-illion

English

Etymology

Back-formation from million, then used in billion, trillion, quadrillion, each from French, ultimately from Italian mille (“thousand”) and the augmentative suffix -one. -illion was segmented from million as if mi- was a prefix, and -illion the stem.

Suffix

-illion

1. Combined with Latin prefixes for names of integers in order to form names of powers of a million.

   ‎bi- + ‎-illion → ‎billion

   ‎tri- + ‎-illion → ‎trillion

2. Added to various nonsense syllables to indicate an arbitrarily very large number.

   bajillion, gazillion

Usage notes

• The words formed with this suffix may mean either $1,000,000^{n}$ or $1000^{n+1}$ in different nations and languages. Hence billion can mean “one million million” or “one thousand million”. See Long and short scales on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Derived terms

English terms suffixed with -illion

Related terms

• -illiard

Translations

suffix forming names of powers of a million or of a thousand greater than 1,000,000

• Armenian: -իլիոն (-ilion)
• Esperanto: -iliono (eo)
• French: -illion (fr)

See also

• Indefinite and fictitious numbers on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Etymology

Back-formation from million, ultimately from Italian mille (“thousand”) and the augmentative suffix -one. -illion was segmented from million as if mi- was a prefix, and -illion the stem.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /i.ljɔ̃/

Suffix

-illion m (plural -illions)

1. -illion

Derived terms

French terms suffixed with -illion

Related terms

• -illiard