-men

See also: Appendix:Variations of "men"

English

Etymology

From men, plural of man.

Suffix

-men

  1. plural of -man
    horsemen, sportsmen; lawmen, newsmen; freemen, icemen, supermen; Scotsmen, Chinamen

Basque

Etymology

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

Suffix

-men

  1. sense, capacity
    aditu (to understand) + ‎-men → ‎adimen (intelligence)
  2. Forming nouns expressing an action
    abiatu (to start, begin) + ‎-men → ‎abiamen (beginning)

Derived terms

Basque terms suffixed with -men

Further reading

  • -men” in Labayru Hiztegia

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *-men, from Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥.

Pronunciation

Suffix

-men n (genitive -minis); third declension

  1. forms nouns, usually from verbs, generally describing the means, instrument, or result of an action

Usage notes

Derivatives of first-conjugation verbs end in -āmen and derivatives of fourth-conjugation verbs end in -īmen:

lībrō, lībrāre (to balance, poise) (present stem lībrā-) + ‎-men → ‎lībrāmen (balance, poise)
mūniō, mūnīre (to fortify) (present stem mūnī-) + ‎-men → ‎mūnīmen (defense, fortification)

Derivatives of second- and third-conjugation verbs show more complicated formations depending on the stem involved:

augeō, augēre (to increase, enlarge) + ‎-men → ‎augmen (increase, growth)
acuō, acuere (to sharpen) + ‎-men → ‎acūmen (sharpened point)

There are also some derivatives from nouns or adjectives, which show variable formation: some end in -āmen (such as linteāmen, oleāmen, pinguāmen from linteum, oleum, pinguis) while others end in -ūmen (such as albūmen, caldūmen from albus, caldus).

Compare the related suffix -mentum; for some nouns ending in -men, there is a corresponding noun ending in -mentum with a similar meaning, such as vēlāmen (covering) and vēlāmentum (covering).

Declension

Third-declension noun (neuter, imparisyllabic non-i-stem).

singular plural
nominative -men -mina
genitive -minis -minum
dative -minī -minibus
accusative -men -mina
ablative -mine -minibus
vocative -men -mina

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Aromanian: -ame, -ami, -imi
  • Catalan: -am, -im, -um
  • Galician: -ame, -ime, -ume
  • Italian: -ame, -ime, -ume
  • Portuguese: -ame, -ão, -ime, -ume, -um
  • Romanian: -ime
  • Sicilian: -ami, -imi, -umi
  • Spanish: -ambre, -imbre, -umbre

Mokilese

Suffix

-men

  1. Classifier suffix used to form the numerals used to count animate nouns
  2. Indefinite suffix for animate nouns
    woal (man) + ‎-men → ‎woalmen (a man)

Derived terms

See: Category:Mokilese terms suffixed with -men

See also

Occitan

Suffix

-men

  1. alternative form of -ment

Old Occitan

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Late Latin -mente.

Suffix

-men

  1. Forms adverbs from feminine adjectives. -wise, -ly
    lonja f (long) + ‎-men → ‎lonjamen (for a long time)

Turkish

Etymology

Originally from Ottoman Turkish ـمن (-men), inherited from Proto-Turkic *-man, as in değirmen. In some Ottoman coinages it conflated with Persian ـمان (-mân, -like). Sense 1 is found mainly in language reforms' coinages, and was likely influenced by German -mann and English -man.

Suffix

preceding vowel
a / ı / o / u e / i / ö / ü
-man -men

-men

  1. Forms agent nouns from verbs, denoting professions. -er, -ant
    Synonym: -ci
    öğretmek (to teach) + ‎-men → ‎öğretmen (teacher)
    saymak (to count) + ‎-men → ‎sayman (accountant, treasurer)
    danışmak (to consult) + ‎-men → ‎danışman (consultant)
  2. Forms nouns and adjectives from verbal roots.
    şişmek (to swell, get fat) + ‎-men → ‎şişman (fat)
    azmak (overflow, overgrow) + ‎-men → ‎azman (overgrown, too big, monstrous)
  3. Forms nouns and adjectives denoting a high degree or excess.
    koca (big) + ‎-men → ‎kocaman (huge)
    küçük (small) + ‎-men → ‎küçümen (smaller, very small)
  4. Forms nouns and adjectives denoting fondness and passion.
    evcik (small home) + ‎-men → ‎evcimen (fond of home)
  5. Forms nouns of communities.
    köle (slave) + ‎-men → ‎kölemen (slaves)
    Türk + ‎-men → ‎Türkmen

Derived terms

References