-ina

also -in, adjectival word-forming element, Middle English, from Old French -in/-ine, or directly from Latin suffix -inus/-ina/-inum "of, like," forming adjectives and derived nouns, as in divinus, feminus, caninus; from PIE adjectival suffix *-no- (see -en (2)).

The Latin suffix is cognate with Greek -inos/-ine/-inon, and in some modern scientific words the element is from Greek. Added to names, it meant "of or pertaining to, of the nature of" (Florentinus), and so it also was commonly used in forming Roman proper names, originally appellatives (Augustinus, Constantinus, Justinus, etc.) and its descendants in Romanic languages continued active in name-forming. The Latin fem. form, -ina, was used in forming abstracts (doctrina, medicina). Relics of the attempt to continue a distinction between Latin -ina and -inus account for the English hesitation in spelling between -in and -ine.

"portable, accordion-like musical instrument," 1835, from concert + fem. ending -ina. Invented 1829 by English inventor Professor Charles Wheatstone (who also invented the stereoscope and the Wheatstone bridge). Concertina wire attested by 1917, so called from similarity to the musical instrument.

short or simplified sonata, 1801, from Italian, a diminutive of sonata (q.v.) in its more recent sense; also see -ina.