-ren

suffix

Used to form the plural of nouns

OriginMiddle English -ren ← Old English -ru →
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

suffix
  1. humorousnonstandardUsed to form the plural of nouns

    Unruly kidren would fling rockstone after him.

    2006, Alex Wheatle, Island songs
    2 more examples

    As Ciddy and child had slept soundly under Omeriah's roof, a group of young "kidren" playing outside sang a "ring song" […]

    2006, Timothy White, Catch a fire: the life of Bob Marley

    This exercise will help you develop the skills to tell your ninja brethren (and sistren and thingren) apart. Simply match the name of each famous ninja with his/her/its deadly eyes.

    2008, Douglas Sarine, Kent Nichols, The Ninja Handbook

Origin

  1. Old English-an
  2. Middle English-en
  3. Old English-ru
  4. Middle English-re
  5. Middle English-ren
  6. English-ren

In standard language, a back-formation from children and brethren. In dialectal usage, from Middle English -ren, -eren (compounded plural ending), from Middle English -re, -ere (from Old English -ru (plural ending)) + Middle English -en (from Old English -an (plural ending)).

More words from Middle English, Old English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

-ren. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ren

MLA

“-ren.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ren. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-ren,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-ren.

Source: -ren on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.