-en

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | 399 words | Copyright

-en2 suffix chiefly forming fem. sbs. from mascs., and fem. abstr. and concr. sbs.; OE. -en = (O)HG. -in :- Gmc. *-inī, *-injō-; e.g. OE. biren she-bear (f. bera BEAR1), gyden goddess (f. god GOD); VIXEN is the only surviving example of this type (but OE. fyxen is found only as adj.); hæften custody, byrǒen BURDEN, rǣden arrangement, rule, condition (see -RED).

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T. F. HOAD. "-en." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "-en." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-en4.html

T. F. HOAD. "-en." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-en4.html

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