Origin of Suffix -e (and its original meaning)
It is quite common that suffix -e is appended to an English noun or verb,
its original meaning has been lost. Its origin can be traced back to its corresponding Latin word.
1. When the suffix -e is appended to a noun
Latin has three noun suffixes:
1) -us which is a singular masculine noun suffix. Note some Latin words ended with -us are actually originated from Greek words ended with -os, for example,
Latin word cyclus (=cycle in English) is from Greek Kuklos; Latin word scopus (=scope in English) is from Greek skopos;
2) -a which is a singular feminine noun suffix
3) -um which is a singular neuter noun suffix
When a Latin noun is inherited into English (through French), these suffixes is turned into
-e, whose meaning is usually lost. So -e is just a remnant of one of these
Latin noun suffixes.
For example:
lucre (which means money; profit) is from Latin word lucrum where -e is from -um.
picture is from Latin word pictura where -e is from -a.
Rome is a masculine noun (note the suffix of -e). When you drive around in U. S., you will
find that several real estates have names with -e appended to nouns, such as,
pointe, towne, perle. Adding the suffix -e does not
change the meanings of the words.
The suffix -e is also appended to an English word with Germanic origin,
e.g. -e is appended to hus to make English word house to avoid it
being ended with s and mistaken as a plural.
one: -e is appended to on to make it separate from the preposition on.
2. When the suffix -e is appended to a verb
Latin has verb suffixes: -are, -ere, -ire.
These suffixes become -er when Latin a verb is
inherited into French, and become -en when the verb is inherited into
Middle Old English and become -e when the verb is inherited into modern
English. So the suffix -e in a verb is a remnant of one of these Latin verb suffixes.
For example: compute is from Latin verb computare where -e is from -are.
repute is from Latin word reputare
conclude is from Latin word concludere and
lave is from Latin word lavare, having the suffix -e avoid the word being ended with v or u.
Example of Middle Old English: maken is Middle Old English which becomes make in modern English.