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definitions

-ese

a suffix forming adjectival derivatives of place names, especially countries or cities; frequently used nominally to denote the inhabitants of the place or their language: Faroese; Japanese; Vietnamese; Viennese. By analogy with such language names, -ese occurs in coinages denoting in a disparaging, often facetious way a characteristic jargon, style, or accent: Brooklynese; bureaucratese; journalese; computerese.

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Nearby words

  1. -ery,
  2. -es,
  3. -esce,
  4. -escence,
  5. -escent,
  6. -esis,
  7. -esque,
  8. -ess,
  9. -est,
  10. -et

Origin of -ese

probably orig. < Italian -ese, later representing Spanish, Portuguese -es, French -ais, -ois, all < Latin -ēnsem -ensis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for -ese

-ese

suffix forming adjectives, suffix forming nouns

indicating place of origin, language, or styleCantonese; Japanese; journalese
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for -ese

-ese

word-forming element from Old French -eis (Modern French -ois, -ais), from Vulgar Latin, from Latin -ensem, -ensis "belonging to" or "originating in."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper