-itudecomb. form
Primary stress is attracted to the syllable immediately preceding this combining form and vowels may be reduced accordingly.
Origin: Of multiple origins. Partly a borrowing from French. Partly a borrowing from Latin. Etymons: French -itude; Latin -itūdō.
Etymology: < French -itude and its etymon classical Latin -itūdō, form of -itūdō -tude suffix occurring after a Latin base ending in a consonant; compare -i- connective.Found from the Middle English period in borrowings from French and Latin, as ingratitude n., multitude n., altitude n. Formations within English are found from the 17th cent., e.g. propensitude n., hesitude n., serenitude n.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online March 2022).