See Also:

el (iou)



-el suffix1 (not productive).
Var. of -LE1 retained after ch, soft g, n, r, s, sh, th, and v, as in kernel, swivel, teasel.
-el suffix2 (not productive).
[Old & mod. French: cf. -LE2.]
Occurring in nouns and (occas.) adjectives.
Repr. Old French -el masc. (mod. -eau), -elle fem., from Latin -ellus, -ella, -ellum dim. suffix, as in bowel, chapel, novel, tunnel.
Repr. Old French -el from Latin -ali- (see -AL1) adjectival suffix, as in vowel.