后缀：-ess [名词后缀]

表示女性（人）或雌性（动物）

citizeness 女公民

manageress 女经理

poetess 女诗人

authoress 女作家

mayoress 女市长，市长夫人

governess 女统治者

Jewess 犹太女人

tailoress 女裁缝

hostess 女主人

murderess 女凶手

shepherdess 牧羊女

goddess 女神

lioness 母狮

leopardess 母豹

eagless 雌鹰

millionairess 女百分富翁

giantess 女巨人

astronautess 女太空人

heiress 女继承人

patroness 女保护人

词根词缀：-ess

【来源及含义】Greek -issa > Late Latin -issa > Old French -esse > Middle English -esse: a suffix that forms nouns meaning a female +++, as in lioness, tigress, heiress, hostess, and sculptress

【相关描述】When -ess is added to a noun ending in -tor, -ter, the vowel before r is generally elided (eliminated or left out), as in actress (actor + -ess); and such a derivative with the ending -tress (often equivalent to French ) is usually considered a reduced form of Latin -trix, -tricem and popularly regarded as the equivalent of -tor + -ess.

In Middle English many words in -esse were adopted from French; such as, countess, duchess, mistress, and princess, or formed on nouns in -er; such as, enchantress and sorceress.

The suffix -ess is diminishing from English usage, with trends or tendencies toward avoiding any unnecessary references to gender or sexual categorizing (feminine or masculine.

The suffixes -er and -or are no longer gender-specific in modern English: an author or manager, like a doctor or writer, may be male or female, so the words authoress and manageress are considered redundant.

Some -ess words remain in use; for example, heiress and actress, although actor is being used more often now for both men and women.

【同源单词】actress, adulteress, adventuress, ancestress, auditress, aviatress