IE

a noun-forming suffix with a variety of functions in contemporary English, added to monosyllabic bases to create words that are almost always informal. Its earliest use, probably still productive, was to form endearing or familiar names or common nouns from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives ( Billy; Susie; birdie; doggie; granny; sweetie; tummy ). The hypocoristic feature is absent in recent coinages, however, which are simply informal and sometimes pejorative ( boonies; cabby; groupie; hippy; looie; Okie; preemie; preppy; rookie ). Another function of -y², (-ie) is to form from adjectives nouns that denote exemplary or extreme instances of the quality named by the adjective ( baddie; biggie; cheapie; toughie ), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usually unfavorable sense of the adjective ( sharpie; sickie; whitey ). A few words in which the informal character of -y², (-ie) has been lost are now standard in formal written English ( goalie; movie ).

Also, -ie.

Compare -o, -sy.

Origin:
late Middle English (Scots), orig. in names; of uncertain origin; baby and puppy, now felt as having this suffix, may be of different derivation

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To ie

Collins

World English Dictionary

ie

—*the internet domain name for*
	Ireland

IE

—*abbreviation for*
	Indo-European (languages)

i.e.

—*abbreviation for*
	id est

[Latin: that is (to say); in other words]

-ie

—*suffix forming nouns*
	a variant of -y

-y or -ey¹

—*suffix forming adjectives*
1.	(from nouns) characterized by; consisting of; filled with; relating to; resembling: sunny; sandy; smoky; classy
2.	(from verbs) tending to; acting or existing as specified: leaky; shiny

[from Old English -ig, -ǣg]

-ey or -ey¹

—*suffix forming adjectives*

[from Old English -ig, -ǣg]

-y, -ie or -ey²

—*suffix*
1.	denoting smallness and expressing affection and familiarity: a doggy; a granny; Jamie
2.	a person or thing concerned with or characterized by being: a groupie; a fatty

[C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-ie, -ie or -ey²

—*suffix*

[C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-ey, -ie or -ey²

—*suffix*

[C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-y, -ie or -ey²

—*suffix*
1.	denoting smallness and expressing affection and familiarity: a doggy; a granny; Jamie
2.	a person or thing concerned with or characterized by being: a groupie; a fatty

[C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-ie, -ie or -ey²

—*suffix*

[C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-ey, -ie or -ey²

—*suffix*

[C14: from Scottish -ie, -y, familiar suffix occurring originally in names, as in Jamie (James)]

-y³

—*suffix forming nouns*
1.	(from verbs) indicating the act of doing what is indicated by the verbal element: inquiry
2.	(esp with combining forms of Greek, Latin, or French origin) indicating state, condition, or quality: geography; jealousy

[from Old French -ie, from Latin -ia]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

i.e.

1598, abbreviation of id est, from L., lit. "that is;" used in Eng. in the sense of "that is to say."

-y

suffix in pet proper names (e.g. Johnny, Kitty), first recorded in Scottish, c.1400; became frequent in Eng. 15c.-16c. Extension to surnames seems to date from c.1940. Use with common nouns seems to have begun in Scot. with laddie (1546) and become

popular in Eng. due to Burns' poems, but the same formation appears to be represented much earlier in baby and puppy.

-y

noun suffix, in army, city, country, etc., from O.Fr. -e, L. -atus, -atum, pp. suffix of verbs of the first conjugation. In victory, history, etc. it represents L. -ia, Gk. -ia.

-y

adj. suffix, "full of or characterized by," from O.E. -ig, from P.Gmc. *-iga (cf. Ger. -ig), cognate with Gk. -ikos, L. -icus.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Cultural Dictionary

i.e. definition

An abbreviation for id est, a Latin phrase meaning “that is.” It indicates that an explanation or paraphrase is about to follow: “Many workers expect to put in a forty-hour week — i.e., to work eight hours a day.” (Compare e.g.)

FOLDOC

Computing Dictionary

IE definition

Internet Explorer

ie definition

networking
The country code for Ireland.
(1999-01-27)

American Heritage

Abbreviations & Acronyms

IE
Indo-European

I.E.

industrial engineer
industrial engineering

i.e.
Latin id est (that is)

Example sentences from the web

In areas where plants of shorter growing season were used, ie.

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