Albanian

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Etymology

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Suffixed definite article attached on nouns ending with k, g (IPA(key): [k], [ɡ]). From the ending Proto-Indo-European *-osyo. cognate to Messapic -aihi.[1][2][3]

Related to Albanian -i (of the, etc.), Albanian i (of, the, to).

Pronunciation

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Article

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-u m

  1. masculine singular nominative and accusative suffixed definite article: the
    flok (hair) + ‎-u → ‎floku (the hair)
    treg (market) + ‎-u → ‎tregu (the market)
    plak (old man) + ‎-u → ‎plaku (the old man)
    zog (bird) + ‎-u → ‎zogu (the bird)
    (note: -u shifts towards -i among some Gheg dialects; zogi instead of zogu)
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References

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  1. ^ Matzinger 2015, pp. 62–66
  2. ^ Ismajli 2015, pp. 65–68.
  3. ^ Matzinger, Joachim (2017). "The Lexicon of Albanian". In Klein, Jared; Joseph, Brian; Fritz, Matthias (eds.). Handbook of Comparative and Historical Indo-European Linguistics. 3. Walter de Gruyter.

Chuukese

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

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-u

  1. out, outwards; used to modify verb direction

Esperanto

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Etymology 1

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Etymology unclear. 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.

Suffix

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-u

  1. volitive inflection of verbs, indicating that an action or state is desired, requested, ordered, or aimed for.
    Donu ĝin al mi.
    Give it to me. (expresses a request or command)
    Ni faru tion.
    Let's do that. (expresses a desire or aim)
    Mi iru dormi.
    I ought to go to sleep. (expresses desirability of the action)
    Via infano sukcesu en la vivo.
    May your child be successful in life. (wish or desire)
    Mi volas, ke vi helpu min.
    I want you to help me. (desire)
    Ŝi petas, ke mi silentu.
    She asks that I be silent. (request)

Etymology 2

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Apparently connected to the u at the end of unu (one, a certain).

Suffix

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-u

  1. -one. (Ending of the individual correlatives.)
    kiu (what individual, who)
    tiu (that individual, that one)
    ĉiu (all individuals, everyone)
    iu (some individual, someone)
    neniu (no individual, nobody)
    (unofficial) aliu (another individual, someone else)

Estonian

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Etymology

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From Proto-Uralic *-w (as applied to stems ending in -e). Cognate with Finnish -u.

Suffix

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-u (genitive -u, partitive -u)

  1. Derives nouns from verbs or prefixes
    jagama "to divide" → jagu "a part, a share"
    kaduma "to disappear" → kadu "loss, losing"
    sise- "inside" → sisu "content"
    pesema "to wash" → pesu "wash, washing"

Derived terms

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Finnish

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Etymology

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From Proto-Finnic *-u, from Proto-Uralic *-w (as applied to stems ending in -e). Cognate with Estonian -u.

Suffix

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-u (front vowel harmony variant -y, linguistic notation -U)

  1. Forms nouns from verbs. Most common with e- and i-stem verbs.
    hyppiä (to be jumping) + ‎-u → ‎hyppy (jump)
    itkeä (to cry) + ‎-u → ‎itku (cry(ing))
    pestä (to wash) + ‎-u → ‎pesu (wash(ing))
    potkia (to kick) + ‎-u → ‎potku (kick)
    urheilla (to practice sport) + ‎-u → ‎urheilu (sport)
  2. Derives a number of nouns from other nouns.
    silmä (eye) + ‎-u → ‎silmu (bud)
    sisä- (inside) + ‎-u → ‎sisu (determination, perseverance)

Usage notes

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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

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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
abessive -utta -uitta
instructive -uin
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of -u (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -uni -uni
accusative nom. -uni -uni
gen. -uni
genitive -uni -ujeni
partitive -uani -ujani
inessive -ussani -uissani
elative -ustani -uistani
illative -uuni -uihini
adessive -ullani -uillani
ablative -ultani -uiltani
allative -ulleni -uilleni
essive -unani -uinani
translative -ukseni -uikseni
abessive -uttani -uittani
instructive
comitative -uineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -usi -usi
accusative nom. -usi -usi
gen. -usi
genitive -usi -ujesi
partitive -uasi -ujasi
inessive -ussasi -uissasi
elative -ustasi -uistasi
illative -uusi -uihisi
adessive -ullasi -uillasi
ablative -ultasi -uiltasi
allative -ullesi -uillesi
essive -unasi -uinasi
translative -uksesi -uiksesi
abessive -uttasi -uittasi
instructive
comitative -uinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -umme -umme
accusative nom. -umme -umme
gen. -umme
genitive -umme -ujemme
partitive -uamme -ujamme
inessive -ussamme -uissamme
elative -ustamme -uistamme
illative -uumme -uihimme
adessive -ullamme -uillamme
ablative -ultamme -uiltamme
allative -ullemme -uillemme
essive -unamme -uinamme
translative -uksemme -uiksemme
abessive -uttamme -uittamme
instructive
comitative -uinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -unne -unne
accusative nom. -unne -unne
gen. -unne
genitive -unne -ujenne
partitive -uanne -ujanne
inessive -ussanne -uissanne
elative -ustanne -uistanne
illative -uunne -uihinne
adessive -ullanne -uillanne
ablative -ultanne -uiltanne
allative -ullenne -uillenne
essive -unanne -uinanne
translative -uksenne -uiksenne
abessive -uttanne -uittanne
instructive
comitative -uinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative -unsa -unsa
accusative nom. -unsa -unsa
gen. -unsa
genitive -unsa -ujensa
partitive -uaan
-uansa
-ujaan
-ujansa
inessive -ussaan
-ussansa
-uissaan
-uissansa
elative -ustaan
-ustansa
-uistaan
-uistansa
illative -uunsa -uihinsa
adessive -ullaan
-ullansa
-uillaan
-uillansa
ablative -ultaan
-ultansa
-uiltaan
-uiltansa
allative -ulleen
-ullensa
-uilleen
-uillensa
essive -unaan
-unansa
-uinaan
-uinansa
translative -ukseen
-uksensa
-uikseen
-uiksensa
abessive -uttaan
-uttansa
-uittaan
-uittansa
instructive
comitative -uineen
-uinensa
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
abessive -utta -uitta
instructive -uin
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of -u (Kotus type 2/palvelu, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -uni -uni
accusative nom. -uni -uni
gen. -uni
genitive -uni -ujeni
-uideni
-uitteni
partitive -uani -ujani
-uitani
inessive -ussani -uissani
elative -ustani -uistani
illative -uuni -uihini
adessive -ullani -uillani
ablative -ultani -uiltani
allative -ulleni -uilleni
essive -unani -uinani
translative -ukseni -uikseni
abessive -uttani -uittani
instructive
comitative -uineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative -usi -usi
accusative nom. -usi -usi
gen. -usi
genitive -usi -ujesi
-uidesi
-uittesi
partitive -uasi -ujasi
-uitasi
inessive -ussasi -uissasi
elative -ustasi -uistasi
illative -uusi -uihisi
adessive -ullasi -uillasi
ablative -ultasi -uiltasi
allative -ullesi -uillesi
essive -unasi -uinasi
translative -uksesi -uiksesi
abessive -uttasi -uittasi
instructive
comitative -uinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -umme -umme
accusative nom. -umme -umme
gen. -umme
genitive -umme -ujemme
-uidemme
-uittemme
partitive -uamme -ujamme
-uitamme
inessive -ussamme -uissamme
elative -ustamme -uistamme
illative -uumme -uihimme
adessive -ullamme -uillamme
ablative -ultamme -uiltamme
allative -ullemme -uillemme
essive -unamme -uinamme
translative -uksemme -uiksemme
abessive -uttamme -uittamme
instructive
comitative -uinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative -unne -unne
accusative nom. -unne -unne
gen. -unne
genitive -unne -ujenne
-uidenne
-uittenne
partitive -uanne -ujanne
-uitanne
inessive -ussanne -uissanne
elative -ustanne -uistanne
illative -uunne -uihinne
adessive -ullanne -uillanne
ablative -ultanne -uiltanne
allative -ullenne -uillenne
essive -unanne -uinanne
translative -uksenne -uiksenne
abessive -uttanne -uittanne
instructive
comitative -uinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative -unsa -unsa
accusative nom. -unsa -unsa
gen. -unsa
genitive -unsa -ujensa
-uidensa
-uittensa
partitive -uaan
-uansa
-ujaan
-uitaan
-ujansa
-uitansa
inessive -ussaan
-ussansa
-uissaan
-uissansa
elative -ustaan
-ustansa
-uistaan
-uistansa
illative -uunsa -uihinsa
adessive -ullaan
-ullansa
-uillaan
-uillansa
ablative -ultaan
-ultansa
-uiltaan
-uiltansa
allative -ulleen
-ullensa
-uilleen
-uillensa
essive -unaan
-unansa
-uinaan
-uinansa
translative -ukseen
-uksensa
-uikseen
-uiksensa
abessive -uttaan
-uttansa
-uittaan
-uittansa
instructive
comitative -uineen
-uinensa

Note that if the stem has gradation, it is (almost always) preserved.

Derived terms

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See also

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French

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Etymology

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Inherited from Latin -ūtus.[1]

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u

  1. Forming adjectives having the sense of ‘having quality of, being provided with’ (the root word).
    barbe (beard) + ‎-u → ‎barbu (bearded)
    ventre (belly) + ‎-u → ‎ventru (pot-bellied, rounded)

Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ -u, -ue; in: Jacqueline Picoche, Jean-Claude Rolland, Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris 2009, Dictionnaires Le Robert

Gothic

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Romanization

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-u

  1. Romanization of -𐌿

Greenlandic

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u (n-v?, truncative?, uses -j- as interfix?)

  1. be
    ilinniartitsisoq (teacher) -> ilinniartitsisiuuvugut (we are teachers) .
    Ukiuuvoq.
    It is winter.
    • 1998 May 7, “Tasiilami efterskoleqalernissaa Jakob Sivertsen-ip sulissutigaa”, in Atuagagdliutit / Grønlandsposten:
      Inatsisartunut ilaasortaq Jakob Sivertsen Atassummeersoq ilungersornertuujuvoq.
      MP Jakob Sivertsen, of Atassut, is diligent.
    • 1992, “Meeqqakka”, in 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].

Usage notes

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May become additive after a strong q base.

References

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Hungarian

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u

  1. (diminutive suffix) Added to a noun or a proper noun to form a diminutive.
    apa (father)apu (dad)

Derived terms

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See also

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Etymology

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Common vowel found in pronouns in Romance languages: French tu, Italian tu and Spanish , also in French vous and as an o in Italian voi and Spanish vos, etc. (Compare tu and vu)

Suffix

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-u

  1. suffix used to form pronouns indicating a person
    omna (all, every) + ‎-u → ‎omnu (everyone)

Usage notes

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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

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Kongo

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Suffix

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-u

  1. used to form nouns denoting action or result of action

Latin

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Suffix

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  1. ablative/locative singular of -us for fourth-declension nouns.

Maltese

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Alternative forms

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  • -h (after a vowel)

Etymology

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From Arabic ـهُ (-hu).

Suffix

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-u

  1. 3rd-person masculine singular pronominal suffix: his, him
    Synonym: tiegħu (only in possessive use)
    sħab (friends) + ‎-u → ‎sħabu (his friends)
    taħt (under) + ‎-u → ‎taħtu (under him)
    jinsa (he forgets) + ‎-u → ‎jinsieh (he forgets him)
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Maori

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

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-u

  1. Used in contractions with particles of possession to mean you

See also

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Northern Sami

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Pronunciation

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  This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Etymology 1

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From Proto-Samic *-ō. Cognate with Finnish -o.

Suffix

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-u

  1. Forms result or action nouns from verbs.
Usage notes
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  • This suffix triggers the strong grade on a preceding stressed syllable.
Inflection
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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
Possessive forms
Singular Dual Plural
1st person -on -ome -omet
2nd person -ot -ode -odet
3rd person -us -uska -uset
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Suffix

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-u

  1. Form of the suffix -i used with verbs in -ut.
Usage notes
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  • This suffix triggers the strongest grade on a preceding stressed syllable.
Inflection
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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
Possessive forms
Singular Dual Plural
1st person -on -ome -omet
2nd person -ot -ode -odet
3rd person -us -uska -uset
Derived terms
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Old English

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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From suppletive fusion of ō-stem feminine singular nominative ending -u and Proto-Germanic *-į̄ (feminine abstract ending). Akin to Gothic feminine abstracts in -𐌴𐌹 (-ei) (compare 𐌼𐌹𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌴𐌹 (mikilei, greatness); 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌴𐌹 (diupei, depth)).

Suffix

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-u f

  1. ending used to form abstract nouns from adjectives (compare Modern English -ness), normally causing i-mutation, and remaining even when preceded by a long syllable
    eald (old) + ‎-u → ‎ieldu (age)
    hāliġ (holy, sacred; pious) + ‎-u → ‎hāliġu (holiness)
    hāl (sound, healthy, intact) + ‎-u → ‎hǣlu (wholeness, health)
    hāt (hot) + ‎-u → ‎hǣtu (heat, warmth)
    mennisċ (human, natural, humane) + ‎-u → ‎mennisċu (humanity)
    miċel (big, large; great) + ‎-u → ‎miċelu (greatness, size)
Usage notes
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According to Ringe and Taylor[1], this suffix began as indeclinable *-i in the singular and nominative/accusative plural, before the ō-stem feminine nominative singular was borrowed. In Anglian, the new ending was then extended to the rest of these forms. This same extension was not complete in Early West Saxon, but eventually won out in Late West Saxon. Spellings of these forms with -o, and rarely -a, reflect the merger of unstressed back vowels in later Old English

Declension
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Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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From Proto-West Germanic *-u, from Proto-Germanic *-ō. Apocope should have caused the loss of this ending after heavy stems, but the Anglian dialects generally retained it by analogy with short stems, or for its morphological significance. In West Saxon, this apocope led to replacement with the subjunctive singular -e, which was then extended to short stem verbs as well.

Suffix

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-u (Anglian)

  1. Used to form the first person singular present indicative of strong verbs and class I weak verbs
    beran (bear) + ‎-u → ‎beru (I bear)
    drīfan (drive out) + ‎-u → ‎drīfu (I drive out)
    sellan (give) + ‎-u → ‎sellu (I give)

Etymology 3

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From Proto-West Germanic *-u, from Proto-Germanic *-ō

Suffix

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-u f

  1. Used to form the nominative singular of short ō-stem nouns
    ġiefu (gift)
    lufu (love)

Etymology 4

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From Proto-West Germanic *-u, from Proto-Germanic *-uz

Suffix

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-u

  1. Used to form the nominative and accusative singular of short u-stem nouns
    sunu (son)
    wudu (forest)

Etymology 5

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From Proto-West Germanic *-u, from Proto-Germanic *-ō

Suffix

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-u n

  1. Used to form the nominative and accusative plural of short a-stem and all ija-stem neuter nouns
    clif (cliff) + ‎-u → ‎clifu (cliffs)
    sċip (ship) + ‎-u → ‎sċipu (ships)
    rīċe (kingdom) + ‎-u → ‎rīċu (kingdoms)

Old French

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Etymology

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From Latin -ūtus.

Suffix

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-u

  1. suffixed used to form adjectives (oblique masculine singular) from nouns

Derived terms

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Descendants

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  • Middle French: -u
    • French: -u

Phalura

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Etymology 1

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u

  1. Masculine singular agreement suffix

References

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  • Henrik Liljegren, Naseem Haider (2011) “-u”, in Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎[2], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Etymology 2

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u

  1. Masculine nominative/singular agreement suffix

References

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  • Henrik Liljegren, Naseem Haider (2011) “-u”, in Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎[3], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Polish

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u

  1. (sometimes archaic) forms the masculine dative singular, now used to create adverbs, always used in conjunction with po
    polski + ‎-u → ‎po polsku
  2. forms the inanimate masculine genitive singular after soft or historically soft stems
    kowal + ‎-u → ‎kowalu
  3. (rare) forms the masculine dative singular in certain words
    chłopiec + ‎-u → ‎chłopcu
  4. forms the masculine locative singular
    kowal + ‎-u → ‎kowalu
  5. forms the masculine vocative singular
    kowal + ‎-u → ‎kowalu
  6. forms the feminine vocative singular after -ś and -ź
    mamusia + ‎-u → ‎mamusiu
  7. forms the neuter dative singular in soft and velar stems
    pole + ‎-u → ‎polu
    stoisko + ‎-u → ‎stoisku
  8. forms the neuter locative singular in soft and velar stems
    pole + ‎-u → ‎polu
    stoisko + ‎-u → ‎stoisku

Derived terms

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Further reading

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  • -u in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Turkish

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preceding vowel
A / I E / İ O / U Ö / Ü
-i -u

Etymology 1

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Accusative suffix.

Suffix

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-u

  1. Form of -i after the vowels O / U.
    doktor (doctor) + ‎-u → ‎doktoru

Etymology 2

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Possessive suffix.

Suffix

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-u

  1. Form of -i after the vowels O / U.
    pantolon (pants) + ‎-u → ‎pantolonu (his/her pants)

Etymology 3

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Derivative suffix.

Suffix

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-u

  1. Form of -i after the vowels O / U.
    1. Derives nouns from verbs.
      duy- (to feel, to sense) + ‎-u → ‎duyu (sense)

Welsh

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Etymology

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From Middle Welsh -u, from Proto-Brythonic *-oβ̃.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

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-u

  1. Forms verbnouns from verb stems.
    Synonyms: -a, -ed, -eg, -i, -o, -io

Usage notes

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This suffix is mostly used where the vowel in the last syllable is a, ae, e, or y.[1]

Derived terms

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References

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  1. ^ Morris Jones, John (1913) A Welsh Grammar, Historical and Comparative, Oxford: Clarendon Press, § 202 iii