-ig (German)
Where does "-ig" come from?
The German suffix -ig traces its origins back to the Proto-Indo-European adjective-forming suffix *-kos, which was used to denote characteristics or qualities. Over centuries of evolution through Proto-Germanic and Proto-West Germanic, it transitioned into Old and Middle High German as -ig and -ec. Today, it serves as a versatile tool in German for turning nouns, numerals, and verbs into adjectives that describe a state of being or a noteworthy quality.
Full etymology tree
- -ig (German), '-y, -eous; forms adjectives from nouns, describing the noteworthy presence of the noun'
- inherited -ec (Middle High German)
- inherited -ig (Old High German)
- inherited *-g (Proto-West Germanic), 'Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a sense of being, having, or doing.'
- inherited *-gaz (Proto-Germanic), '-y; forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a sense of “being, doing, or having”.'
- inherited *-kos (Proto-Indo-European), 'Creates deadjectival and desubstantival adjectives denoting the characteristic of, typical of, pertaining to.'
- inherited *-gaz (Proto-Germanic), '-y; forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a sense of “being, doing, or having”.'
- inherited *-g (Proto-West Germanic), 'Forms adjectives from nouns and verbs with a sense of being, having, or doing.'
- inherited -ig (Old High German)
- inherited -ec (Middle High German)
Ancestors
- *-g (Proto-West Germanic)
- *-gaz (Proto-Germanic)
- *-kos (Proto-Indo-European)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris