Morpheme
-ance
Type
suffix
Denotation
abstract noun suffix denoting a process, state, quality
Etymology
Middle English -aunce, -ance; Anglo-Norman -aunce; Old French -ance; Latin -antia, from -antis + -ia, from -āns
Evidence
abidance, ascendancy, acceptance, accordance, acquaintance, admittance, alliance, ambulance, -ancy, annoyance, appearance, brilliance, buoyancy, clearance, cognizance, comeuppance, compliance, conservancy, conveyance, dalliance, defiance, deliverance, dependance, dependancy, disappearance, discordance, dissonance, disturbance, dominance, dormancy, endurance, expectancy, flamboyance, furtherance, governance, grievance, guidance, happenstance, hindrance, ignorance, importance, inheritance, insurance, maintenance, malignancy. nurturance, observance, occupancy, penance, performance, permeance, poignancy, ponderance, radiance, reluctance, remembrance, resistance, riddance, semblance, severance, significance, sustenance, temperance, utterance, valiance, vengeance
Notes
historically dependent on the Latin stem word vowel (-are)
See Also
-ent, -ence, -ens, -entes, -ente, -enti, -enzo, -enza, -ant, -ante, -anza
