ément

Ément is a French suffix used to form adverbs from certain adjectives that end in -ent. The adverbs produced by this suffix typically express manner or degree and are often found in standard written French. Common examples include évidemment, récemment, fréquemment, and différemment.

Etymology and function. The form -ément derives from the historical Latin suffix -mentum, carried into French through Old French. In contemporary spelling, when adjectives ending in -ent take an adverbial form, the resulting word often contains the sequence é-ment, producing spellings such as évi- demment, ré- cent, fré- quemment, and différemment. This phenomenon is part of the broader French system of adverb formation, where -ant adjectives typically yield -amment and -ent adjectives yield -emment or -ément in their adverbs.

Formation and examples. The suffix applies most productively to adjectives whose stems end in -ent. Notable examples of the -ément realization include évident → évidemment, récent → récemment, fréquent → fréquemment, and différent → différemment. These adverbs share a common function: they modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to indicate how an action is performed or the degree of a quality.

Relation to other suffixes. The -ément suffix is part of a parallel pair with -amment, which forms adverbs from adjectives ending in -ant (for example, constant → constamment). Both suffixes arise from the same Latin heritage but apply to different adjective classes, reflecting regular patterns in French morphology.

Usage and notes. While -ément is productive in formal and written French, some adverbs formed in this way have highly conventional spellings and meanings that are best learned as lexical items. In everyday speech, speakers may use more colloquial or alternative constructions for emphasis. See also: -ment, -amment, French adverbs.