-loquentcomb. form
Primary stress is attracted to the syllable immediately preceding this combining form and vowels may be reduced accordingly.
Origin: A borrowing from Latin. Etymons: Latin loquent-, loquens.
Etymology: Ultimately < classical Latin loquent-, loquens speaking (see loquent adj.).The classical Latin combining form -loquens occurs occasionally (e.g. in breviloquens , blandiloquens ), but -loquus is commoner; the English combining form was probably based on grandiloquent adj., which shows a borrowing of classical Latin grandiloquus with remodelling of the ending after eloquent adj., probably influenced by formations in classical Latin -loquentia (see -loquence comb. form), which formed abstract nouns from both types of adjectives. Formations are found from the mid 17th cent., e.g. magniloquent adj., melliloquent adj., pauciloquent adj. Many formations occur earliest in Blount (1656).
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, November 2010; most recently modified version published online December 2018).