# -i-
## English
### Etymology 1

From Latin -i-.

#### Interfix

-i-
* (in coining neologisms) A vowel inserted interconsonantally between morphemes of Latinate origin in order to ease pronunciation (an anaptyxis, a linking vowel).

##### Derived terms

* equi- (equidistant)
* -iferous (sudoriferous)
* -iform (cuneiform, setiform)

##### See also

* -o- (the Greek parallel)

#### References

* The Concise Oxford English Dictionary [Eleventh Edition] lists -i- as an entry.

### Etymology 2

The initial vowel of primate.

#### Interfix

-i-
* (pharmacology) A monoclonal antibody derived from a non-human primate source.

##### Related terms

* -mab is the base suffix common to all monoclonal antibodies. (See that entry for full paradigm.)

##### References

* USP Dictionary of USAN and International Drug Names, U.S. Pharmacopeia, 2000

### Etymology 3

A word-internal spelling variant of a word-final y.

#### Suffix

-i-
* A spelling variant of a word-final -y vowel when followed by a suffix that does not begin with an i, for example -ied, -ier, -iest.
    happiness (happy +‎ -ness)
    penniless (penny +‎ -less)
    beautiful (beauty +‎ -ful)
* In compound words, a spelling variant of a final or suffixed -y vowel in the first word.
    pantiliner (panty +‎ liner)

##### Usage notes

* This convention applies to any final y vowel, not just to the suffix -y. It does not apply to digraph vowels ending in y and followed by a suffix -s, for example lay → lays (cf. laid, lain), nor to a single-letter y vowel before a suffix such as -ing that begin with an i, for example spying (cf. spies, spied). There is no pattern predicting when the spelling change happens; for example, penniless is far more common than pennyless, but babiless is very rare.

## Czech
### Interfix

-i-
* connecting two parts of some compound words
    konipas (kůň +‎ -i- +‎ pást)

#### Derived terms
## Finnish
### Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *-i-, from Proto-Uralic *-j (oblique plural marker).

#### Interfix

-i-
* Plural marker in nominal forms, except in nominative case, in which it is -t.
    talossa - taloissa ― in the house - in the houses

##### Usage notes

* if the plural indicator is between two vowels it becomes -j-
    talon - talojen ― of the house - of the houses

##### Derived terms

* -ikko
* -ittaa

### Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *-i-, from Proto-Uralic *-j (past tense marker).

#### Interfix

-i-
* Past tense marker in verbs.
    katson - katsoin ― I watch - I watched

## Latin
### Etymology

From the reduction of several historical unstressed short stem vowels during the Old Latin period. The reduced vowel was later reinterpreted as part of various suffixes.

### Interfix

-i-
* Connecting vowel inserted between a stem and a suffix or other appended words in compound words.

#### Derived terms
## Old Irish
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ʲ] (realized on the following consonant)
Palatalization of a word-final consonant or consonant cluster is indicated by the insertion of an orthographic ⟨i⟩ before the letter(s) representing the consonant(s).

### Simulfix

-i-
* Creates i-stem adjectives from prefixed bases.
    ‎so- (“good”) + ‎nert (“strength”) + ‎-i- → ‎sonairt (“strong”, literally “(with) good strength”)
    ‎dí- + ‎folud + ‎-i- → ‎deolaid (“gratuitous”)
    ‎ess- (privative prefix) + ‎ómun (“fear”) + ‎-i- → ‎esamain (“fearless”)
* Marks various inflections, including:
** the genitive singular of masculine and neuter o-stem nouns and o/ā- and u-stem adjectives
** the vocative singular and nominative plural of masculine o-stem nouns and o/ā-stem adjectives
** the accusative and dative singular of feminine ā-stem nouns and o/ā- and u-stem adjectives
** the nominative, vocative and accusative dual of feminine ā-stem nouns
** the accusative and dative singular; nominative, vocative and accusative dual; and nominative plural of masculine and feminine consonant-stem nouns
** the dative singular of neuter consonant-stem nouns
** the third-person singular absolute and conjunct of suffixless preterite active verb forms
** the third-person singular absolute of present s-subjunctive active verb forms

#### Derived terms
### Further reading

* Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, § 345, page 219; reprinted 2017

## Old Polish
### Etymology

Inherited from Proto-Slavic *-i-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: (10th–15th CE) /i/
* IPA: (15th CE) /i/

### Interfix

-i-
* used in forming certain compounds

#### Descendants

* Polish: -i-

## Polish
### Alternative forms

* -y-

### Etymology

Inherited from Old Polish -i-.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /i/
* Rhymes: -i
* Syllabification: [please specify syllabification manually]
* Homophones: i, -i

### Interfix

-i-
* used in forming certain compounds
    łamać + strajk → łamistrajk

#### See also

* -o-, -u-

### Further reading

* -i- in Polish dictionaries at PWN

## Spanish
### Interfix

-i-
* forms compounds

#### Derived terms
## Swahili
### Infix

-i-
* it, them; mi class$_{(IV)}$/n class$_{(IX)}$ object concord

#### See also

For a full table including first and second person, see Appendix:Swahili personal pronouns