-ee

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English

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Etymology 1

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From Middle English -ee, , from Anglo-Norman and Old French -ee, French , -ée, endings forming past participle of verbs ending in -er. Doublet of -ate. More distantly related to inherited English -ed.

Suffix

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-ee

  1. Added to transitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the object of that verb (i.e., to whom or to which an action is done).
    Synonym: -ed
    Antonym: -er
    examine + ‎-ee → ‎examinee
    interview + ‎-ee → ‎interviewee
    train + ‎-ee → ‎trainee
    employ + ‎-ee → ‎employee
  2. Less commonly added to intransitive verbs to form words meaning a person or thing that is the subject of that verb (that is, who or that does an action).
    absent + ‎-ee → ‎absentee
    respond + ‎-ee → ‎respondee
    stand + ‎-ee → ‎standee
    post + ‎-ee → ‎postee
  3. (law) Used to form words meaning a person who is the other party to a contract or other transaction involving a person described by the corresponding word ending in -or.
    Antonym: -or
    assign + ‎-ee → ‎assignee
    legate + ‎-ee → ‎legatee
    mortgage + ‎-ee → ‎mortgagee
  4. (medicine) Used to form words meaning a person who has undergone a particular medical procedure.
    laryngectomy + ‎-ee → ‎laryngectomee
  5. Irregularly added to nouns to mean a person somehow associated with the object denoted by the noun.
    barge + ‎-ee → ‎bargee
    tender + ‎-ee → ‎tenderee
    venereal + ‎-ee → ‎venerealee
Derived terms
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Translations
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The translation tables below are a guide only. See individual words formed using this suffix for more precise translations.

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2

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Perhaps a variation on -ie and -y[1]

Suffix

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-ee

  1. Used to form diminutives.
    boot + ‎-ee → ‎bootee
    goat + ‎-ee → ‎goatee
    settle + ‎-ee → ‎settee
Synonyms
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Antonyms
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Derived terms
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Translations
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The translation table below is a guide only. See individual words formed using this prefix for more precise translations.

Etymology 3

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Suffix

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-ee

  1. (offensive, derogatory) Used in mimicking English as stereotypically spoken by the Chinese.
    • 1897, The Outlook, volume 56, page 1044:
      "No stealee. You no thinkee? Chinaman no thinkee stealee!" he said, earnestly.
    • 1938, Minnesota Journal of Education, volume 19, page 52:
      A Chinaman had a toothache, and phoned a dentist for an appointment. Doctor: "Two-thirty all right?" Chinaman: "Yes, tooth hurtee, all light. What time I come?"
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References

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  1. ^ T.F. Hoad, Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, →ISBN; headword -ee

Finnish

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Etymology

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See -ea. With vowel assimilation.

Suffix

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-ee (colloquial or dialectal)

  1. Alternative form of -ea

Usage notes

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  • Predominant type in the Tavastian and Savonian dialects. Well preserved even in urban speech.
  • Used in the same way as the standard -ea: e.g. korkee "high", standard korkea.
  • Especially in the Savonian dialects, shorter words with the suffix are subject to consonant gemination: pimeä > pimmee.

Latin

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Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-ee

  1. vocative masculine singular of -eus

Manx

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Etymology

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From Old Irish -igidir (whence also Irish -igh and Scottish Gaelic -ich), originally a denominative verb formative, from Proto-Celtic *-sagyetor; compare Welsh -hau.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-ee

  1. Suffix used to form verbs from nouns.

Usage notes

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  • Affixed verbs ending in -ee form a sizeable number of verbs. Some monosyllabic verbs in Manx (which historically are not from affixes), however, are not a result of affixation, such as niee "to wash".

Derived terms

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See also

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Suffix

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-ee

  1. adverbializing enclitic
    hashkéheein a mean or angry way
    tąądeeslowly, leisurely, gradually, little by little
    tʼáá ádíláaheein an annoying manner
    tʼáá łaʼ bizhiʼeeunited, all standing together
    tʼáá naʼńleʼeesloppily, carelessly, roughly
    tʼáadoo yistiʼeefreely, boldly, without hesitation
    tʼáá nanitʼineesecretly, covertly
    tsʼísee kehgophysically, carnally

Spanish

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Suffix

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-ee

  1. inflection of -ear:
    1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
    2. third-person singular imperative