Performing, promoting, or causing a specified action: …的:进行,促进或引起某一特殊行动的: acceptant. 接受的,易于接受的
Being in a specified state or condition: …状态的,…情况的:处于某种状态或情况的: flippant. 轻浮的,无礼的
One that performs, promotes, or causes a specified action: 进行…者,促进…者:进行、促进或引起某特殊行动的人或物: deodorant. 防臭剂
One that undergoes a specified action: 担负…者:担负某特殊行动者: inhalant. 吸入剂
语源
Middle English 中古英语
from Old French 源自 古法语
from Latin -āns -ant- [present participle suff. of verbs in] -āre 源自 拉丁语 -āns -ant- [] -āre的动词现在分词后缀
-ant
suffix forming adjectives, suffix forming nouns
causing or performing an action or existing in a certain condition; the agent that performs an action
⇒pleasant
⇒claimant
⇒deodorant
⇒protestant
⇒servant
Origin
from Latin -ant-, ending of present participles of the first conjugation
-ant
Word Origin
1
a suffix forming adjectives and nouns from verbs, occurring originally in French and Latin loanwords (pleasant; constant; servant) and productive in English on this model; -ant, has the general sense “characterized by or serving in the capacity of” that named by the stem (ascendant; pretendant), especially in the formation of nouns denoting human agents in legal actions or other formal procedures (tenant; defendant; applicant; contestant). In technical and commercial coinages, -ant, is a suffix of nouns denoting impersonal physical agents (propellant; lubricant; deodorant). In general, -ant, can be added only to bases of Latin origin, with a very few exceptions, as coolant.
See also -ent.
Origin
< Latin-ant-, present participle stem of verbs in -āre; in many words < French-ant < Latin-ant- or -ent- (see -ent); akin to Middle English,Old English-and-, -end-, present participle suffix
Related Words
-ance
agglutinant
bouffant
chatoyant
jessant
resemblant
-ant1. adjective suffix, originally participial, as in ascendant, pleasant.
2. noun suffix used in words of participial origin, denoting agency or instrumentality, as in servant, irritant. Compare -ent.
[French, from Latin -ant-, nominative -ans, present participle ending]
-ant
I
noun suffix
ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French, from -ant, present participle suffix, from Latin -ant-, -ans, present participle suffix of first conjugation, from -a- (stem vowel of first conjugation) + -nt-, -ns, present participle suffix; akin to Old English -nde, present participle suffix, Greek -nt-, -n, participle suffix
1. a. one that performs (a specified action) : personal or impersonal agent claimant coolant b. thing that promotes (a specified action or process) expectorant 2. one connected with annuitant 3. thing acted upon (in a specified manner) inhalant
II
adjective suffix 1. performing (a specified action) or being (in a specified condition) somnambulant 2. promoting (a specified action or process) expectorant
-ant
/ənt/
suffix
1.
(forming adjectives) denoting attribution of an action or state
[构成形容词]表示“进行…动作的”, “处于…状态的”:
arrogant
pendant.
2.
(forming nouns) denoting an agent
[构成名词]表示“施行…作用者”:
deodorant
propellant.
词源
from French or Latin present participial verb stems (see also -ENT).
▪ I.-ant1, suffixa. Fr.-ant, sometimes:—L. -entem, -āntem, -ēntem, ending of pres.pple.(see -ent); sometimes a later adaptation of -āntem only. All the participial forms were in OFr. levelled under -ant, the sole ending of the pr.pple., as L. amānt-, vidēnt-, sedēnt-, crēdent-em in Fr.amant, voyant, séant, croyant. But other words were subsequently adopted in their L. stem form, as prudent, présent, élégant. Hence Fr. words in -ant are of two kinds, one answering to L. -ānt, the other to L. -ent, -ēnt. All were adopted, in their actual Fr. forms, in Eng., where they subseq. became -ˈaunt; then again, with the change of stress, -ant, as L. affīdent-em, diffī-dent-em, plicānt-em, servient-em, tenēnt-em, OFr.afiant, defiant, pliant, serjeant, tenant, ME.afiˈa(u)nt, defiˈa(u)nt, pliˈa(u)nt, serjeˈaunt, teˈnaunt. Most of them retain -ant, e.g.claimant, pleasant, poursuivant, servant, suppliant, valiant; but since 1500 some have been refashioned with -ent after L., wholly (as apparaunt, -ent), or partly (as in pendant, -ent, dependant, -ent, ascendant, -ent). Hence, inconsistency and uncertainty in the present spelling of many words, in which L. and Fr. analogies are at variance: see -ent. Many new words of this class have been adopted from L. -āntem directly or through later Fr., or have been formed on L. analogies, or adopted from mod.Fr. and Romance -ant, -ante; as concomitant, protestant, commandant, anæsthesiant. For sense, see -ent.▪ II.-ant2for -and1, an assimilation of the northern Eng. to the Fr. form of the pres.pple., as in allwealdant, -ent. More commonly the converse took place, the native -and being substituted by northern writers for -ant, as in aboundand, sembland.▪ III.-ant3a corruption of -an from various sources, due to confusion and assimilation of final -an, -and, -ant, as in pagean(t, peasan(t, pheasan(t, truan(t, tyran(t. Cf.gyane, gyand, obs. forms of giant.
-ant
agent or instrumental suffix, from Old French and French -ant, from Latin -antem, accusative of -ans, present participle suffix of many Latin verbs.
☞ -ant, -ent☞ -ant, -ent, -ient
1. suffix1 | 2. suffix2 1 -ant/(ə)nt/suffix1.
ORIGIN:French, or its source Latin-ant- pres. ppl stem of verbs of the 1st conjugation, or -ent- (see -ent).
Forming adjectives denoting existence of action, as pendant, repentant, or state, as arrogant, expectant, and nouns denoting an agent, as assistant, celebrant, deodorant, usu. from verbs. Conflicting English, French, & Latin analogies have produced much inconsistency of use of -ant and -ent. 2 -ant/(ə)nt/suffix2 (not productive).
ORIGIN: Alt. (in Old French & Anglo-Norman) of words in -an.
Forming nouns, as pheasant, tyrant, etc.-ant ⇒ Main Entry: -ent
-ant
suffix added to verbs.
(to form adjectives) that _____s; _____ing: Buoyant = that buoys or buoying. Compliant = that complies or complying. Triumphant = that triumphs or triumphing.
(to form nouns) one that _____s: Assistant = one that assists.
See also -ent.
[< Old French -ant < Latin -āns,-antis and -ēns,-entis]
-ant I. \ənt, ənt\noun suffix (-s) Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from -ant, present participle suffix, from Latin -ant-, -ans, present participle suffix of first conjugation, from -a- (vowel of first conjugation) + -nt-, -ns, present participle suffix; akin to Old English -nde, present participle suffix, Old High German -nti, Old Norse -ndi, Gothic -nds, Greek -nt-, -n, present, future, & aor. participle suffix, Sanskrit -nt, present, future, & aor. active participle suffix 1. a.: one that performs (a specified action) : personal or impersonal agent < assistant > < claimant > < coolant > < deodorant > < resultant > b.: thing that promotes (a specified action or process) < expectorant > 2.: person or thing connected with < annuitant > < chemotherapeutant > 3.: thing that is acted upon (in a specified manner) < inhalant > < ingestant > 4.: thing that is used (for a specified purpose) < antifoggant > II. adjective suffix Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from -ant, present participle suffix 1.: performing (a specified action) or being (in a specified condition) < denudant > < propellant > < somnambulant > 2.: promoting (a specified action or process) < expectorant >
-ant
Suffix
now sciences, chiefly medicine The agent noun derived from verb.
serve → servant
An adjective corresponding to a noun in -ance.
defiance → defiant.
uncommon An adjective derived from a verb.
err → errant.
Etymology
From Middle English-ant, -aunt, partly from Old French-ant, from Latin-āns; and partly (in adjectival derivations) continuing Middle English-ant, a variant of -and, -end, from Old English-ende (present participle ending), see -and.
Usage notes
Many words in -ant were not actually coined in English and rather borrowed directly from Old French, Middle French or Modern French.