-icus

From i-stem + -cus, occurring in some original cases and later used freely. Cognate with Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Proto-Germanic *-igaz (Old High German and Old English -ig, Gothic -𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-eigs)), Sanskrit -इक (-ika), Proto-Slavic *-ьcь (the last has fossilized into a nominal agent suffix, but probably originally also served adjectival functions).

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /i.kus/, [ɪkʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /i.kus/, [ikus] (stressed on the antepenult)

Suffix

-icus (feminine -ica, neuter -icum); first/second-declension suffix

belonging to
derived from
of or pertaining to, connected with: -ic, -ish
used to form some substantivized nouns from other nouns
‎manus f (“hand”) + ‎-ica → ‎manica (“sleeve”)

Usage notes

The suffix -icus is added to a noun, adjective, verb, etc., to form an adjective.

Examples:

‎ūnus (“one”) + ‎-icus → ‎ūnicus (“single, unique”)

‎Gallia (“Gaul”) + ‎-icus → ‎gallicus (“Gallic, Gaulish”)

‎metallum (“metal”) + ‎-icus → ‎metallicus (“metallic”)

Declension

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	-icus	-ica	-icum	-icī	-icae	-ica
genitive	-icī	-icae	-icī	-icōrum	-icārum	-icōrum
dative	-icō	-icae	-icō	-icīs
accusative	-icum	-icam	-icum	-icōs	-icās	-ica
ablative	-icō	-icā	-icō	-icīs
vocative	-ice	-ica	-icum	-icī	-icae	-ica

Synonyms

-ānus, -ēnsis

Derived terms

-ticus
- -āticus

Latin terms suffixed with -icus

Descendants

Aromanian: -ic
→ Afrikaans: -ies
Asturian: -icu
Catalan: -ic
→ Dutch: -icus
→ English: -ic, -ick (obsolete)
→ French: -ique
Galician: -ico
→ Hungarian: -ikus
Italian: -ico
→ Portuguese: -ico, -igo
Portuguese: -ego
Romanian: -ec, -ic
Sicilian: -icu
→ Spanish: -ico
Venetan: -ego

Etymology 2

Probably ultimately extended from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ḱos (Etymology 1), the -ī- may come from an instrumental case form.^[1] Compare -ūcus and also, -ītus. Compare also other words containing a velar suffix such as fēlīx.

Pronunciation

(Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /iː.kus/, [iːkʊs̠]
(modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /i.kus/, [ikus]

Suffix

(noun) -īcus m (genitive -īcī, feminine -īca); second declension
(adjective) -īcus (feminine -īca, neuter -īcum); first/second-declension suffix

used to form nouns from verbs or nouns
‎lectus (“bed”) + ‎-īca → ‎lectīca (“litter”)
used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns
‎pudet (“to cause shame”) + ‎-īcus → ‎pudīcus (“chaste, pure”)

Declension

Noun forms

Second-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	-īcus	-īcī
genitive	-īcī	-īcōrum
dative	-īcō	-īcīs
accusative	-īcum	-īcōs
ablative	-īcō	-īcīs
vocative	-īce	-īcī

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	-īca	-īcae
genitive	-īcae	-īcārum
dative	-īcae	-īcīs
accusative	-īcam	-īcās
ablative	-īcā	-īcīs
vocative	-īca	-īcae

Adjective forms

First/second-declension adjective.

	masculine	feminine	neuter	masculine	feminine	neuter
	singular			plural
nominative	-īcus	-īca	-īcum	-īcī	-īcae	-īca
genitive	-īcī	-īcae	-īcī	-īcōrum	-īcārum	-īcōrum
dative	-īcō	-īcae	-īcō	-īcīs
accusative	-īcum	-īcam	-īcum	-īcōs	-īcās	-īca
ablative	-īcō	-īcā	-īcō	-īcīs
vocative	-īce	-īca	-īcum	-īcī	-īcae	-īca

Derived terms

Latin terms suffixed with -icus (long)

References

^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “amō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 39

[1] De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “amō”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 39

[1]