-gate
A scandal.
Noun
- A scandal.
- The George Washington Bridge lane closings started as a "-ghazi" and then became a "-gate." […] The Obama era is chock full of "-ghazis"—Solyndraghazi, ObamaPhoneghazi, NewBlackPanthersghazi, Umbrellaghazi, and of...
Origin
Etymology tree English Watergatebf. English -gate Back-formation from Watergate, an American political scandal from 1972–1974 which led to resignation of president Richard Nixon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the suffix first appeared in a 1973 article in the National Lampoon magazine which referenced a rumoured "Volgagate". The suffix was promoted by New York Times columnist William Safire, who coined several -gate words beginning in 1974.
Forms
Related
Suffix morpheme
- Combined with a relevant place, person, activity, etc. to form the names of scandals.
- "-Ghazi" also shares convenient linguistic parallels with "-gate." They're both scandals that typify their category; they're both location names; they both start with the letter "g"; and they are both short enough to be...
- Back in college, [Maddi] Filliater said she tweeted at a local sandwich shop about some alleged brown lettuce, and the business responded angrily: Why didn't she bring up the problem in person instead of attacking them...
Suffix morpheme
- Used to form place names.
Origin
From the plural of Old English ġeat (specifically gatu). The reduced pronunciation /-ɡət/ reflects the regular phonological development, as the unstressed suffix did not undergo Middle English open‐syllable lengthening (remaining /-ɡatə/). The full pronunciation /-ɡeɪt/ results from secondary stress or analogy with the independent noun gate.
Derived
Aldgate Billingsgate Bishopsgate Cripplegate Dowgate Highgate Ludgate Margate Moorgate Newgate Ramsgate Reigate Sandgate Southgate Westgate