-icus

From Latin -icus.

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-icus

1. -ic or -ician

From i-stem + -cus, occurring in some original cases and later used freely. Cognate with Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós), Proto-Germanic *-igaz (Old High German and Old English -ig, Gothic -𐌴𐌹𐌲𐍃 (-eigs)), Sanskrit -इक (-ika), Proto-Slavic *-ьcь (the last has fossilized into a nominal agent suffix, but probably originally also served adjectival functions).

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ɪ.kʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [i.kus] (stressed on the antepenult)

-icus (feminine -ica, neuter -icum); first/second-declension suffix

1. (forming adjectives) of or pertaining to; belonging to; derived from; connected with: -ic, -ish

   ‎cīvis (“citizen”) + ‎-icus → ‎cīvicus (“civic; pertaining to citizens”)

   ‎Gallus (“a Gaul; Gallic”) + ‎-icus → ‎gallicus (“of or pertaining to Gaul or the Gauls; Gallic, Gaulish”)

   ‎bellum (“war”) + ‎-icus → ‎bellicus (“of war; military; warlike”)

   ‎taxus (“yew tree”) + ‎-icus → ‎taxicus (“of or derived from the yew tree”)

   ‎imber (“rain”) + ‎-icus → ‎imbricus (“rainy; rain-bringing”)

   ‎metallum (“metal”) + ‎-icus → ‎metallicus (“of metal; metallic”)

   ‎ūnus (“one”) + ‎-icus → ‎ūnicus (“single, unique”)

2. used to form some substantivized nouns from other nouns

   ‎manus f (“hand”) + ‎-ica → ‎manica (“sleeve”)

The suffix -icus is often added to nouns, sometimes adjectives, rarely to verbs (as in medeor > medicus). It is commonly attached to ethnonyms (names of nations, tribes or peoples) such as italus (“Italian; an Italian”). Latin has a number of words ending in -icus that were not formed in Latin, but were borrowed from Greek words in -ικός (-ikós): e.g. tragicus from τραγικός (tragikós).

First/second-declension adjective.

• -ānus, -ēnsis

• -ticus
  • -āticus

Probably ultimately extended from Proto-Indo-European *-kos, *-ḱos (Etymology 1), the -ī- may come from an instrumental case form.^[1] Compare -ūcus and also, -ītus. Compare also other words containing a velar suffix such as fēlīx.

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [iː.kʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [i.kus]

(noun) -īcus m (genitive -īcī, feminine -īca); second declension
(adjective) -īcus (feminine -īca, neuter -īcum); first/second-declension suffix

1. used to form nouns from verbs or nouns

   ‎lectus (“bed”) + ‎-īca → ‎lectīca (“litter”)

2. used to form adjectives from verbs or nouns

   ‎pudet (“to cause shame”) + ‎-īcus → ‎pudīcus (“chaste, pure”)