-eln

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [-əln], [-l̩n]
Audio (file)

Suffix

-eln

Suffix used to form verbs, chiefly from other verbs, but also from nouns and adjectives. The resulting verb often has an iterative/frequentative or a diminutive meaning.
Synonym: -ern
‎kippen (“to tilt”) + ‎-eln → ‎kippeln (“to tilt back and forth”)
‎husten (“to cough”) + ‎-eln → ‎hüsteln (“to cough slightly”)

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -eln