-ty

/ti/

suffix

A nonproductive suffix indicating single-digit integer multiples of ten.

“subtle + -ty → subtlety”

OriginMiddle English -ty ← Old English -tiġ ← Proto-Germanic *tigiwiz →
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Meanings

-ty1

suffix
  1. A nonproductive suffix indicating single-digit integer multiples of ten.

-ty2

suffix-ty (noun-forming suffix, countable and uncountable, plural -ties)

plural -ties

  1. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative form of -ity, used to form abstract nouns from adjectives.

    subtle + -ty → subtlety

Origin

-ty · suffix

  1. Proto-Indo-European*deḱ-
  2. Proto-Germanic*tigiwiz
  3. Old English-tiġ“-ty”
  4. Middle English-ty
  5. English-ty

From Middle English -ty, from Old English -tiġ (“-ty”), from Proto-Germanic *tigiwiz, plural of *teguz (“group of ten”), from Proto-Indo-European *deḱ-, *déḱm̥ (“ten”). Cognate with Scots -ty (“-ty”), West Frisian -tich (“-ty”), Dutch -tig (“-ty”), German -zig (“-ty”), Gothic 𐍄𐌹𐌲𐌿𐍃 (tigus, “group of ten, decade”). Related to ten.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic

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-ty · suffix

  1. Latin-tās, -tātem
  2. Old French-te
  3. Middle English-te
  4. English-ty

From Middle English -te, from Old French -te, from Latin -tās, -tātem.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek -κοντα
  • -κοντα (-konta)multiples of ten
Arabic ـُونَ, ـِينَ
  • ـُونَ (-ūna)multiples of ten
  • ـِينَ (-īna)multiples of ten
Chinese Mandarin ...十
  • ...十 (...shí)multiples of ten
Danish -ti
  • -timultiples of ten
Dutch -tig
  • -tigmultiples of ten
Esperanto -dek
  • -dekmultiples of ten
Estonian -kümmend, -kend
  • -kümmendmultiples of ten
  • -kendmultiples of ten
Finnish -kymmentä
  • -kymmentämultiples of ten
German -zig
  • -zigmultiples of ten
Hawaiian kana-
  • kana-multiples of ten
Hebrew ־ִים
  • ־ִים (-ím)multiples of ten
Hungarian -ven (40, 50, 70, 90), -van (60, 80)
  • -ven (40, 50, 70, 90)multiples of ten
  • -van (60, 80)multiples of ten
Italian -anta
  • -antamultiples of ten
Japanese ...十
  • ...十 (...jū)multiples of ten
Korean ...십
  • ...십multiples of ten
Latin -gintā
  • -gintāmultiples of ten
Malay puluh
  • puluhmultiples of ten
Māori ngahuru
  • ngahurumultiples of ten
Norwegian Bokmål -ti
  • -timultiples of ten
Polish -dzieścia, -dzieści
  • -dzieściamultiples of ten
  • -dzieścimultiples of ten
Russian -дцать, -деся́т
  • -дцать (-dcatʹ)multiples of ten
  • -деся́т (-desját)multiples of ten
Vietnamese mươi
  • mươimultiples of ten
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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