, having -ningar as the plural.

   ‎predika (“to preach”) + ‎-an → ‎predikan (“a sermon”)

Ultimately from Latin -anus.

-an

1. -an; making a noun, describing a person by belief or nationality

   ‎Tibet + ‎-an → ‎tibetan

   ‎Luther + ‎-an → ‎lutheran

   vegetarian

• -na, na

• -han
• -nan

From Proto-Philippine *-an, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *-an, from Proto-Austronesian *-an.

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /an/ [ɐn]
• Rhymes: -an
• Syllabification: -an

-an (verb-forming suffix, Baybayin spelling ◌ᜈ᜔ or ᜀᜈ᜔)

1. object trigger: to do something to a person or a thing

   Buksan mo ang pinto. ― (You) open the door (door is focused).)

2. object trigger: to cause something to become; to make

   Binagalan ni Sue ang kotse. ― Sue slowed down the car. (The car is focused.)

3. directional trigger: to do something in the (physical or psychological) direction of

   Tinitingnan ko ang manwal. ― I'm looking at the manual. (The manual is focused).)

4. benefactive trigger: to do something for

   Titirhan ko si Roy ng keyk. ― I'll leave some cake for Roy. (Roy is focused).)

5. object trigger: (with root word reduplication) to do something occasionally, at random, a little, a bit, now and then or here and there

   Winawalis-walisan; ko ang sahig. ― I'm sweeping the floor a bit. (The floor is focused).)

6. directional trigger: (with root word reduplication) to do something in the (physical or psychological) direction of, occasionally, at random, a little, a bit, now and then or here and there

   Tinutulung-tulungan ni Jessy si Patty. ― Jessy helped Patty a bit. (Patty is focused).)

7. object trigger: to perform the action of the verb on something

   Huwag mong sulatan ang dokumento. ― Don't write anything on the document.

-an (noun-forming suffix, Baybayin spelling ◌ᜈ᜔ or ᜀᜈ᜔)

1. Forms locative nouns expressing where a large quantity of the thing meant by the root is put, planted, or can be found

   ‎aklat (“book”) + ‎-an → ‎aklatan (“library”)

   ‎basura (“trash”) + ‎-an → ‎basurahan (“trash can”)

2. Forms locative nouns where the action expressed by the root is performed

   ‎kain (“eat”) + ‎-an → ‎kainan (“place where people eat e.g. restaurant, café,...”)

3. Forms nouns expressing period in which the action expressed by the root is collectively performed

   ‎ani (“harvest”) + ‎-an → ‎anihan (“harvest time”)

   ‎pasok (“entry, class, work”) + ‎-an → ‎pasukan (“school time, school year”)

4. Forms nouns indicating a tool or an object that is used to perform what is meant by the root

   ‎oras (“time”) + ‎-an → ‎orasan (“clock, watch”)

   ‎timbang (“weight”) + ‎-an → ‎timbangan (“weighing scale”)

5. Forms nouns signifying reciprocal or joint performance of the action expressed by the root

   ‎sayaw (“dance”) + ‎-an → ‎sayawan (“dancing together”)

   ‎kanta (“sing”) + ‎-an → ‎kantahan (“singing together”)

6. Used to create a diminutive, pretensive, or imitative form of something (used with reduplication of root word)

   ‎bahay (“house”) + ‎-an → ‎bahay-bahayan (“toy house”)

   ‎Diyos (“God”) + ‎-an → ‎diyos-diyosan (“false god”)

   ‎baril (“gun”) + ‎-an → ‎baril-barilan (“toy gun”)

-an (adverb-forming suffix, Baybayin spelling ◌ᜈ᜔ or ᜀᜈ᜔)

1. (appended to numbers) Used to indicate groups.

   ‎tatlo (“three”) + ‎-an → ‎tatluhan (“in threes, three at a time”)

   ‎dalawampu (“twenty”) + ‎-an → ‎dalawampuan (“in groups of twenty, twenty at a time”)

• Normally, /h/ is inserted before -an when a root word ending with a vowel is not followed by a glottal stop. In some cases, phoneme change can occur and /h/ becomes /n/.

  ‎ganti + ‎-an → ‎gantihan

  ‎talo + ‎-an → ‎talunan

• Sometimes, the final vowel of the root word disappears when the suffix is added.

  ‎sunod + ‎-an → ‎sundan

  ‎takip + ‎-an → ‎takpan

• Due to allophony, /d/ turns into /r/ when inserted before -an.

  ‎buklod + ‎-an → ‎bukluran

  ‎bakod + ‎-an → ‎bakuran

  ‎bayad + ‎-an → ‎bayaran

• ka- -an

From Ottoman Turkish ـان (-an), from Old Anatolian Turkish [Term?], from Proto-Turkic *-gan.

-an

1. Creates non-past participles.

   ‎oturmak (“to sit”) + ‎-an → ‎oturan (“(someone) who sits”)

   ‎kırılmak (“to be broken”) + ‎-an → ‎kırılan (“(something) that gets broken”)

-an

1. Used to indicate someone who is or does something

• IPA^(key): /an/

From Proto-Celtic *-agnos.

-an

1. diminutive suffix, -let

   ‎bwyell (“axe”) + ‎-an → ‎bwyellan (“small axe, hatchet”)

   ‎gwraig (“woman, wife”) + ‎-an → ‎gwreigan (“little woman, little wife”)

   ‎barf (“beard”) + ‎-an → ‎barfan (“little beard, goatee, whiskers”)

2. person or object with characteristics of the root word

   ‎mud (“mute”) + ‎-an → ‎mudan (“mute person”)

   ‎llai (“grey”) + ‎-an → ‎lleian (“nun”)

   ‎crwm (“crooked, curved”) + ‎-an → ‎cryman (“sickle, pruning hook”)

3. used to form pet names

   ‎Gwen + ‎-an → ‎Gwennan

   ‎Dai + ‎-an → ‎Deian

   ‎Elisabeth + ‎-an → ‎Bethan

• -ian

-an

1. verbnoun suffix

-an

1. (colloquial) verb suffix for the third-person future plural

R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-an”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies