-escent

suffix forming adjectives denoting the beginning of a state or action (effervescent; fluorescent).
Derivatives:
-escence suffix forming nouns.
Etymology: from or after F -escent or L -escent-, pres. part. stem of verbs in -escere

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\\|es^ənt\ adjective suffix

Etymology: Middle French, from Latin -escent-, -escens (present participle suffix of inchoative verbs ending in -escere), from -esc-, element forming inchoative verbs + -ent-, -ens, present participle suffix of the 3d conjugation — more at -ent

1. : beginning, beginning to be, becoming, slightly

obsolescent

arborescent

alkalescent

2. : reflecting or emitting light (in a specified way)

opalescent

fluorescent

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a suffix of adjectives borrowed from Latin, where it had an inchoative force; often corresponding to verbs in -esce and nouns in -escence: convalescent; recrudescent.

[ < L, s. of -escens, prp. ending]

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-escent,

suffix. coming to be or do something; in the process of _____ing, as in adolescent, convalescent.

╂[< Latin -ēscēns, -ēscentis, present participle ending of verbs in -ēscere]

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suffix forming adjectives denoting a developing state or action

coalescent | fluorescent

Origin:

from French, or from Latin -escent- (present participial stem of verbs ending in -escere)

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-escent, suffix

forming adjs., repr. L. -ēscentem, the ending of pr. pples. of vbs. in -ēscĕre, chiefly inceptives, f. vbs. of state in -ēre. Primarily occurring in words ad. L. pples., as deliquescent, effervescent, obsolescent, putrescent, where the general sense is ‘beginning to assume a certain state’. Hence in recent times the suffix has been used (both in Eng. and in other European langs.) to form adjs. upon ns., as in alkalescent (? after acescent), and in several words referring to play of light or colour, as flourescent, iridescent, opalescent, phosphorescent.