-ie
suffixEtymology Back-formation from selfie.
1
Morpheme A photograph, especially a selfie.
-ie
suffixAU, IN, NZ, UK /-iː/ · CA, US, SC /-i/
Etymology Variant spelling of -y, with the spelling possibly influenced by the cognate Scots -ie.
1
Morpheme Forming diminutive or affectionate forms of nouns or names.
- “Polly, I wish you ’d let me call you Marie,” said Fanny one day, as they were shopping together. ¶ “You may call me Mary, if you like; but I won’t have any ie put on to my name. I’m Polly at home and I’m fond of being called so; but Marie is Frenchified and silly.” ¶ “I spell my own name with an ie, and so do all the girls.” ¶ “And what a jumble of Netties, Nellies, Hatties, and Sallies there is. How ‘Pollie’ would look spelt so!”1869, Louisa May Alcott, An Old-Fashioned Girl:
- dear → dearie
4 more examples
- sweet → sweetie
- smile → smilie (also smiley)
- Catherine → Cathie (also Cathi, Cathy); Katherine → Kathie (also Kathi, Kathy)
- Bill → Billie (also Billi, Billy)
2
Morpheme Forming feminine or gender‐neutral forms of given names.
- Jesse → Jessie
- Bill → Billie
1 more example
- James → Jamie
3
Australia, New Zealand, UK, Morpheme Forms colloquial clippings (often functioning as familiarizers), truncating the root to a single stressed syllable.
- Australia/Australian → Aussie
- mosquito → mozzie
4 more examples
- position → possie
- costume → cossie
- barbecue → barbie
- biscuit → bikkie
4
Morpheme Forming colloquial nouns signifying the person or thing associated with the suffixed noun or verb.
Occasionally derogatory
- bike → bikie
- fridge → fridgie (“fridge magnet”)
3 more examples
- road → roadie
- surf → surfie
- town → townie
5
Morpheme Forming nouns relative to an adjective.
- slow → slowie
- small → smallie
1 more example
- tough → toughie
6
Morpheme Forming colloquial interjections or phrases.
- alright → alrightie
- eww → ewwie
3 more examples
- good → goodie
- oops → oopsie
- ow → owie