-âtre

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See also: atre and âtre

French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old French -astre, from Latin -astrum. Cognate to Italian -astro.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /atʁ/ ~ /ɑtʁ/
  • Audio:(file)

Suffix

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-âtre (plural -âtres)

  1. (especially colours) -ish
    bleue (blue) + ‎-âtre → ‎bleuâtre (blueish)
  2. forms pejoratives
    opinion (opinion) + ‎-âtre → ‎opiniâtre (obstinate)
    gentilhomme (gentleman) + ‎-âtre → ‎gentillâtre (lordling)

Usage notes

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  • Both a nominal and an adjectival suffix.

Derived terms

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