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Definition 2024

-sian

-sian

See also: sian, Sian, ŝian, and Siân

Old English

Suffix

-sian

  1. verbal suffix added to adjectives and nouns, generally causing i-mutation in the stem
    clǣnsian ‎(“to purify, cleanse”), from clǣne "clean, pure"
    blētsian, blēdsian ‎(“to consecrate, bless”), from blōd "blood"

Etymology

Old English, from Proto-Germanic *-isōną, originally from a substantive particle (Proto-Germanic *-is-) represented in Old English eġesa "fear" → eġsian "to terrify", later applied by analogy to other nouns not originally containing the particle

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