English

Suffix

-ton

1. Place-name suffix, from the unstressed word town.
2. (mathematics, bridge) A set of specific objects or persons.

Derived terms

Classical Nahuatl

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-toːn/, [-toːn̥]

Suffix

-tōn ‎(plural -totōn)

1. (appended to nouns) a diminutive suffix; forms nouns denoting smallness, and rarely insignificance.

Usage notes

• The diminutive element -tōn is inserted between the noun stem and the absolutive or possessive ending if there is one.
• The suffix -tōn takes the plural form -totōn(tin), undergoing reduplication plus the addition of the plural suffix -tin.

piltōntli ‎(“small child”) → pīpiltotōntin ‎(“small children”)

• If the stem does not take an absolutive suffix (i.e. -tli and its assimilated forms, -tl and -li), the resulting diminutive does not either, and -tin is omitted in the plural.

chichitōn ‎(“small dog”) → chichitotōn ‎(“small dogs”)

• The same can also happen with nouns taking the absolutive -in.

quimichin ‎(“mouse”) → quimichtōn ‎(“small mouse”), but citlālin ‎(“star”) → citlāltōntli ‎(“small star”)

Derived terms

Synonyms

• (diminutive affix): -pīl, tepitōn, -tzin

Antonyms

• (augmentative affix): huēyi, -pōl

References

• Frances Karttunen (1992) An Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl, University of Oklahoma Press, page 247
• James Lockhart (2001) Nahuatl as Written: Lessons in Older Written Nahuatl, with Copious Examples and Texts, Stanford University Press, page 240

Finnish

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *-t'oin, from Proto-Finno-Ugric. Probably related to Northern Sámi -heapme and Moksha -фтома ‎(-ftoma).

Suffix

-ton ‎(front vowel harmony variant -tön)

1. Indicates lack of something; -less.

   aika 'time' → ajaton 'timeless'

   järki 'sense' → järjetön 'senseless'

   maku 'taste' → mauton 'tasteless'

   ääri 'border' → ääretön 'infinite'

Usage notes

Added to the genitive singular (weak grade) stem.

Declension

Antonyms

• -llinen

Derived terms

See also

• -maton