-arian
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ɛəriən
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
- A believer in something.
- An advocate of something.
- (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.