1381: -ious: A Suffix with 2 Origins Sep 22, 2018

Often, dictionary entries for etymology will either give a clear route by which a word was adopted and or adapted over time, or will say the origin is unknown. In a few cases, such as with the suffix '-ious', there are two; this is not to say it is contested in linguistic circles, but that it has two—albeit related—origins. Words with this suffix can either come from French, in which case the original word would have had the '-ieux' suffix, and words from Latin would have had '-iosus'. However, by mutual influence within the history of the English and French language made both of these sound the same, and have the exact same meaning as a adjective. However, while with works with some words like 'caution' becoming 'cautious', it is sometimes a moot point with words like 'facetious'.

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