-acious

views updated

-acious suffix repr. F. -acieux, as in astucieux, audacieux, based on L. sbs. astūtia, audācia + -eux -OUS; capacious, fugacious, loquacious, rapacious are immed. f. L. adjs. in -āx, -āc-. The earliest Eng. exx. are audacious and contumacious.