-e-

Originally often represented a thematic vowel or a (genitive) case ending; also sometimes added simply for ease of pronunciation. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Interfix

-e-

a linking vowel added in compound words
willekeur

Koninginnedag

Derived terms

Dutch terms interfixed with -e-

Related terms

-en-
-s-

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *-dë-.

Interfix

-e-

The second infinitive marker.

Usage notes

In the active, attaches to the same stem as the first infinitive (by replacing the final -a or -ä). In the passive, attaches to the strong passive stem (same as the passive conditional without the final -isiin) and does not replace the final -a or -ä.
Always followed by a case marker: in standard Finnish, either the inessive or the instructive case (the latter for active only).

German

Interfix

-e-

used to link elements in some compounds

Derived terms

German terms interfixed with -e-

Emissionsrechtehandel

Hungarian

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ɛ]

Interfix

-e-

A suffix-initial vowel (or linking vowel) inserted interconsonantally between the word stem and the suffix, to ease pronunciation, without contributing to the meaning.
‎öreg (“old”) + ‎-e- + -bb → ‎öregebb (“older”)

Northern Kurdish

Interfix

-e-

used to link elements in some compounds
pîrejin (pîr-e-jin, 'an old woman')

kurteçîrok (kurt-e-çîrok, 'a short story')

Derived terms

Northern Kurdish terms interfixed with -e-

jineolojî

qareqar

Norwegian Bokmål

Interfix

-e-

A morph interjected between word roots to give pronunciation a better sense of flow, but which gives no change in meaning.

Derived terms

Norwegian Bokmål terms interfixed with -e-

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

-ar- (in older standards when the first element is strong feminine)
-a-

Etymology

From the Old Norse genitive plural ending, -a, such as in manna mál (> mannemål). Also from the strong feminine genitive singular, -ar, whence also -ar- and -a-.

Interfix

-e-

Genitival interfix indicating that the former element is a characteristic of the latter.
‎hest (“horse”) + ‎hov (“hoof”) → ‎hestehov (“horse’s hoof”)

Usage notes

This interfix is often used in compounds where the first element is plural, as opposed to singular -s-. Example: gudetru (“polytheism, belief in gods”) and gudstru (“monotheism, belief in a god”).

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk terms interfixed with -e-

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

Akin to German -n-/-e-, Dutch -en-/-e- and Swedish -e-.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-ə-/

Interfix

-e-

Genitival interfix indicating that the former element is a characteristic of the latter.
‎Múus (“mouse”) + ‎Buk (“male animal”) → ‎Muzebuk (“male mouse”)

Derived terms

Saterland Frisian terms interfixed with -e-

Swedish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɛ/

Interfix

-e-

Interfix used to link elements in some compounds

Usage notes

The interfix -e- is sometimes used in compounds where the first element ends in -a:
- This is especially productive when the word is the second element in a longer compound, e.g. högskola (“university”) → högskoleexamen (“university degree”); kolgruva (“coal mine”) → kolgruvearbetare (“coal mine worker”).
- It is also used in shorter compounds when the first element ends in the female suffixes -inna or -erska, e.g. hjältinna (“heroïne”) → hjältinneroll (“part as a heroïne”); sköterska (“nurse”) → sköterskedräkt (“nurse’s uniform”).
- It is also used for nouns ending in -ja or -ia, e.g. olja (“oil”) → oljeplattform (“oil rig”), historia (“history”) → historielektion (“history lesson”).
- It is also used for some nouns ending in a consonant + /l r n/ + -a, e.g. ödla (“lizard”) → ödleart (“lizard species”); åsna (“donkey”) → åsneföl (“donkey’s foal”).
- It is also used in some compounds of words ending in -a, e.g. ära (“honor”) → ärekränka (“defame”); hjärta (“heart”) → hjärtesorg (“grief, heartache”).
It is also used in some compounds ending in a consonant, e.g. natt (“night”) → nattetid (“(during) nighttime”); skörd (“harvest”) → skördetröska (“combine harvester”); tjänst (“service”) → tjänsteman (“civil servant”); tid (“time”) → tideräkning (“chronology”).
In some cases, -e- is found in more literary or archaic compounds, but not otherwise, e.g. stjärna (“star”) → stjärnevalv (“stellar vault”), cf. stjärnkikare (“astronomical telescope”)
The interfix -e- is also more common in southern and western dialects, and thus in compounds derived from those dialects, cf. -a-, e.g. spettekaka (“skewer cake”), pilevall (“avenue of willow trees”).

Derived terms

Swedish terms interfixed with -e-

hjärnhinneinflammation

References

Teleman, Ulf; Hellberg, Staffan; Andersson, Erik & Holm, Lisa (1999). Svenska akademiens grammatik 2 Ord. Stockholm: Svenska akad.
Wessén, Elias (1958). Svensk språkhistoria. 2, Ordbildningslära. 3. ed. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell