-euse
Word Origin
1
a suffix occurring in loanwords from French, forming feminine nouns corresponding to nouns ending in -eur: chanteuse.
Origin
< French < Latin -ōsa, feminine of -ōsus -ose1 (> French -eux); taken as feminine of -eur when this suffix had lost its final consonant (later restored) and was homonymous with -eux (hence, masculine -eu(r), feminine -euse, by analogy with -eux, -euse)
Related Words
- berceuse
- boudeuse
- cacqueteuse
- causeuse
- fumeuse
- poudreuse