-ell

See also: ell, ELL, êll, and 'e'll

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan -ell, from Latin -ellus, an extension of -lus.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencia) [ˈeʎ]

Suffix

-ell m (noun)

1. added to masculine nouns to denote a diminutive form

   Coordinate term: (feminine) -ella

Usage notes

• If the noun has a final vowel (usually -e), it is dropped before adding -ell.
• Different nouns tend to prefer different diminutive suffixes (see synonyms below), though some nouns accept multiple diminutives, and there is often regional or personal variation.

Derived terms

Catalan terms suffixed with -ell

albanell

baldufell

barrella

brossella

cabrellot

cairell

canell

carretell

cerrell

cervatell

circell

clavell

cordell

crespinell

cubell

dardell

espiell

fardell

forcadella

frenell

fumarell

fusell

garrell

gatell

gatovell

gerdell

ginestell

girell

granellut

guantellet

llorell

mascarell

minvell

morell

moscatell

olivella

palmell

panellet

panxell

passerell

perelló

perxell

picapedrell

planell

portella

ramell

rampell

raspinell

repetell

roncadell

serrandell

serrell

taulell

teuladell

tintorell

turmell

ventrell

verratell

German

Etymology

Borrowed from French -el, ultimately from Latin -ālis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛl]

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-ell

1. pertaining or adhering to; adjectival suffix attaching to nouns

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -ell

finanziell

funktionell

infrastrukturell

institutionell

konfessionell

konzeptuell

kulturell

personell

prudentiell

redaktionell

subkulturell

substanziell

traditionell

usuell

zeremoniell

See also

• -al

Hungarian

Etymology

From -e- (linking vowel) +‎ -ll (verb-forming suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɛlː]

Suffix

-ell

1. (instantaneous suffix, rare) Added to a verb to form a new verb expressing instantaneous action. It is no longer productive in this sense.

   szökell (“to leap”)

2. (verb-forming suffix) Added to an adjective to form a verb meaning "to consider/find/think as". In this sense, it is still productive.

   ‎kevés (“few”) + ‎-ell → ‎kevesell (“to find something too little or insufficient”)

Usage notes

• (all senses) Variants:

  -ll is added to words ending in a vowel. Final -a changes to -á.

  ‎drága (“expensive”) + ‎-ll → ‎drágáll (“to find something expensive”)

  -oll is added to a few back-vowel words

  ‎nagy (“big”) + ‎-oll → ‎nagyoll (“to find something too big”)

  -all is added to most back-vowel words

  ‎sok (“many”) + ‎-all → ‎sokall (“to find something too much”)

  -ell is added to front-vowel words

  ‎kevés (“few”) + ‎-ell → ‎kevesell (“to find something too little or insufficient”)

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -ell

kevesell

kétell

lövell

restell

rühell

szökell

zöldell

See also

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

Middle English

Etymology 1

Suffix

-ell

1. Alternative form of -al

Etymology 2

Suffix

-ell

1. Alternative form of -el (agentive suffix)

Etymology 3

Suffix

-ell

1. Alternative form of -el (diminutive suffix)

Swedish

Suffix

-ell

1. -al, of or pertaining to; making an adjective based on a noun

Derived terms

Swedish terms suffixed with -ell

ceremoniell

differentiell

entreprenöriell

exponentiell

finansiell

formell

funktionell

horisontell

industriell

institutionell

intellektuell

konstitutionell

kontextuell

kulturell

materiell

oppositionell

potentiell

principiell

proportionell

redaktionell

sexuell

traditionell

See also

• -al
• -ig
• -isk
• -lig
• -sam

Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *-ell, in at least some cases from Latin -illa. Cognate with Cornish -ell.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛɬ/

Suffix

-ell f (plural -ellau)

1. instrument, tool

   ‎rhathu (“rub, scrape”) + ‎-ell → ‎rhathell (“file, rasp”)

   ‎bys (“finger”) + ‎-ell → ‎bysell (“(computer keyboard) key”)

   ‎allwedd (“(house, piano) key”) + ‎-ell → ‎allweddell (“keyboard”)

2. diminutive suffix

   ‎traeth (“beach”) + ‎-ell → ‎traethell (“strand, sandbank”)

   ‎pib (“pipe”) + ‎-ell → ‎pibell (“pipe”)

3. female or young animal

   ‎iwrch (“roe deer”) + ‎-ell → ‎iyrchell (“female or young roe deer”)

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -ell

allweddell

brochell

bysell

cnocell

cribell

cronnell

crothell

cyfrifiannell

chwiwell

dwythell

ffynhonnell

gwäell

iyrchell

llinell

pibell

pothell

sachell

tagell

traethell

ysgubell

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-ell”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies