Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch -nissi, -nussi, from Proto-Germanic *-nassuz.

Suffix

-nis f ‎(plural -nissen)

1. -ness

Usage notes

The deverbal suffix -nis proved one of the most productive noun-forming suffixes in Dutch up until 16th century Dutch.^[1] It was a deverbal noun former and formed with verbal stems, infinitives or participles. Nowaydays, the suffix -nis “-ness” is either no longer productive or at most marginally productive.

Derived terms

References

1. ↑ http://www.tntl.nl/index.php/tntl/article/view/286/272

German

Alternative forms

• -niß (obsolete)

Etymology

Cognate to English -ness, see -ness for more.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /nɪs/

Suffix

-nis n ‎(genitive -nisses, plural -nisse)

1. A suffix for deriving nouns from verbs or adjectives.

   hindern ‎(“to hinder, to hamper”) → Hindernis ‎(“an obstacle”)

   geheim ‎(“secret”, adjective) → Geheimnis ‎(“a secret”, noun)

Derived terms

Suffix

-nis f ‎(genitive -nis, plural -nisse)

1. A suffix for deriving nouns from from verbs or adjectives, etymologically identical to the preceding.

   erlauben ‎(“to permit”) → Erlaubnis ‎(“permission”)

   finster ‎(“dark”) → Finsternis ‎(“darkness”)

Derived terms

Usage notes

There is no perfect rule to determine whether a noun with the suffix -nis is neuter (→ suffix 1) or feminine (→ suffix 2). The former may be concrete or abstract, whereas the latter are almost exclusively abstract.

Old English

Alternative forms

• -nes

Suffix

-nis f

1. Used to form abstract nouns, usually from adjectives, denoting quality or state. See -nes