DictionaryRoot: -y
English

-y

having, full of, or like

Forms

  • -y
  • -i- — Used before another ending when English spelling changes y to i.

Origin

From Old English -ig, an older Germanic descriptive ending.

Note

Its contribution ranges from containing something to merely resembling it.

32 / 48
A small molded child’s potty with a low seat, open removable bowl, and short supportive backrest, shown beside a pair of toddler slippers that make its child-sized scale immediately clear.
noun / adjective

potty

PAH-tee/pˈɑti/

A small toilet used by a young child.

Etymology

Pot here means a chamber pot, a vessel used as a toilet. The familiar ending makes potty a child's term, now used for a small toilet for young children.

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