-machy

1. a combining form meaning “fighting,” used in the formation of compound words.

   logomachy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of -machy¹

< Greek -machia, equivalent to mách ( ē ) battle + -ia -y ³

Example Sentences

As a member of Beta Chi Theta, which sits on both the IFC and the MGC, Bogan said some of his brothers take more interest in cultural activities, while others are more attuned to popular Greek events, like Machy Days and Homecoming. 

From Washington Times

All Greenhow was proud of its “Mr Machy,” as the little Mary called it, thinking perhaps that it was a wonderful live creature.

From Project Gutenberg

Words having the following terminations are usually accented on the antepenult, or third syllable from the end: cracy, ferous, fluent, flous, honal, gony, grapher, graphy, loger, logist, logy, loquy, machy, mathy, meter, metry, nomy, nomy, parous, pathy, phony, scopy, strophe, tomy, trophy, vomous, vorous.

From Project Gutenberg

When To Use

What does -machy mean?

The combining form -machy is used like a suffix meaning “fighting.” It is occasionally used in technical terms.The form -machy comes from Greek -machia, meaning “fighting” or “warfare.” The Latin translation of -machia is bellum (earlier spelling duellum), meaning “war,” which is the source of bellicose and belligerent as well as duel. To learn more about this change in spelling, check out these three entries.