-s

I

aff. a suffix used in the formation of adverbs:

always; betimes; unawares[/ex]

•

Etymology: ME -es, OE; ult. identical with ' s I II

-s

or -es

aff. an ending marking the third person sing. present indicative of verbs:

walks; runs; plays[/ex]

•

Etymology: ME (north) -(e)s, OE (north); orig. ending of 2nd pers. sing.; r. ME, OE -eth -eth I III

-s

or -es

aff. an ending marking nouns as plural (weeks; days; minutes), occurring also on nouns that have no singular (dregs; pants; scissors), or on nouns that have a singular with a different meaning (glasses; manners; thanks); -s3 occurs with a number of nouns that now often take singular agreement, as the names of games (billiards; checkers), of diseases (measles; rickets), or of various involuntary physical or mental conditions (d.t.'s; giggles; hots; willies). A parallel set of formations, where -s3 has no plural value, are adjectives denoting mental states (bananas; crackers; nuts);

compare -ers

•

Etymology: ME -(e) s, OE -as IV

-s

aff. a suffix of hypocoristic nouns, generally proper names or forms used only in address:

Babs; Fats; Suzykins; Toodles[/ex]

•

Etymology: prob. from the metonymic use of nouns formed with -s III, as boots or Goldilocks