-bar

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Synonyms

-lig
-abel (mostly with Romance words)

Derived terms

References

“-bar” in Den Danske Ordbog

German

Etymology

From Middle High German -bære, from Old High German -bāri, from Proto-Germanic *bēriz.

The modern vowel -a- is after the adverb form (Middle High German -bāre, Old High German -bāro), which came to be used in predicative and then also in attributive position. This development was especially Low and Central German (compare Middle Low German -bār(e) alongside -bēr(e)). Also cognate with Dutch -baar, West Frisian -ber, Alemannic German -bar, Old English -bǣre.^[1] Old Norse -bærr (Old Swedish -bǣr). This suffix is said to be West Germanic, so the Old Norse form is probably an early Middle Low German borrowing.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /baːɐ̯/ (standard)
IPA^(key): /baː/, /bɐ/ (common speech)
Audio: (file)
Audio (Germany (Berlin)): (file)
Homophones: bar, Bar

Suffix

-bar

-able, -ible
Synonym: -abel

Derived terms

German terms suffixed with -bar

References

^ Kluge, Friedrich (1989), “-bar”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 22nd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN

Hamar

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-bar/, [-bar̥]

Suffix

-bar

adessive suffix

Derived terms

Hamar terms suffixed with -bar

ɓáabar

cóobar

References

Petrollino, Sara (2016), A Grammar of Hamar: A South Omotic language of Ethiopia‎^[1], Leiden University

Northern Kurdish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbɑːɾ/

Etymology 1

From bar (“burden; responsibility”), ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”).

Suffix

-bar (Arabic spelling ـبار)

Used to form adjectives with a figurative meaning of “bearing”:-y, -ed
‎tawan (“guilt; crime; sin”) + ‎-bar → ‎tawanbar (“accused, suspected; guilty”)

Etymology 2

Generally synonymous with ber- (from ber (“front”)), an adjective-forming prefix used for giving the sense of readiness for something (eg. berşûştin (clothes prepared for washing, laundry)) but also comparable to -able (compare berpirs (“responsible”)). Recently has been combined with -bar of Germanic languages, such as German -bar, Dutch -baar.

Suffix

-bar (Arabic spelling ـبار)

Used to form adjectives meaning “able to be done”: -able, -ible
‎xwarin (“to eat”) + ‎-bar → ‎xwarinbar (“edible”)

Derived terms

Northern Kurdish terms suffixed with -bar

cobar

tawanbar

xwarinbar

Etymology 3

Cognate with ber (“in front of”), from Proto-Iranian *upári (“above; over”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *upári (“above; over”), derived from Proto-Indo-European *upér (“above; over”).

Suffix

-bar (Arabic spelling ـبار)

(rare) in front, beside, or close to

References

Chyet, Michael L. (2020), “-bar III”, in Ferhenga Birûskî: Kurmanji–English Dictionary (Language Series; 1), volume 1, London: Transnational Press, page 32

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German -bar (“originally bearing; adjective-forming suffix”), from Old Saxon -bāri (“bearing, having; characterized by”), from Proto-Germanic *bēriz (“bearing, carrying”). Ultimately related to bære (“to bear, carry”) and bær (“pregnant or having recently calved, of a cow”).

Compare Norwegian Nynorsk -bar, Danish -bar, Swedish -bar, German -bar, Dutch -baar, West Frisian -ber and Old English -bǣre (“bearing, having; characterized by”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-bɑːr/
Rhymes: -ɑːr
Hyphenation: -bar

Suffix

-bar (neuter singular -bart, definite singular and plural -bare)

Used to form adjectives from verbs, especially expressing that something can, may, or is suitable to undergo the specified action; broadly equivalent to English -able or -ible.
lese (“to read”) +‎ -bar (“able or suitable to undergo an action”) → lesbar (“readable, legible”)

flytte (“to move”) +‎ -bar (“able or suitable to undergo an action”) → flyttbar (“movable”)
Used to form adjectives from nouns, indicating possession of a specified capacity, quality, suitability, or tendency.
frukt (“fruit”) +‎ -bar (“having a specified quality or capacity”) → fruktbar (“fertile, fruitful”)

salg (“sale”) +‎ -bar (“having a specified quality or capacity”) → salgbar (“saleable, marketable”)
Used to form adjectives from other adjectives, indicating a particular kind or quality.
åpen (“open”) +‎ -bar (“having a specified quality”) → åpenbar (“obvious, evident”)

Derived terms

avtagbar (“detachable, removable”)
blandbar (“mixable, miscible”)
brukbar (“usable; acceptable”)
bærbar (“portable”)
drikkbar (“drinkable, potable”)
dyrkbar (“cultivable, arable”)
farbar (“passable, traversable”)
flyttbar (“movable”)
formbar (“malleable, formable”)
fornybar (“renewable”)
forutsigbar (“predictable”)
fruktbar (“fertile, fruitful”)
gjenbrukbar (“reusable”)
gjenkjennbar (“recognizable”)
holdbar (“durable; sustainable”)
hørbar (“audible”)
justerbar (“adjustable”)
kjørbar (“drivable; executable”)
lesbar (“readable, legible”)
låsbar (“lockable”)
merkbar (“noticeable, perceptible”)
målbar (“measurable”)
oppblåsbar (“inflatable”)
overførbar (“transferable”)
salgbar (“saleable, marketable”)
sammenlignbar (“comparable”)
seilbar (“navigable, sailable”)
vaskbar (“washable”)
vendbar (“reversible, turnable”)
åpenbar (“obvious, evident”)

References

“-bar” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
“-bar” in Norwegian Academy Dictionary (NAOB).

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle Low German -bar (“originally bearing; adjective-forming suffix”), from Old Saxon -bāri (“bearing, having; characterized by”), from Proto-Germanic *bēriz (“bearing, carrying”). Ultimately related to bera (“to bear, carry”) and bær (“pregnant or having recently calved, of a cow”).

Compare Norwegian Bokmål -bar, Danish -bar, Swedish -bar, German -bar, Dutch -baar, West Frisian -ber and Old English -bǣre (“bearing, having; characterized by”).

Suffix

-bar (neuter singular -bart, definite singular and plural -bare)

Used to form adjectives from verbs, especially expressing that something can, may, or is suitable to undergo the specified action; broadly equivalent to English -able or -ible.
lesa (“to read”) +‎ -bar (“-able or suitable to undergo an action”) → lesbar (“readable, legible”)

flytta (“to move”) +‎ -bar (“-able or suitable to undergo an action”) → flyttbar (“movable”)
Used to form adjectives from nouns, indicating possession of a specified capacity, quality, suitability, or tendency.
frukt (“fruit”) +‎ -bar (“having a specified quality or capacity”) → fruktbar (“fertile, fruitful”)

sal (“sale”) +‎ -bar (“having a specified quality or capacity”) → salbar (“saleable, marketable”)

Usage notes

The suffix is not used as commonly as in bokmål and there are various native suffixes which may be used instead.

In sense 1, -leg, -ande and -sam can be used:

lesbar (“readable”) → leseleg or lesande
flyttbar (“movable”) → flytteleg or flyttande
brennbar (“flammable”) → brenneleg or brennsam

In sense 2, there are no one-to-one equivalents and various suffixes can be used, such as -leg, -før, -full, -sam, -verdig, rik, fal:

fruktbar (“fertile”) → fruktfør, fruktrik or fruktsam
salbar (“marketable”) → seljeleg or salsfal
dyrebar (“valuable”) → dyrverdig or dyr

Derived terms

References

“-bar” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
“-bar”, in Norsk Ordbok: Ordbok over det Norske Folkemålet og det Nynorske Skriftmålet (in Norwegian Nynorsk), Oslo: Det Norske Samlaget, 1950–2016, →ISBN.