• -arian

    Pronunciation

    • Rhymes: -ɛəriÉ™n

    Origin

    A back-formation from various words ending in "arian", some directly derived from Classical or Medieval Latin words ending in -arius by adding -an to the stem, other indirectly via Old French words ending in "arien(ne)" or "erien(ne)" or from English words ending in "ary" to which -an was suffixed. -ary + -an

    Full definition of -arian

    Suffix

    1. A believer in something.
    2. An advocate of something.
    3. (uncommon) A native or inhabitant of somewhere.

    Usage notes

    Most English words ending in "arian" are not derived in English using this suffix. Most often -an or -ian is added to words formed in Latin using -arius or to a stem ending in "ar". For examples, see barbarian, nonagenarian, Rastafarian, Hungarian, and Trinitarian.

    Derived terms

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