-ana

-ana (variant: -iana) is a suffix of Latin origin that is used in English to convert nouns, usually proper names into mass nouns, most commonly in order to refer to a collection of things, facts, stories, memorabilia, and anything else, that relate to a specific place, period, person, etc.[1][2]

For instance, Americana is used to refer to things that are distinctive of the US, while Canadiana is for Canada; in literature, Shakespeareana and Dickensiana are similarly used in reference to items or stories related to William Shakespeare or Charles Dickens, respectively.

The suffix -ana, -iana, or -eana have also often been used in the titles of musical works, as a way for a composer to pay tribute to an earlier composer or noted performer.

  1. ^ "Ana suffix". cycfoundation.org. Archived from the original on 3 September 2010.
  2. ^ "iana suffix". Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2021.