ität

ität is a productive German noun suffix used to form abstract nouns from adjectives or participles, indicating a quality, property, or state. Nouns ending in -ität are feminine (die Realität, die Aktivität, die Identität). The suffix is common in modern German and is cognate with the English -ity and the Latin -itas, having entered German through Latin and French.

Formation and usage

- The suffix attaches to many adjectives to yield terms such as Realität (reality), Aktivität (activity), Kreativität (creativity), Stabilität (stability), and Identität (identity).

- It also appears in some Latin-derived loanwords via French, for example Universität (university).

- -ität is often used in scientific, philosophical, and cultural vocabulary, where abstract concepts, properties, or generalized states are described.

- The choice among -ität, -heit, -keit, and other suffixes depends on historical development and word origin. In many cases, -ität conveys a particularly formal or abstract sense.

Examples and nuances

- Realität, Aktivität, Kreativität, Stabilität, Identität, Universität.

- Not every adjective yields -ität; other suffixes such as -ung or -keit create related nouns (e.g., Bildung, Fähigkeit).

Etymology and related forms

- The suffix derives from Latin -itas, adopted into German via Latin and French influence. It is part of a broader German-Swiss lexicon of suffixes that form abstract nouns, alongside -heit, -keit, -ung and others.

Overview

- -ität serves to lexicalize abstract qualities and states, contributing to the formal, technical, and conceptual registers of German. It is a key element in the system of noun formation that helps express generalized attributes across disciplines.