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ArchivesThe -sa ending
Gosh, I feel like a big dummy asking this but here goes.
Is the ending -sa considered a diminuitive? How does that work? Like -ley, does -sa have a meaning? If a person were to take a name and stick -sa on the end, would it change the meaning of the name?
Melissa
Is the ending -sa considered a diminuitive? How does that work? Like -ley, does -sa have a meaning? If a person were to take a name and stick -sa on the end, would it change the meaning of the name?
Melissa
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Replies
Are you thinking of any names in particular?
On your name, Melissa, I don't think that -sa is a diminutive suffix. At least not a usual one. Since it's a vocabulary name, the rules are a bit different. More than likely, if -sa is considered a suffix in Melissa, it isn't necessarily a diminutive one.
Normally, the suffixes don't change name meaning. Except for some "of" and "son of" suffixes, and a few that indicate that the bearer is female. But the feinine suffixes don't change the meaning, just the gender.
Sorry for the grammar, hope it made sense. I'm thinking in fragments tonight :)
Michelle
On your name, Melissa, I don't think that -sa is a diminutive suffix. At least not a usual one. Since it's a vocabulary name, the rules are a bit different. More than likely, if -sa is considered a suffix in Melissa, it isn't necessarily a diminutive one.
Normally, the suffixes don't change name meaning. Except for some "of" and "son of" suffixes, and a few that indicate that the bearer is female. But the feinine suffixes don't change the meaning, just the gender.
Sorry for the grammar, hope it made sense. I'm thinking in fragments tonight :)
Michelle
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Thanks! I wasn't referring to Melissa. I should have been more specific. Sorry! I was refering to a name like, say, Charis being elaborated to Charissa by adding the -sa. Even though the site said nothing about -sa changing the meaning I wanted to be sure. Sometimes the info is not that detailed, you know?
Anyway, thanks again Michelle! You are always so helpful to me. :-)
Melissa
Anyway, thanks again Michelle! You are always so helpful to me. :-)
Melissa
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Just a thought, but some of this phenomenon might be the French influence on English.
Maybe the feminine 'e' suffix had some influence on the final consonant that was carried over to the eventual English form.
Maybe the feminine 'e' suffix had some influence on the final consonant that was carried over to the eventual English form.
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You are perfectly welcome. I'mgad to have helped someone.
I am not entirely sure, but I'd say that there is no meaning change with -sa. An occasional gender change, though. It is a predominantly feminine suffix.
Perhaps it was just a result of a jump from one language/culture/time period to another.
I can't be sure on that.
Michelle
I am not entirely sure, but I'd say that there is no meaning change with -sa. An occasional gender change, though. It is a predominantly feminine suffix.
Perhaps it was just a result of a jump from one language/culture/time period to another.
I can't be sure on that.
Michelle
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I checked 7 names ending with -ISSA, and there seems to be no system behind it. With MELISSA and LARISSA the -SA belongs to the name itself. In the case of NARCISSA, the A is added. The only hint I found was, that CLARISSA was a "medevial derivation" of CLARA - whatever this means.
There are many more names with just -SA at the end - for various reasons.
I don't believe there is an ending -SA that really means anything.
Andy ;—)
There are many more names with just -SA at the end - for various reasons.
I don't believe there is an ending -SA that really means anything.
Andy ;—)
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