-lechen

Middle English

Alternative forms

• -leche, -liche

Etymology

Inherited from Old English -lǣċan, from Proto-West Germanic *-laikijan; compare lok (“gift, sacrifice”) and -lok.

However, often associated with -lich, variant of -ly (“-ly”, adjectival), which verbs with this suffix are often formed from (replacing that suffix) and phonologically remodelled after (as already in Old English -līcian).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-ˌlɛ̝ːt͡ʃən/, (reduced) /-lɛt͡ʃən/
• IPA^(key): /-lit͡ʃən/ (remodelled after -lich, variant of -ly)
• IPA^(key): /-lɛd͡ʒ/ (Northern or Late Middle English, with voicing of unstressed /t͡ʃ/)

Suffix

-lechen

1. (chiefly unproductive) Forms verbs from adjectives, denoting becoming or producing; -ify

Derived terms

Middle English terms suffixed with -lechen

knowelechen

neighlechen

rightlechen

Descendants

• (English: acknowledge, knowledge)
• (Middle Scots: knawlege)

References

• “-lē̆chen, suf.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “-leche, suffix”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• Jordan, Richard (1974),  Eugene Crook, transl., Handbook of the Middle English Grammar: Phonology (Janua Linguarum. Series Practica; 218)‎^[1], The Hague: Mouton & Co. N.V., →DOI, § 180, page 168.