-ais

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ais"

French

Pronunciation

• (France, Quebec) IPA^(key): /ɛ/
• (France, Africa) IPA^(key): /e/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

• Audio (France (Somain)):

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Middle French -ois, from conflation of Latin -ēbās and -iēbas — second, third, and fourth conjugation variants of -bās, later generalized to all verbs.

Suffix

-ais

1. forms the first-person and second-person singular imperfect indicative form of a verb

   Je regardais la télé pendant que tu parlais au téléphone.

   I was watching the telly while you were talking on the phone.

Related terms

• -ait
• -ions
• -iez
• -aient

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old French -eis (feminine form -esche). In some senses from Late Latin, Vulgar Latin -iscus (from Frankish *-isk, from Proto-Germanic *-iskaz (“-ish”), conflated with Ancient Greek -ισκος (-iskos), all ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-iskos), in others from Latin -ēnsis. Akin to -ois.

Suffix

-ais (feminine -aise, masculine plural -ais, feminine plural -aises)

2. forms adjectives that denote where something or someone is from

   ‎France + ‎-ais → ‎français

   ‎Angle(terre) + ‎-ais → ‎anglais

   ‎Marseille + ‎-ais → ‎marseillais

Suffix

-ais m (plural -ais)

1. forms nouns that denote where something or someone is from

   ‎France + ‎-ais → ‎Français

   ‎Angle(terre) + ‎-ais → ‎Anglais

   ‎Marseille + ‎-ais → ‎Marseillais

2. forms nouns that specify the name of the language spoken in this place

   ‎France + ‎-ais → ‎français

   ‎Angle(terre) + ‎-ais → ‎anglais

Irish

Suffix

-ais

1. inflection of -as:
   1. vocative/genitive singular
   2. nominative/dative plural