-en

-en [ən, 'n]

suffix

1. [ME < -en, -ien < OE -nian] forming verbs

a) to become or cause to be: added to adjectives [darken, weaken]

b) to come to have, cause to have: added to nouns [heighten, hearten, strengthen]

2. [ME & OE, akin to L -inus, Gr -inos] forming adjectives made of: added to concrete nouns [wooden, waxen]

3. [ME & OE] forming the past participle of strong verbs [risen, written]

4. [OE -an] forming the plural of certain nouns [children, oxen]

5. [OE] forming the feminine of certain nouns [vixen]

6. [OE] forming certain old diminutives [chicken]