-els

els ELs Els èls eļš Franco-Provençal Pronoun frp pronoun form frp postpositive form els French Pronunciation Suffix fr suffix m-p fr -el; fr -elle; fr -elles; Low German Alternative forms nds -else nds -elsch nds -sel nds -el Pronunciation nds /əlsə/ [əlts] [əlz] Suffix nds suffix n nds -else Usage notes Some dictionaries whose authors lack knowledge of Middle Low German or southern Low German dialects (i.e. do not know about the original form -else) might mistake this ending as having a plural -s and thus either create a pseudo-singular or mistake it for a plurale tantum. Some words might show a variant form which is not in general use, like -elsch or -sel. For example, the word Schüddels is more commonly found as Schüddelsch, and the word Fegels has nearly disappeared and gave place to its variant Feegsel. Derived terms nds Radels Drinkels Hackels Schüddelsch Feegsel Backels Riemels Middle English Alternative forms enm -eles -elis -ils -les -lis -lys enm -illis Sc Etymology From enm ang -els-els suf MED13320 (also enm ang -else), a metathetic form of enm gmw-pro *-isl, gmw-pro *-islī, from enm gem-pro *-slą + gmw-pro *-ī. The development of an inorganic vowel between the /l/ and /s/ is already found in Old English; such forms become predominant in Early Middle English (e.g. enm burieles 'burial'), meaning that later Middle English forms in -els probably at least partially represent syncope of this vowel rather than a direct continuation of ang -els. Furthermore, nouns bearing this suffix are displaced by parallel formations in enm -el as the Middle English period progresses, as the /s/ is reinterpreted as the plural suffix enm -es plural.147 148I 448 500 Pronunciation enm /-əls(ə)/ with epenthetic vowel /-(ə)ləs/ Suffix enm suffix noun-forming suffixes enm mostly unproductive suffix creating nouns denoting events, instruments, or places from verbs Derived terms enm Descendants (en -al -le -l in en burial, en riddle, en bail) gmw-msc -illis (sco -al -le) References Old English Etymology A metathetic form of ang gmw-pro *-islī. Pronunciation -els Suffix m forms masculine nouns referring to inanimate objects from verbs, causing i-mutation ang rǣdan<t:to advise> rǣdels<t:guess, advice, riddle> ang rēocan<t:to emit smoke> rēcels<t:incense, frankincense> ang mearcian<t:to mark> miercels<t:mark, sign, aim, marked spot> ang wǣfan<t:to clothe> wǣfels<t:covering, cloak, garment> ang byrġan<t:to bury> byrġels<t:burial, sepulchre, tomb> Declension -els Synonyms ang -else Derived terms ang Descendants enm -els