-le

Alternative forms

• -el

From Middle English -elen, -len, -lien, from Old English -lian (frequentative verbal suffix.), from Proto-Germanic *-lōną. Cognate with West Frisian -elje, Dutch -elen, German -eln, Danish -le, Swedish -la, Icelandic -la. Compare -er.

Full definition of -le

Suffix

1. A frequentative suffix of verbs, indicating repetition or continuousness:assle, buzzle, crackle, cuddle, dazzle, draggle, drawl, dribble, drizzle, fumble, gamble, grapple, handle, kissle, maddle, mingle, nestle, nuzzle, prattle, ramble, rattle, ripple, scribble, sile, sizzle, smartle, sniffle, snuggle, startle, stopple, suckle, tattle, tickle, topple, waggle, wiggle, wrestle

From Middle English -el, -le, from Old English -el, -ol (adjective suffix.), from Proto-Germanic *-ulaz. Cognate with West Frisian -el, Dutch -el, Low German -el, German -el.

Suffix

1. A suffix forming adjectives from verbs with the meaning of "prone to", "tending to", "apt to", "capable of"; compare -ative:battle, breakle, brittle, fickle, forgettle, little, newfangle, nimble, wankle

From Middle English -el, from Old English -el, -ol, -ul (agent suffix.), from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (agent suffix). Cognate with West Frisian -el, Dutch -el, Low German -el, German -el.

Suffix

1. A suffix forming agent nouns from verbs:beadle, beetle, bridle, bundle, cripple, fettle, girdle, ladle, losel, runnel, shovel, spindle, spittle, steeple, stile, stopple, thimble, tool, towel, trundle

From Middle English -el, from Old English -el, -il (diminutive suffix.), from Proto-Germanic *-ilaz (diminutive suffix).

Suffix

1. A suffix forming diminutives from other nouns; compare -ling:bramble, dimple, dingle, hatchel, hosel, hovel, gomeral, kernel, newel, nozzle, puckle, treddle

Derived terms