# -ess

> English word · Suffix · IPA /ɛs/

## Definitions
1. Used to form female equivalents.
2. The wife of.

## Etymology
From Middle English -esse, borrowed from Old French -esse, from Late Latin -issa, from Ancient Greek -ισσα (-issa). Displaced Old English -en (feminine suffix of nouns).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ess