-இ

• IPA^(key): /ɪ/, [i]

Compare இயங்கு (iyaṅku, “to work, to perform”).

-இ • (-i)

1. -ator, -er, -ed, -machine, -inator; added to a verb to produce agent nouns (names of objects/machines that correspond to its respective root verb.)

   Examples:

   • ‎வழி (vaḻi, “way”) + ‎காட்டு (kāṭṭu, “show”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎வழிகாட்டி (vaḻikāṭṭi, “compass, GPS”)
   • ‎நால் (nāl, “four”) + ‎கால் (kāl, “leg”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎நாற்காலி (nāṟkāli, “chair”)
   • ‎மூடு (mūṭu, “close”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎மூடி (mūṭi, “lid”)

-இ • (-i)

1. forms feminine words.

   Synonyms: -அள் (-aḷ), -ச்சி (-cci), -இனி (-iṉi)

   Antonym: -அன் m (-aṉ)

Cognate with Kannada -ಇಸು (-isu), Malayalam -ഇക്കുക (-ikkuka), Telugu -ఇంచు (-iñcu).

-இ • (-i)

1. forms verbs from nouns.

   Example:

   • ‎ஆரம்பம் (ārampam, “beginning”) + ‎-இ (-i) → ‎ஆரம்பி (ārampi, “to begin”)

2. forms verbs from loanwords.

   Examples:

   • Sanskrit शपति (śapati, “to curse”) +‎ -இ (-i) = சபி (capi, “to curse”)
   • Sanskrit पठति (paṭhati, “to read”) +‎ -இ (-i) = படி (paṭi, “to read”)

3. causative verb suffix.

• Verbs formed this way always belong to conjugation 6.

• University of Madras (1924–1936), “இ”, in Tamil Lexicon, Madras [Chennai]: Diocesan Press