Minor Roots: -IZEN

All about where you live

Saturdays are perfect days for etymological surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about the minor root -IZEN today!

Readers may have observed that I adopt a practical approach to word roots that sometimes diverges from a strict linguistic model. This week’s minor root definitely channels that philosophy in that there is technically no classical suffix -IZEN. However, its meaning in words like citizen or netizen is clear: dweller or inhabitant. Voilà, we have a useful root!

citizen (noun) - a native registered or naturalized member of a town, city, state, nation, or other political community
BREAKDOWN: CITI- (city) + -IZEN (dweller)
—citizenry refers to the group of people living in a particular locality or country
—citizenship describes a legal status and relation between an individual and a state that entails specific legal rights and duties

denizen (noun) - an inhabitant or resident; one who resides in or regularly frequents a place

netizen (noun) - an active participant in the online community of the Internet; someone who spends a lot of time online
BREAKDOWN: NET- (Internet) + -IZEN (dweller)

Let us know if you uncover any more words with the suffix -IZEN!

“I am a Citizen of the World, and my Nationality is Goodwill.” —Socrates