-s-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "s"

English

Etymology

From Middle English -s, -es, from Old English -es (“-'s”, masculine and neuter genitive singular ending), which survives in many old compounds. In more recent coinage, from contraction of the derived clitic -'s in compounds. For more, see -'s.

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix used to link elements in some compounds, equivalent to the possessive clitic -'s.
hogshead, kingsman, yearsworth, jobsworth, womenswear, craftsperson

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch -s-.

Interfix

-s-

An interfix used to link elements in some compounds, originally a genitival interfix.
‎aanleerder (“learner”) + ‎-s- + ‎woordeboek (“dictionary”) → ‎aanleerderswoordeboek

‎staat (“state”) + ‎-s- + ‎kaping (“hijacking, privateering”) → ‎staatskaping

Usage notes

Use of the -s- interfix in Afrikaans is based on patterns in the existing vocabulary. It is frequently used after the -ing, -ie and the -er suffixes. It is seldom used following mass nouns.
The -s- is not used when the previous element end on s: poskantoor. It is not used when the next element begins with s: stadspoort, but stadsaal (no interfix).

Albanian

Interfix

-s-

a consonant that sometimes appears as a ligature between the elements of a compound word.
‎plotë (“full”, adjective) + ‎-s- + ‎-oj (verbal suffix) → ‎plotësoj (“to complete; to satisfy, fulfill”)

Derived terms

Albanian terms interfixed with -s-

Danish

Danish Wikipedia has an article on:

Bindebogstav

Wikipedia ^da

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix inserted in some compounds.
A morph interjected between word roots to give pronunciation a better sense of flow, but which gives no change in meaning.

Usage notes

The usage of fuge-s is phonetically motivated. It is applied on a per-modifier basis, meaning that if the first root generates fuge-s in one compound, it will usually do so in all compounds, even if the second already begins with an s, as in dødsstraf (død + straf) or affaldssæk (affald + sæk).

Derived terms

Danish terms interfixed with -s-

affaldsforbrændingsanlæg

Dutch

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

Tussen-s in de Nederlandse spelling

Wikipedia ^nl

Etymology

The genitive singular masculine and neuter ending used as interfix; more at -s.

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix used to link elements in some compounds.
‎dood (“dead”) + ‎-s- + ‎kist (“chest”) → ‎doodskist

‎ezel (“donkey”) + ‎-s- + ‎brug (“bridge”) + ‎-etje (diminutive suffix) → ‎ezelsbruggetje

Derived terms

Dutch terms interfixed with -s-

aanbestedingsprocedure

aanbestedingsregel

aanbestedingsregeling

aanbestedingsvoorwaarde

aandeelhoudersvergadering

aansprakelijkheidsverzekering

aardrijksbeschrijving

achterkamertjespolitiek

achtervolgingswaan

achtervolgingswaanzin

arbeidsongeschiktheidsuitkering

begrotingsonevenwicht

Related terms

-e-
-en-

Elfdalian

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Derived terms

Elfdalian terms interfixed with -s-

aðelsmann

aðelsmy̨öt

Finnish

Etymology 1

Possibly by analogy from compounds using combining forms of words with -inen/-nen.

Interfix

-s-

An interfix used at compound word boundaries with certain words; optional.

Usage notes

Optional; not particularly productive. Mainly found in a group of older compound words.

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Common sound-symbolic element, often attached to after a -p-. Probably akin to diminutive suffixes like -sa and -su.

Interfix

-s-

A sound-symbolic interfix without any meaning.

Usage notes

Generally attached between a plosive and a following vowel at the end of the root, often roughly in the middle of the final word.

Derived terms

Finnish terms interfixed with -s- (sound-symbolic)

German

Alternative forms

-es-

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /s/

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix used to link elements in some compounds.
‎Gestein (“rock”) + ‎-s- + ‎Formation (“formation”) → ‎Gesteinsformation (“geological formation”)

‎Arbeit (“work”) + ‎-s- + ‎Zimmer (“room”) → ‎Arbeitszimmer (“workroom, study”)

Usage notes

This interfix is used regularly after most derivational suffixes such as -heit, -ling, -tum, -ung, including borrowed ones like -ität, -tion. Otherwise it is used only after a minority of words. Most of these are strong masculine and neuter nouns, but not without exception (cf. Arbeit f above). There are also words that use it in some compounds but not in others, e.g. Arbeitszimmer, Arbeitgeber, Darlehensgeber.

Derived terms

German terms interfixed with -s-

Abbildungstechnologie

Abdankungsgrund

Abendmahlsfeier

Abendmahlsgemeinschaft

Abendmahlsgottesdienst

Abkürzungsverzeichnis

Abkürzungszeichen

Ablebenswahrscheinlichkeit

Abrasionsbeständigkeit

Abschöpfungsstrategie

Abschreckungstheorie

Abschreckungswaffe

Absicherungsstrategie

Abstimmungsverantwortlicher

Abstoßungsreaktion

Abteilungsleiter

Abtönungspartikel

Abtreibungsbefürworter

Adsorptionskalorimetrie

Aktivierungsgutschein

Alkylierungsmittel

Alleinstellungsmerkmal

Alleinvertretungsanspruch

Altersdiskriminierung

Altertumswissenschaft

Amtsenthebungsverfahren

Anschauungsunterricht

Ansteckungsausbreitung

Anteilseignerstruktur

Anwendungsentwicklung

Anwendungsfall

Anwendungsgebiet

Anwendungsmöglichkeit

Arbeitsbeschaffungsmaßnahme

Arbeitsbeschaffungsprogramm

Arbeitsbuch

Arbeitsdienst

Navajo

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-s-/

Interfix

-s-

a consonant that sometimes appears as a ligature between the elements of a compound word.
‎bįįh + ‎-s- + ‎tsoh → ‎bįįstsoh

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

Fuge-s

Wikipedia ^no

Etymology

Derived from Old Norse -s (“genitive singular ending”), originally occurring on the first element of certain compounds. It was subsequently reanalysed and analogically extended as a linking interfix, and does not necessarily express a genitive relationship in present-day Norwegian.

Compare Norwegian Nynorsk -s-, Danish -s- and Swedish -s- (“linking interfix”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /s/

Interfix

-s-

A linking interfix used between the constituents of certain compound words, generally without an independent meaning.
mann (“man”) +‎ -s- (“linking interfix”) +‎ alder (“age”) → mannsalder (“lifetime; generation”)

samfunn (“society”) +‎ -s- (“linking interfix”) +‎ fag (“subject, field”) → samfunnsfag (“social studies”)

rødvin (“red wine”) +‎ -s- (“linking interfix”) +‎ flaske (“bottle”) → rødvinsflaske (“red-wine bottle”)

Usage notes

The interfix is commonly called a binde-s (“linking s”) or fuge-s (“linking s”) in Norwegian.
There is no single reliable rule determining when -s- is used. Its presence is largely determined by established usage and by the first constituent of the compound, so uncertain formations should be checked in a dictionary.
Some first constituents regularly take -s-, as in fylkeskommune (“county municipality”) and omsorgsbolig (“assisted-living accommodation”); others normally do not, as in nemndarbeid (“committee work”). In some formations it is optional, as in regionplan or regionsplan.
-s- is especially common when the first constituent is itself a compound. It can mark the structural boundary between the compound first constituent and the final constituent: rødvinsflaske (“red-wine bottle”) is analysed as rødvin (“red wine”) + flaske (“bottle”), rather than rød (“red”) + vinflaske (“wine bottle”).
Although historically associated with genitive forms, the interfix occurs after nouns of all grammatical genders and need not express possession or another genitive relationship.
When the following constituent begins with ⟨s⟩, both the interfix and the initial ⟨s⟩ are retained in writing, producing ⟨ss⟩: midnattssol (“midnight sun”) and høytrykksspyler (“pressure washer”).
The element is conventionally described as occurring between the constituents of a compound, though it may also be analysed morphologically as a suffix attached to the first constituent.
This interfix is distinct from the productive genitive particle and verbal suffix -s.

Derived terms

Norwegian Bokmål terms interfixed with -s-

absorberingskoeffisient

absorpsjonsevne

absorpsjonskoeffisient

administrasjonssenter

arbeidsledighetstrygd

forretningsministerium

References

“binde-s” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
“binde-s” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
“fuge-s” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
“fuge – språk”, Store norske leksikon.
“Bindebokstaver i sammensatte ord”, Språkrådet.
“Binde-s i sammensetninger med -fag- og -språk-”, Språkrådet.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Derived terms

Norwegian Nynorsk terms interfixed with -s-

adamsdrakt

adelsmann

adelsmerke

administrasjonssenter

forretningsministerium

forretningspraksis

forsikringspremie

forsikringsselskap

forskingslaboratorium

gjennomsnittstemperatur

Saterland Frisian

Etymology

From a genitival suffix, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *-as. Cognates include German -s- and Dutch -s-.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-s-/

Interfix

-s-

Used to link two elements in some compounds.

Derived terms

Saterland Frisian terms interfixed with -s-

Bäidenstied

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Swedish -s (“genitival suffix”), from Old Norse -s. Many noun phrases with -s later merged into single-word compounds, but the s remained, now serving the function of a joining interfix as opposed to a suffix placed on a single word.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /s/

Interfix

-s-

Genitival interfix indicating that the former part is a characteristic of the latter.

Usage notes

In Swedish, this interfix is called the foge-s.
As a rule of thumb, a compound noun starting with another compound noun gets an -s- (or an -e- or the like), though this only applies to nouns that can take an interfix at all (nouns ending in -are (-er) get shortened to -ar instead, for example). Compare for example bildäck (bil (car) + däck (tire) = car tire) and lastbilsdäck (last (cargo) + bil (car) (= truck) + -s- + däck (tire) = truck tire). Intuitively, the -s- disambiguates cargocar-tire from cargo-cartire. This also extends to longer compound nouns, like lastbilsdäckstryck (truck tire pressure) and lastbilsdäckslufttryck (truck tire air pressure), which get an additional -s- before tryck (pressure) and lufttryck (air pressure), respectively (with the last example meant to illustrate that lufttryck does not turn into "luftstryck," as the word decomposes as lastbil (truck) + däck (tire) + lufttryck (air pressure)). In practice, such long compound nouns would often be rewritten as several words for the sake of readability (for example, "lufttrycket i lastbilsdäcken" (the air pressure in the truck tires)), though they sometimes crop up. Note that this rule of thumb only covers one case. Many other compound nouns also get an -s-.
Another rule of thumb is that a compound noun that starts with a noun that ends in -ing (-ing) always gets an -s-. For example, tidning (newspaper) and artikel (article) turns into tidningsartikel.