-ety

In some uses, apparently an alteration of -edy, as seen in jaggedy, raggedy, scaredy, etc.; equivalent to -ed +‎ -y. The alteration of -d- to -t- is perhaps due to Scottish influence, where it is common for the past participle of Scots verbs to end in -et/-it rather than -ed as in English. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

In other usage, perhaps imitative of repeated action, equivalent to -et +‎ -y.^[1] In any case, it is used almost exclusively in sound-symbolic or expressive words.

• -edy, -iddy, -ity, -oty

-ety

1. Added to monosyllabic words, typically verbs or nouns, to form adjectives characteristic of the verb or noun.
   1. Often with frequentative force.

      ‎jig + ‎-ety → ‎jiggety

      ‎hip-hop + ‎-ety → ‎hippety-hoppety

      ‎yack + ‎-ety → ‎yackety-yak

   2. Also seen in other fanciful compounds.

      ‎dig + ‎-ety → ‎diggety, hot diggety dog

      ‎lick + ‎-ety → ‎lickety, lickety-split

Cognate of -ity, ultimately from Latin -(i)tās.^[2] See more at -ity.

• -ity

-ety

1. Used to indicate qualities or states.

   ‎contrary + ‎-ety → ‎contrariety

• Added to word stems ending in ⟨i⟩ or ⟨y⟩ to avoid a double -ii-, such as contrariety instead of *contrariïty. The effect on pronunciation is (or was originally) dissimilatory, lowering the vowel from /ɪ/ to /ɛ/ following a similarly palatal vowel or semivowel, though for many speakers the vowel of -ety is pronounced closer to [ɪ] and indistinguishable from -ity.

• -ity
• -ty

• Tye, t'ye, tey, tye, yet