-u
Esperanto
Etymology 1
Perhaps from the Greek -ou imperative (pronounced [u]) of deponent verbs such as dekhou "receive!", or from the Hebrew imperative -û. It may instead—or also—be connected to the vowel of the Esperanto conditional suffix -us, minus the s of the indicative inflections.
Etymology 2
Apparently connected to the u at the end of unu (“one, a certain”).
Estonian
Etymology
Cognate with Finnish -u.
Suffix
-u (genitive -u, partitive -u)
Derived terms
Finnish
Etymology
From Proto-Finnic *-u.
Suffix
-u (front vowel harmony variant -y)
- Forms nouns from verbs. Most common with e- and i-stem verbs.
- Derives a number of nouns from other nouns.
Usage notes
The front-harmonic variant -y is only used when the first vowel of the word is one of the harmonic front vowels y, ä, ö; words beginning with neutral front vowels e, i take the back-harmonic variant.
Declension
Inflection of -u (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | -u | -ut | |
genitive | -un | -ujen | |
partitive | -ua | -uja | |
illative | -uun | -uihin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | -u | -ut | |
accusative | nom. | -u | -ut |
gen. | -un | ||
genitive | -un | -ujen | |
partitive | -ua | -uja | |
inessive | -ussa | -uissa | |
elative | -usta | -uista | |
illative | -uun | -uihin | |
adessive | -ulla | -uilla | |
ablative | -ulta | -uilta | |
allative | -ulle | -uille | |
essive | -una | -uina | |
translative | -uksi | -uiksi | |
instructive | — | -uin | |
abessive | -utta | -uitta | |
comitative | — | -uineen |
Inflection of -u (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation) | |||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | -u | -ut | |
genitive | -un | -ujen -uiden -uitten | |
partitive | -ua | -uja -uita | |
illative | -uun | -uihin | |
singular | plural | ||
nominative | -u | -ut | |
accusative | nom. | -u | -ut |
gen. | -un | ||
genitive | -un | -ujen -uiden -uitten | |
partitive | -ua | -uja -uita | |
inessive | -ussa | -uissa | |
elative | -usta | -uista | |
illative | -uun | -uihin | |
adessive | -ulla | -uilla | |
ablative | -ulta | -uilta | |
allative | -ulle | -uille | |
essive | -una | -uina | |
translative | -uksi | -uiksi | |
instructive | — | -uin | |
abessive | -utta | -uitta | |
comitative | — | -uineen |
French
Etymology
From Latin -ūtus.[1] Cognate to Italian -uto (as in barbuto) and Spanish -udo (as in barbudo).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /y/
Suffix
-u
Derived terms
References
- -u, -ue; in: Jacqueline Picoche, Jean-Claude Rolland, Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris 2009, Dictionnaires Le Robert
Gothic
Greenlandic
Affix
-u (n-v?, truncative?, uses -j- as interfix?)
- be
- ilinniartitsisoq (“teacher”) -> ilinniartitsisiuuvugut (“we are teachers”) .
- Ukiuuvoq.
- It is winter.
- 1998 May 7, "Tasiilami efterskoleqalernissaa Jakob Sivertsen-ip sulissutigaa", Atuagagdliutit / Grønlandsposten
- 1992, "Meeqqakka", Atuagagdliutit/Grønlandsposten
- Ernerput anguteqatiminoortartunngorsimavoq (19-inik ukioqarluni paasineqarpoq), niviarsiararlu nukarleq arnaqatiminoortartunngorsimalluni. Akulleq pissusissamisoortuuvoq.
- Our son has become gay (it was discovered when he was 19 years old), and the youngest girl has become a lesbian. The middle [child] is as she should be [i.e. heterosexual].
- Ernerput anguteqatiminoortartunngorsimavoq (19-inik ukioqarluni paasineqarpoq), niviarsiararlu nukarleq arnaqatiminoortartunngorsimalluni. Akulleq pissusissamisoortuuvoq.
Usage notes
May become additive after a strong q base.
References
- Bjørnum, S.: Grønlandsk Grammatik, p. 275. Atuagkat 2003.
- Vestgrønlandsk grammatik, p. 81, F.A.J. Nielsen, 2014
- -u in Katersat
Hungarian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [u]
Derived terms
See also
- Appendix:Hungarian suffixes
Ido
Etymology
Common vowel found in pronouns in Romance languages: French tu, Italian tu and Spanish tú, also in French vous and as an o in Italian voi and Spanish vos, etc. (Compare tu and vu)
Suffix
-u
Usage notes
As it is used to form pronouns, you cannot use it to create nouns. Instead, to form an agent from an adjective like felica (“happy”), you just make it a noun: felico (“a happy person”).
Derived terms
Maltese
Alternative forms
Maori
Northern Sami
Etymology 1
From Proto-Samic *-ō. Cognate with Finnish -o.
Suffix
-u
- Forms result or action nouns from verbs.
Usage notes
This suffix triggers the strong grade on a preceding stressed syllable.
Inflection
Even u-stem, no gradation | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | -u | |||||||||||||||||||||
Genitive | -u -ọ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Singular | Plural | |||||||||||||||||||||
Nominative | -u | -ut | ||||||||||||||||||||
Accusative | -u | -ūid | ||||||||||||||||||||
Genitive | -u -ọ |
-ūid | ||||||||||||||||||||
Illative | -ui | -ūide | ||||||||||||||||||||
Locative | -us | -ūin | ||||||||||||||||||||
Comitative | -ūin | -ūiguin | ||||||||||||||||||||
Essive | -un | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Derived terms
Usage notes
This suffix triggers the strongest grade on a preceding stressed syllable.
Inflection
Even u-stem, no gradation | ||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nominative | -u | |||||||||||||||||||||
Genitive | -u -ọ | |||||||||||||||||||||
Singular | Plural | |||||||||||||||||||||
Nominative | -u | -ut | ||||||||||||||||||||
Accusative | -u | -ūid | ||||||||||||||||||||
Genitive | -u -ọ |
-ūid | ||||||||||||||||||||
Illative | -ui | -ūide | ||||||||||||||||||||
Locative | -us | -ūin | ||||||||||||||||||||
Comitative | -ūin | -ūiguin | ||||||||||||||||||||
Essive | -un | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Derived terms
Old English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From suppletive fusion of Old English feminine ending -u, -o and Proto-Germanic *-į̄ (“feminine abstract ending”). Akin to Gothic feminine abstracts in -𐌴𐌹 (-ei) (compare 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌴𐌹 (mikilei, “greatness”); 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌴𐌹 (diupei, “depth”)).
Suffix
-u f
- ending used to form abstract nouns from adjectives (compare Modern English -ness), often causing i-mutation, and remaining even when preceded by a long syllable
- eald (“old”) + -u → ieldu (“age”)
- hāliġ (“holy, sacred; pious”) + -u → hāligu (“holiness”)
- hāl (“sound, healthy, intact”) + -u → hǣlu (“wholeness, health”)
- hāt (“hot”) + -u → hǣtu (“heat, warmth”)
- mennisc (“human, natural, humane”) + -u → menniscu (“humanity”)
- miċel (“big, large; great”) + -u → miċelu (“greatness, size”)
Declension
Old French
Suffix
-u
- suffixed used to form adjectives (oblique masculine singular) from nouns