-acysuffix

Etymology: Ultimately < classical Latin -ācia, -ātia, and post-classical Latin -acia, -atia as the endings of words of various different morphological types, mostly showing the suffix -ia -y suffix³ on stems of a variety of different origins (see below); in some cases (either wholly or partly) via Anglo-Norman or French words ending in -acie or (see ii below) < French words ending in -atie. Borrowings of each of the three main types described below are first found in Middle English. Formations within English of the type described under (iii) are found from at least the 16th cent., as is the rare example under (ii) of supremacy n.The Latin words with this ending which have been borrowed into English fall into three main groups: (i) Words ending in -ācia in classical Latin, constituting nouns of quality formed on adjectives in -āci- , -āx (see -acious suffix), as e.g. fallācia deceitfulness (see fallacy n.), formed on fallāci- , fallāx deceitful (itself formed on fallere to deceive). Compare similarly contumacy n., efficacy n. Found in English only in borrowed words. With this type compare -acity suffix and also words ending in -ness suffix formed on adjectives in -acious suffix (e.g. rapaciousness n., fallaciousness n.). Corresponding formations in French typically end in -ace (as e.g. fallace fallace n.). (ii) Words ending in -ātia (in post-classical Latin often spelt -acia ), constituting nouns of quality, state, or condition, formed on nouns in -āt- , -ās , e.g. post-classical Latin abbatia , abbacia abbacy n. ( < abbat- , abbas abbot n.), post-classical Latin primatia primacy n. ( < classical Latin prīmāt- , prīmās : see primate n.¹), post-classical Latin optimatia optimacy n. ( < classical Latin optimāt- , optimās optimate n.); compare also post-classical Latin papatia papacy n. (compare papatus papate n.). Thus also Anglo-Norman abbacie abbacy n., Anglo-Norman primacie primacy n., etc.; in modern French typically spelt -atie but pronounced /asi/, as primatie primacy n., etc.; and hence in analogous formations such as French diplomatie diplomacy n. Occasional new formations of this type are found in English. e.g. supremacy n. ( < supreme adj.; > French suprématie ). (iii) Words ending in -atia in post-classical Latin (sometimes spelt -acia ), constituting nouns of state, formed on nouns in classical Latin -ātus -ate suffix¹, e.g. post-classical Latin advocatia advocacy n., praelatia prelacy n., legatia legacy n., or on adjectives in classical Latin -ātus -ate suffix², e.g. post-classical Latin obstinatia , obstinacia obstinacy n.; compare also post-classical Latin procuratia procuracy n. as alteration of classical Latin procūrātiō procuration n. (or similarly conservatia conservacy n.). Hence analogous formations in English (and sometimes also in Anglo-Norman), as curacy n., confederacy n., magistracy n., or (formed on adjectives) accuracy n., alternacy n., degeneracy n., delicacy n., effeminacy n., intimacy n., intricacy n., inveteracy n., legitimacy n., privacy n., profligacy n., subordinacy n. Compare -ation suffix (showing the normal formative pattern in classical Latin). In some other cases a post-classical Latin word ending in -atia apparently shows remodelling of a noun ending in -atus (4th declension), e.g. papatia papacy n.; thus similarly in English episcopacy n., celibacy n. A further group of post-classical words ending in -atia ultimately show borrowings of Greek nouns of state in -άτεια ( < nouns in -ατης or verbs in -ατεύειν ), apparently assimilated to the type shown by praelatia , etc.; e.g. post-classical Latin piratia piracy n. (Similarly post-classical Latin pragmatia , Hellenistic Greek πραγματεία : see pragmatic adj.) Compare also -cracy comb. form. (In a different pattern, lunacy n. apparently shows a formation after lunatic adj., although pairs which might have provided an analogous model, e.g. prelacy n., prelatic adj., etc., appear only to be attested from a later date.)