-iĉo

Derived by analogy with the masculine suffix -ĉj- and the feminine suffixes -nj- and -ino.

• IPA^(key): /ˈit͡ʃo/
• Hyphenation: i‧ĉo
• Rhymes: -it͡ʃo

-iĉo

1. (neologism, proscribed) of masculine sex[1]

   ‎bovo (“a neat (bovine)”) + ‎-iĉo → ‎boviĉo (“bull”)

   ‎japano (“a Japanese person”) + ‎-iĉo → ‎japaniĉo (“Japanese man”)

An unofficial neologism proposed for reforms or evolution of Esperanto. Derives the masculine form of a word, parallel to feminine -in-, for example:

bovo (“a head of cattle”) → boviĉo (“bull”) / bovino (“cow”)

Resistance to the adoption of the suffix centers around concern that traditionally male roots (of which there a few dozen, primarily kin terms and titles) would become gender-neutral, for example:

patro (“parent”, literally “father”) → patriĉo (“father”) / patrino (“mother”)

Some authors, such as Georgo Kamaĉo and Luiz Portella, have published books using this suffix.

An official idiom to designate male animals is to form compounds with viro (“man”), such as virbovo for bull. L.L. Zamenhof, the founder of Esperanto, began this usage with his translation of Genesis, and it is now widespread. To designate male members of a profession, it is common to use the adjective vira, such as vira kelnero for a male waiter.

• -ino (“female”)

Gender reform in Esperanto on Wikipedia.Wikipedia