-euse

Suffix

 * 1) the female form of

Etymology
, feminine form of (which became ).

Use as the female equivalent of is a later development which rests on the phonetic similarity of the suffixes.

Etymology
.

Usage notes

 * Feminine forms in can be formed freely, but their stylistic values differ: Certain forms could only be considered humorous (e.g.  from ). In some other cases the form in  is considered more respectful and professional; for example,,  are now preferred over , , which may have a vaguely dismissive tone. Yet other forms like  do not show this tendency and are entirely usual.