Words Ending With DY

The -DY suffix often transforms nouns into adjectives describing conditions or qualities—WIND becomes WINDY, SAND becomes SANDY. Many -DY words also derive from -IA or -Y endings in their source languages, giving us terms like MELODY and REMEDY. This pattern particularly favors compound constructions, producing words like HOMEBODY and SOMEBODY that combine existing elements into new meanings.

With 62% nouns and 32% adjectives, this pattern heavily favors naming things and describing qualities over action words. The 6.7-letter average reflects how -DY often attaches to established roots rather than standing alone in shorter formations.

Middle English dominates this pattern's origins, reflecting how many -DY words entered English during the medieval period through everyday use rather than scholarly borrowing. The etymology of TARDY traces an interesting path from Vulgar Latin through Old French to modern English, while CADDY arrived via Scots from French military terminology. Old English and Old French contributions appear in roughly equal measure, showing parallel pathways into the language.