-i-

a connecting vowel esp. forming words in -ana, -ferous, -fic, -form, -fy, -gerous, -vorous (cf. -O-).
Etymology: from or after F f. L

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Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin, thematic vowel of most nouns and adjectives in combination

— used as a connective vowel to join two elements of usually Latin origin, being either identical with

auriform

or representative of

Herbivora

an original Latin stem vowel or simply inserted

cantilever

— compare -o-

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the typical ending of the first element of compounds of Latin words, as -o- is of Greek words, but often used in English with a first element of any origin, if the second element is of Latin origin: cuneiform; Frenchify.

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suffix a connecting vowel chiefly forming words ending in -ana, -ferous, -fic, -form, -fy, -gerous, -vorous. Compare with -o-

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-i-

connective or quasi-connective L. -i-, being the stem-vowel, as in omni-vorus, or a weakened representative thereof, as in grani-vorus (grano-), or herbi-vorus (herba-), or merely connective, as in gramin-i-vorus (gramin-); so uni-formis, auri-fer, terri-genus, pac-i-ficus. So in many English words taken from L. directly or through French, and in modern words formed on their analogy, e.g. amœbi-form, hydri-form (erroneously hydraform, hydræform), seti-form, etc.