-nyi

From the now-dialectal lative suffix -ni. First attested in the late 12th century.^[1] (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): [ɲi]
• Rhymes: -ɲi

-nyi

1. (adjective-forming suffix) -ful, as much as. Added to a noun to form an adjective meaning "as much that can fit into", "as big as …".

   ‎villa (“fork”) + ‎-nyi → ‎villányi (“forkful; as much that fills a fork”)

   ‎tenyér (“palm of the hand”) + ‎-nyi → ‎tenyérnyi (“as big as a palm”)

   Magyarország (“Hungary”) → egy magyarországnyi terület (“an area as big as that of Hungary”, i.e. approx. an Indiana-sized area)

There are several Hungarian surnames (and eponymous street names) apparently with -nyi ending, however, they usually derive from the name of a settlement that ends in -ny, so they do not contain this suffix. Some examples are Öttevényi (from Öttevény), Herényi (from Herény), Ladányi (from Ladány), Petényi/Pethényi (from Petény). Hence, their derivation from the -nyi ending is unlikely, though possible (e.g. petényi “as big as an egg cell”, from pete “egg cell”).

• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

-nyi

1. non-past marker, applied to verbs of class 3 to indicate non-past tense