certain | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

"having a mind" (of a certain type), from mind (n.).

in compounds, "speaking" (in a certain way), late-15c., from past participle of speak (v.).

in compounds, "having hands" (of a certain type), mid-14c., from hand (n.). Related: -handedness; -handedly.

as a termination in certain people names (Iraqi, Israeli), it represents the common Semitic national designation suffix -i.

-centric

word-forming element meaning "having a center (of a certain kind); centered on," from Latinized form of Greek kentrikos "pertaining to a center," from kentron (see center (n.)).

hexa-

before vowels and in certain chemical compound words hex-, word-forming element meaning "six," from Greek hexa-, combining form of hex "six," from PIE root *sweks- (see six).

-xion

ending favored in British English for certain words that in U.S. typically end in -ction, such as connexion, complexion, inflexion, as being more true to the Latin rules.

-y (1)

noun suffix, in army, city, country, etc., from Old French -e, Latin -atus, -atum, past participle suffix of certain verbs, which in French came to be used to indicate "employment, office, dignity" (as in duché, clergié).

-a (2)

nominative neuter plural ending of certain nouns and adjectives in Latin and Greek that have been adopted into English (phenomena, data, media, criteria, etc.). It also is common in biology in Modern Latin formations of class names (Mammalia, Reptilia, Crustacea).

-path

word-forming element used in modern formations to mean "one suffering from" (a disease or condition), from Greek pathos "suffering" (from PIE root *kwent(h)- "to suffer"). Also "one versed in" (a certain type of treatment), in which cases it is a back-formation from -pathy in the related sense.

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