-u

See also: -ú and Appendix:Variations of "u"

Albanian

Etymology

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

IPA^(key): [u]

Article

-u m

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)

Related terms

(suffixed article, suffix): -a, -e, -ë, -i, -o, -ia, -ja, -je, -jë, -at, -et, -ët, -it, -ot, -ut, -të, -ri, -ishte, -ishtja
(article, preposition): e, i, së, të

References

Matzinger 2015, pp. 62–66
Ismajli 2015, pp. 65–68.
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

Etymology

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

Suffix

-u

out, outwards; used to modify verb direction

Esperanto

Etymology 1

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

-u

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

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

Suffix

-u

-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

Etymology

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

Suffix

-u (genitive -u, partitive -u)

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

Estonian terms suffixed with -u

Finnish

Etymology

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

Suffix

-u (front vowel harmony variant -y)

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”)
Derives a number of nouns from other nouns.
‎silmä (“eye”) + ‎-u → ‎silmu (“bud”)
‎sisä- (“inside”) + ‎-u → ‎sisu (“determination, perseverance”)

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
accusative	gen.	-un	-ut
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

Possessive forms of -u (type valo)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	-uni	-umme
2nd person	-usi	-unne
3rd person	-unsa

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
accusative	gen.	-un	-ut
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

Possessive forms of -u (type palvelu)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	-uni	-umme
2nd person	-usi	-unne
3rd person	-unsa

Derived terms

Finnish terms suffixed with -u

French

Etymology

From Latin -ūtus.[1] Cognate to Italian -uto (as in barbuto) Spanish -udo (as in barbudo) and Portuguese -udo (as in barbudo).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /y/

Suffix

-u

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

French terms suffixed with -u

References

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

Gothic

Romanization

-u

Romanization of -𐌿

Greenlandic

Etymology

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

Suffix

-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
  Inatsisartunut ilaasortaq Jakob Sivertsen Atassummeersoq ilungersornertuujuvoq.
  MP Jakob Sivertsen, of Atassut, is diligent.
- 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].

Usage notes

May become additive after a strong q base.

References

Bjørnum, S.: Grønlandsk Grammatik, p. 275. Atuagkat 2003.
Vestgrønlands Grammatik, p. 81, F.A.J. Nielsen, 2014
-u in Katersat

Hungarian

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [u]

Suffix

-u

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

Derived terms

-us

Hungarian nouns suffixed with -u

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

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

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

Ido terms suffixed with -u

Latin

Suffix

-ū

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

Maltese

Alternative forms

-h (after a vowel)

Etymology

From Arabic ـهُ‎ (-hu).

Suffix

-u

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”)

Related terms

hu
huwa

Maori

Etymology

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

Suffix

-u

Used in contractions with particles of possession to mean you

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

Possessive forms
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1st person	-on	-ome	-omet
2nd person	-ot	-ode	-odet
3rd person	-us	-uska	-uset

Derived terms

Northern Sami terms suffixed with -u

Etymology 2

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

Suffix

-u

Form of the suffix -i used with verbs in -ut.

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

Possessive forms
	Singular	Dual	Plural
1st person	-on	-ome	-omet
2nd person	-ot	-ode	-odet
3rd person	-us	-uska	-uset

Derived terms

Northern Sami terms suffixed with -u

Old English

Alternative forms

-o

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”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /u/

Suffix

-u

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”)

Usage notes

In later Old English, -u became -o and the declension altered to reflect the following paradigm

Declension of -u

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-o	-o
accusative	-o	-o
genitive	-o	-a
dative	-o	-um

Declension

Declension of -u (strong ō-stem)

Case	Singular	Plural
nominative	-u	-a, -e
accusative	-e	-a, -e
genitive	-e	-a
dative	-e	-um

Old French

Etymology

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

Suffix

-u

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

Derived terms

boçu
foillu

Descendants

Middle French: -u
- French: -u

Phalura

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-u, -o/

Suffix

-u

Masculine singular agreement suffix

References

Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎, Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /-u, -o/

Suffix

-u

Masculine nominative/singular agreement suffix

References

Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)‎, Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN

Polish

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /u/
Rhymes: -u
Syllabification: u

Suffix

-u

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

Derived terms

Polish terms suffixed with -u

Turkish

Suffix

-u

Alternative form of -ı
‎duy- (“to feel”) + ‎-u → ‎duyu (“sense”)

Welsh

Etymology

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

Suffix

-u

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

Usage notes

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

Derived terms

Welsh terms suffixed with -u

References

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

[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.

[4] -u, -ue; in: Jacqueline Picoche, Jean-Claude Rolland, Dictionnaire étymologique du français, Paris 2009, Dictionnaires Le Robert

[5] Morris Jones, John (1913) A Welsh Grammar, Historical and Comparative, Oxford: Clarendon Press, § 202 iii