-euse
a suffix occurring in loanwords from French, forming feminine nouns corresponding to nouns ending in -eur: chanteuse.
Origin of -euse
1<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)
Words Nearby -euse
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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