-ait

See also: ait, aitt, AIT, áit, áitt, and -áit

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French -oit, an irregular development from second and third conjugation ending Latin -ēbat and fourth conjugation ending Latin -iēbat (note the dropping of -a- is irregular). Possibly due to the influence by the third-person singular subjunctive imperfect suffixes -ât, -ît, -ût (with a circumflex preceding -t) whose regularly drops -e- in unstressed positions.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɛ/
• Homophones: -ais, -aient, -er (some speakers), -é (some speakers)

Suffix

-ait

1. forms the third-person singular imperfect indicative form of a verb