Arabic

Suffix

ـِيَّة • ‎(-iyya)

1. Used to form abstract nouns from other nouns—especially verbal nouns (masdars)—and from adjectives. Usually there is a parallel nisba adjective in ـِيّ ‎(-iyy), with a parallel meaning. For example, اِشْتِرَاكِيَّة ‎(ištirākiyya, “socialism”) is formed from اِشْتِرَاك ‎(ištirāk, “sharing, cooperation”), with a corresponding nisba adjective اِشْتِرَاكِيّ ‎(ištirākiyy, “socialist”). It is possible to analyze cases like these as e.g. اِشْتِرَاكِيّ ‎(ištirākiyy, “socialist”) suffixed with ـَة ‎(-a) to form an abstract noun. However, there are other cases, such as جَاذِبِيَّة ‎(jāḏibiyya, “attraction, gravity”) derived from جَاذِب ‎(jāḏib, “attractive”) or أَهَمِّيَّة ‎(ʾahammiyya, “importance”) derived from أَهَمّ ‎(ʾahamm, “more important”), where no corresponding nisba exists.
2. Used to form nouns of various types from other nouns, e.g. device nouns such as بُنْدُقِيَّة ‎(bunduqiyya, “rifle”) from بُنْدُق ‎(bunduq, “hazelnut, bullet”).

Descendants

• Persian: یه ‎(-iyye) (dated), یت ‎(-iyyat)