| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. |
A Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English. 1996.
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8. Word Formation: Plurals, Possessives, Affixes, and Compounds
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| § 13. -en |
| There are two suffixes spelled -en in English. The first has the basic meaning “to cause to be” or “to become.” When added to nouns and adjectives, this -en forms verbs: lengthen, soften. The other suffix -en, meaning “made of, resembling,” is an adjective suffix. That is, it changes nouns into adjectives: wooden, golden. The verb suffix -en comes from the Old English suffix -nian, and the adjective suffix -en is from Old English -en. | 1 |
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| The American Heritage® Book of English Usage. Copyright © 1996 by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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