Morpheme
-(i)l(e) [-ile, -il, -le]
Type
suffix
Denotation
(1) adjective suffix denoting ability or capacity; (2) division, part; (3) chemical suffix naming organic compounds containing a cyano group
Etymology
(1) Old French -il or Latin -īlis; (2) French -ile and German -il; Latin -īlis; (3) French -ile; Italian -ile; Latin -īle, from -īlis; (4) Latin -il of third-declension one-termination adjectives
Evidence
agile, attractile, audile, centile, civil, decile, docile, ejectile, erectile, fractile, fragile, fossil, gentle, gentile, hexadecile, juvenile, labile, merchantile, millile, mobile, motile, nitrile, noble, nobility, nubile, octile, prehensile, percentile, porcile, prehensile, quartile, quintile, refractile, reptile, scissile, senile, septile, servile, sextile, sterile, strigil, subtle, tactile, tercile, tertile, toril, utilize, ventile, vigil, vigintile, volatile
See Also
-ilis, -ile, -ili, -ilium, -ilia
Homographs
il-, il-, -il(e) [-ile, -il], Il(l) [Ill, Il], -(i)l(l)(e) [-il, -ill, -ille, -le], Ile, -ile, -(e)le [-ele, -le], -(e)l(e) [-le, -el, -l], -(u)le [-ule, -le], (U)le [Ule, Le]
