-ant

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ant"

English

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *-onts

Latin -ns

Latin -āns

Old French -antbor.

Proto-Indo-European *-onts

Proto-Germanic *-andz

Proto-West Germanic *-andī

Old English -ende

Middle English -ant

English -ant

From Middle English -ant, -aunt, partly from Old French -ant, from Latin -āns; and partly (in adjectival derivations) continuing Middle English -ant, a variant of -and, -end, from Old English -ende (present participle ending), see -and. False cognate of Malay and Indonesian -an (and so all its Austronesian cognates), and Arabic ان (“adjective forming suffix”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: ənt, IPA^(key): /ənt/
• (India) enPR: ĕnt, IPA^(key): /enʈ/, [ë̞ɳʈ]
• Homophone: -ent

Suffix

-ant

1. (now sciences, chiefly medicine) The agent noun derived from verb.

   serve → servant

2. An adjective corresponding to a noun in -ance, having the sense of "exhibiting (the condition or process described by the noun)".
3. An adjective derived from a verb, having the senses of: (a) "doing (the verbal action)", and/or (b) "prone/tending to do (the verbal action)".

   ascend → ascendant

   err → errant

4. Alternative form of -and.

   blatant, blicant; flippant, old-farrant

Usage notes

• Many words in -ant were not actually coined in English but rather borrowed directly from Old French, Middle French or Modern French.

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -ant

abdicant

abeyant

abortificant

abradant

accelerant

acceptant

accordant

accountant

acquaintant

actant

addictant

adversant

affiant

agglutinant

agitant

annuitant

anorexiant

antifoggant

antiozonant

antiscalant

appendant

armisonant

arrivant

ascendant

assailant

assistant

attendant

avoidant

benignant

bibulant

bloviant

brilliant

buoyant

castigant

catalecticant

celebrant

chemorepulsant

claimant

clairgustant

clarificant

cognizant

coingestant

colorant

colourant

combatant

commutant

compliant

confessant

contaminant

continuant

contractant

coolant

counteractant

crystallant

debutant

defiant

defoliant

degradant

deletant

deliberant

deliriant

delustrant

denaturant

deodorant

depletant

depressant

deservant

determinant

detoxificant

digestant

dilutant

discordant

discussant

disinfectant

dispersant

disputant

dodecant

dopant

duplicant

eradicant

etchant

evectant

executant

exhilarant

expectorant

extinguishant

extractant

exudant

flippant

floatant

flowant

forbearant

fulminant

glidant

glitterant

habitant

hydrant

idant

ignorant

important

impregnant

incrustant

informant

infrigidant

inhabitant

inhalant

inhibitant

interactant

interferant

invigorant

irritant

isolant

itinerant

joyant

latrant

leachant

levant

locant

lubricant

luxuriant

majorant

matriculant

minorant

misdemeanant

modulant

montivagant

mountant

movant

mutant

nurturant

objectant

occupant

orant

orthant

participant

peccant

performant

permeant

pleasant

pollutant

practicant

practisant

precipitant

preformant

pretendant

proclaimant

prognosticant

propellant

proppant

protectant

protestant

Protestant

quadrant

rampant

reactant

reciprocant

reductant

redundantant

rehabilitant

reliant

reordrant

repentant

reprotoxicant

repugnant

resistant

retardant

retirant

retreatant

revitalizant

revulsant

roborant

salivant

sclerosant

sealant

sectant

servant

simulant

sinkant

somnambulant

sonant

sonorant

sterilant

subexcedant

successantly

suppressant

suppurant

thrillant

titrant

transportant

transvectant

trippant

triumphant

uninferant

vacillant

vesicant

Related terms

• -ance

Anagrams

• TNA, TAN, NTA, Nat, NAT, ATN, nat, Tan, tan, Nat.

Catalan

Etymology

Inherited from Old Catalan -ant, from Latin -antem, -entem. Compare French -ant, Italian -ent, Spanish -ante, Portuguese -ante.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern, Central, Northwestern) [ˈan]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Valencia) [ˈant]

Suffix

-ant (invariable)

1. -ing; suffix denoting the gerund and present participle of a verb

   ‎jugar (“to play”) + ‎-ant → ‎jugant (“playing”)

Suffix

-ant (adjective-forming suffix, feminine -anta, masculine plural -ants, feminine plural -antes)

1. -ant, -ing; forms adjectives out of verbs

Suffix

-ant m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ants, feminine -anta, feminine plural -antes)

1. -er; forms nouns out of verbs

See also

• -ent

Danish

Etymology

From Latin -ans.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈanˀd]

Suffix

-ant c

1. Forms agent nouns, mostly from verbs of Romance or Latin origin
2. something that is or happens in a certain way (adjectives. E.g. arrogant)

Declension

Declension of -ant

common gender	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	-ant	-anten	-anter	-anterne
genitive	-ants	-antens	-anters	-anternes

Derived terms

Danish terms suffixed with -ant

protestant

repræsentant

Dutch

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑnt/

• Audio:

  (file)

Suffix

-ant m (plural -anten, feminine -ante)

1. appended to the stem of a verb, it yields a noun which signifies the subject who performs the action of that verb (see agent noun)

Derived terms

Dutch terms suffixed with -ant

fabrikant

figurant

immigrant

predikant

protestant

representant

secondant

speculant

sympathisant

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French -ant, from a merger of Latin -antem, -entem (present participle suffix) with Latin -andum, -endum (gerundive suffix).

Compare Italian -ante, -ando; Spanish -ante, -ando.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɑ̃/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Suffix

-ant (invariable)

1. -ing; suffix denoting the gerund and present participle of a verb

   ‎jouer (“to play”) + ‎-ant → ‎jouant (“playing”)

   Mangeant du pain, j'ai trébuché sur une peau de banane.

   Eating bread, I tripped over a banana peel.

Suffix

-ant (adjective-forming suffix, feminine -ante, masculine plural -ants, feminine plural -antes)

1. -ant, -ing; forms adjectives out of verbs
2. (rare) forms adjectives from words other than verbs

   ‎abracadabra + ‎-ant → ‎abracadabrant

Suffix

-ant m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ants, feminine -ante)

1. -er; forms nouns out of verbs

Usage notes

• French present participles are used, chiefly in literary style, to replace relative clauses. In this case they are not inflected for number and gender: une femme aimant ses enfants (“a woman loving her children”), equivalent to une femme qui aime ses enfants (“a woman who loves her children”).
• Some present participles can also be used as actual adjectives. In this case they are inflected: une femme aimante (“a loving/caring woman”). Such adjectival uses are lexicalised, however, and (unlike in English) not all participles allow it.

Related terms

• -amment
• -ance

German

Alternative forms

• -ent
• -ans (learned terms only, usually neuter)

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *-onts

Latin -ns

Latin -āns

Old French -antbor.

Middle High German -ant

German -ant

From Middle High German -ant, from Latin -ans, -antis, in part through Old French -ant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ant/, /ɑnt/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

Suffix

-ant m (weak, genitive -anten, plural -anten, feminine -antin)

2. Forms agent nouns, mostly from verbs of Romance or Latin origin.

   ‎liefern (“to supply”) + ‎-ant → ‎Lieferant (“supplier”)

Usage notes

• This ending is semi-productive, see e.g. Asylant, Antifant.
• This ending rarely also occurs in the neuter gender, see e.g. Antiozonant.

Declension

Declension of -ant [masculine, weak]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	-ant	die	-anten
genitive	eines	des	-anten	der	-anten
dative	einem	dem	-anten	den	-anten
accusative	einen	den	-anten	die	-anten

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -ant

Antifant

Asylant

Fierant

Informant

intrigant

Intrigant

Laborant

Lieferant

Maturant

Musikant

Negerant

Praktikant

Protestant

Protokollant

Qualifikant

Simulant

Suderant

Sympathisant

Trafikant

Tschecherant

Tumultuant

Vibrant

Further reading

• “-ant”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[1] (in German)
• “-ant” in Duden online

Hungarian

Etymology

From -a- (linking vowel) +‎ -n (instantaneous suffix) +‎ -t (causative suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ɒnt]
• Rhymes: -ɒnt

Suffix

-ant

1. (instantaneous suffix) Added to a stem - often an onomatopoeia - to form a verb expressing an instantaneous action.

   pillant (“to glance”)

Usage notes

• (instantaneous suffix) Variants:

  -ant is added to back-vowel words

  -ent is added to front-vowel words

Derived terms

Hungarian verbs suffixed with -ant

firkant

pillant

vakkant

See also

• -int
• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *-ānt, from Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yónti.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈant]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈant]

Suffix

-ant

1. third-person plural present active indicative of -ō (first conjugation)

Descendants

• Old Galician-Portuguese: -an
  • Galician: -an
  • Portuguese: -am
• Sicilian: -anu, -annu
• Spanish: -an

Middle French

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) From Latin -āns, -ēns.

Suffix

-ant

1. used to form the present participle of verbs

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ant/
• Rhymes: -ant
• Hyphenation: -ant

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French -ant (“agent- and noun-forming suffix”), ultimately from Latin -āns (“present-participle ending”), genitive -antis.

Compare Danish -ant (“noun-forming suffix”).

Suffix

-ant m (definite singular -anten, indefinite plural -anter, definite plural -antene)

1. Forms masculine nouns denoting a person or thing that performs a specified action, has a specified function or possesses a particular characteristic.

   asylant (“asylum seeker”), debutant (“debutant”), demonstrant (“demonstrator”), informant (“informant”), okkupant (“occupier”), spekulant (“speculator”)

Derived terms

• asylant (“asylum seeker”)
• debutant (“debutant”)
• demonstrant (“demonstrator”)
• informant (“informant”)
• okkupant (“occupier”)
• spekulant (“speculator”)

See also

• -ent (“noun-forming suffix”)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French -ant (“adjective-forming suffix”), from Latin -āns (“present-participle ending”), genitive -antis.

Compare Danish -ant (“adjective-forming suffix”).

Suffix

-ant (neuter singular -ant, definite singular and plural -ante)

1. Forms adjectives expressing a particular manner, state or characteristic.

   arrogant (“arrogant”), dominant (“dominant”), galant (“gallant”), intrigant (“intriguing, scheming”), mutant (“mutant”)

Derived terms

• arrogant (“arrogant”)
• dominant (“dominant”)
• galant (“gallant”)
• intrigant (“intriguing, scheming”)
• mutant (“mutant”)

See also

• -ent (“adjective-forming suffix”)

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Suffix

-ant

1. neuter singular of -an (“adjective-forming suffix”)

References

• “-ant” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “-ant” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).

Anagrams

• nat, tan

Old French

Etymology

From Latin -āns, -ēns.

Suffix

-ant

1. used to form the present participle of verbs

Related terms

• -ance/-anche

Descendants

• English: -ant
• French: -ant

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *-onts

Latin -ns

Latin -āns

Old French -ant

French -antbor.

Polish -ant

Borrowed from French -ant.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ant/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ant
• Syllabification: -ant

Suffix

-ant m pers

1. -ant (agent noun derived from verb)

   ‎kurs + ‎-ant → ‎kursant

Declension

Declension of -ant

	singular	plural
nominative	-ant	-anci/-anty (deprecative)
genitive	-anta	-antów
dative	-antowi	-antom
accusative	-anta	-antów
instrumental	-antem	-antami
locative	-ancie	-antach
vocative	-ancie	-anci

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -ant

abdykant

absztyfikant

adresant

afektant

aliant

ambicjant

antyperspirant

apelant

aresztant

asekurant

asymilant

azylant

bachant

bajerant

beneficjant

defraudant

deserant

dyskurant

ewakuant

familiant

koalicjant

kosztorysant

krytykant

kursant

lawirant

macant

malwersant

manipulant

markierant

masturbant

milicjant

palestrant

policjant

projektant

protokolant

rebeliant

repatriant

ryzykant

sekundant

serwisant

szyfrant

uchylant

wizytant

wyrwant

załogant

Further reading

• “-ant”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[2] (in Polish)

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ant/

Etymology 1

Cognate with Cornish -ans.

Alternative forms

• -iant

Suffix

-ant m (plural -annau)

1. show the action of a verb or its result, -tion, -ment

   ‎maddau (“to forgive”) + ‎-ant → ‎maddeuant (“forgiveness”)

Etymology 2

Suffix

-ant

1. (literary) verb suffix for the third-person plural present indicative/future

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -ant

gorwariant

hydoddiant

tanwariant