Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

-gate

/-ɡeɪt/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.47 in modern English

Syllables: -gate
IPA: /-ɡeɪt/

5

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

suffix

Combined with a relevant place, person, activity, etc. to form the names of scandals.

noun

Informal

suffix

Used to form place names.

Example Sentences

""-Ghazi" also shares convenient linguistic parallels with "-gate." They're both scandals that typify their category; they're both location names; they both start with the letter "g"; and they are both short enough to be used in headlines and attached to nouns identifying the scandal."
"Back in college, [Maddi] Filliater said she tweeted at a local sandwich shop about some alleged brown lettuce, and the business responded angrily: Why didn't she bring up the problem in person instead of attacking them on the Internet? Her friends refer to the incident as "LettuceGate.""
"The George Washington Bridge lane closings started as a "-ghazi" and then became a "-gate." […] The Obama era is chock full of "-ghazis"—Solyndraghazi, ObamaPhoneghazi, NewBlackPanthersghazi, Umbrellaghazi, and of course Benghazi—but few "-gates" (Snowdengate and Websitegate, come to mind)."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *wed- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *wódr̥ Proto-Germanic *watōr Proto-West Germanic *watar Old English wæter Middle English water English water Proto-Germanic *gatą Proto-West Germanic *gat Old English ġeat Middle English gate English gate Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstis Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Indo-European *gʰóstipotis Proto-Italic *hostipotis Latin hospes Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Latin hospitālis Old French ostel Middle French hostel French hôtelbor. English hotel English Watergate Hotel English Watergatebf. English -gate Back-formation from Watergate, an American political scandal from 1972–1974 which led to resignation of president Richard Nixon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the suffix first appeared in a 1973 article in the National Lampoon magazine which referenced a rumoured "Volgagate". The suffix was promoted by New York Times columnist William Safire, who coined several -gate words beginning in 1974.

Origin

Source language: Old English

Word Breakdown

Root: ġeat

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

-gates (plural)

Derived Forms

Aldgate Billingsgate Bishopsgate Cripplegate Dowgate Highgate Ludgate Margate Moorgate Newgate Ramsgate Reigate

Phrases

-ghazi

Frequently Paired Words

-ghazi

Questions

How do you pronounce -gate?: The recorded pronunciation is /-ɡeɪt/.
What does -gate mean?: Combined with a relevant place, person, activity, etc. to form the names of scandals.
Where does -gate come from?: It is traced to Old English.

How to pronounce -gate

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “-gate”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/-ɡeɪt/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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