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Origin and history of -ty

-ty(1)

suffix of Germanic origin representing "ten" in cardinal numbers, from Old English -tig. It is a form of ten (q.v.), used as a termination of numbers that are multiples of 10 (sixty, seventy, etc.). Cognate with Old Saxon, Dutch -tig, Old Frisian -tich, Old Norse -tigr, Old High German -zug, German -zig), it was a distinct word in Gothic (tigjus) and Old Norse (tigir) meaning "tens, decades." Also compare tithe (n.).

-ty(2)

suffix of Latin origin, via Old French, used in forming abstract nouns denoting quality or condition from adjectives derived from Latin (safety, surety, loyalty, poverty; in city it is hardly recognizable); Middle English -tie, -te, from Old French -te (Modern French -té).

This is from Latin -tatem (nominative -tas, genitive -tatis), cognate with Greek -tes, Sanskrit -tati-. The cognate suffix in Spanish is -dad. So commonly preceded by a stem-vowel in -i- that -ity has become a living English formative.

Entries linking to -ty

city(n.)

c. 1200, from Old French cite "town, city" (10c., Modern French cité), from earlier citet, from Latin civitatem (nominative civitas; in Late Latin sometimes citatem) originally "citizenship, condition or rights of a citizen, membership in the community," later "community of citizens, state, commonwealth" (used, for instance of the Gaulish tribes), from civis "townsman," from PIE root *kei- (1) "to lie," also forming words for "bed, couch," and with a secondary sense of "beloved, dear."

Now "a large and important town," but originally in early Middle English a walled town, a capital or cathedral town. Distinction from town is early 14c. OED calls it "Not a native designation, but app[arently] at first a somewhat grandiose title, used instead of the OE. burh" (see borough).

Between Latin and English the sense was transferred from the inhabitants to the place. The Latin word for "city" was urbs, but a resident was civis. Civitas seems to have replaced urbs as Rome (the ultimate urbs) lost its prestige. Loss of Latin -v- is regular in French in some situations (compare alleger from alleviare; neige from nivea; jeune from juvenis. A different sound evolution from the Latin word yielded Italian citta, Catalan ciutat, Spanish ciudad, Portuguese cidade.

London is the city from 1550s. As an adjective, "pertaining to a city, urban," from c. 1300. City hall "chief municipal offices" is first recorded 1670s; to fight city hall is 1913, American English. City slicker "a smart and plausible rogue, of a kind usu. found in cities" [OED] is first recorded 1916 (see slick (adj.)). City limits is from 1825.

The newspaper city-editor, who superintends the collection and publication of local news, is from 1834, American English; hence city desk attested from 1878. Inner city first attested 1968.

loyalty(n.)

c. 1400, from Old French loialte, leaute "loyalty, fidelity; legitimacy; honesty; good quality" (Modern French loyauté), from loial (see loyal), from Latin legalem. The ending is -ty (2), but loss of the Latin stem-vowel disguises it. The Medieval Latin word was legalitas.

The earlier Middle English form was leaute (mid-13c.), from the older French form. Loyalty oath is attested by 1852.

Allegiance ... is a matter of principle, and applies especially to conduct; the oath of allegiance covers conduct only. Loyalty is a matter of both principle and sentiment, conduct and feeling; it implies enthusiasm and devotion .... [Century Dictionary, 1897]