-us

Translingual

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin -us.

Suffix

-us

1. (taxonomy) Used to form taxonomic names.

Derived terms

Esperanto

Etymology

The Esperanto suffixes -as, -is, -os, and -us are related and appear to have been inspired by previous language projects:

This play of vowels is not an original idea of Zamenhof's: -as, -is, -os are found for the three tenses of the infinitive in Faiguet's system of 1765; -a, -i, -o without a consonant are used like Z's -as, -is, -os by Rudelle (1858); Courtonne in 1885 had -am, -im, -om in the same values, and the similarity with Esperanto is here even more perfect than in the other projects, as -um corresponds to Z's -us. —An International Language (1928)

In addition, the u of -us is likely to be related to -u.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Suffix

-us

1. Ending of the conditional in verbs.

Estonian

Etymology

A merger of Proto-Finnic *-us (in the first sense) and Proto-Finnic *-uc (in the second sense). Cognate with Finnish -us.

Suffix

-us (genitive -use, partitive -ust)

1. Derives nouns from verbs.

   armastama "to love" → armastus "love"

   võistlema "to compete" → võistlus "competition"

   joonistama "to draw" → joonistus "a drawing"

2. Derives nouns from adjectives.

   aus "honest" → ausus "honesty"

   pikk "long" → pikkus "length"

Declension

Derived terms

Finnish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *-us, generalized from -s-derivatives of u-stem verbs (e.g. ihastua → ihastus, menestyä → menestys). Compare -os.

Suffix

-us (front vowel harmony variant -ys, linguistic notation -Us)

1. Forms nouns from verbs, describing an action or event.

   ‎kuvata (“to describe”) + ‎-us → ‎kuvaus (“description”)

   ‎pakata (“to pack”) + ‎-us → ‎pakkaus (“package”)

   ‎ylentää (“to promote”) + ‎-us → ‎ylennys (“promotion”)

   ‎hälyttää (“to alarm”) + ‎-us → ‎hälytys (“alarm”)

Usage notes

• With -ahtaa (momentane) verbs, the final -ht- may disappear entirely (through *-AhdUs > *-AhUs (regular loss in e.g. eastern dialects) > *-AUs). This has led to -AUs (-aus/-äys) becoming its own pseudo-suffix. Often both variants, one with -AhdUs and one with -AUs, exist in parallel.

Declension

Alternative forms

• -tus (used with the verb types rohkaista (66) and valita (69))

Synonyms

• -mus (used with the verb types sallia (61), and in some cases, sanoa (52) and muistaa (53))

Derived terms

Etymology 2

From Proto-Finnic *-us. Probably generalized from -s-derivatives of u-stem nominals (e.g. etu- → edus, palvelu → palvelus), or through the loss of a plain u-derivative from the standard language (e.g. keski- → dial. kesku- → keskus), and thus identical to etymology 1. In some cases potentially by confusion with -uus, -us (etymology 3). Alternatively from Proto-Uralic *-wikse.

Suffix

-us (front vowel harmony variant -ys, linguistic notation -Us)

1. Forms nouns, indicating resemblance or association.

   ‎kanta (“base”) + ‎-us → ‎kannus (“spur”)

   ‎sormi (“finger”) + ‎-us → ‎sormus (“ring”)

   ‎vasta- (“counter-”) + ‎-us → ‎vastus (“resistance, opposition”)

   ‎kehä (“circle, ring”) + ‎-us → ‎kehys (“frame”)

   ‎syli (“bosom, lap”) + ‎-us → ‎sylys (“armful”)

   ‎typerä (“stupid”) + ‎-us → ‎typerys (“fool”)

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 3

See the etymology of -uus.

Suffix

-us (front vowel harmony variant -ys, linguistic notation -Us)

1. Short form of the suffix -uus, used where the stem of the root adjective ends in a vowel.

Declension

Derived terms

Anagrams

• su

Hungarian

Etymology

From -u (diminutive suffix) +‎ -s (diminutive suffix).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Suffix

-us

1. (diminutive suffix) Added to a proper noun or other nouns to create a diminutive noun.

   Teréz (“Theresa”) → Terus (“Tess”)

   apa (“father”) → apus (“dad”)

   cica (“cat”) → cicus (“kitty”)

   kutya (“dog”) → kutyus (“pooch, puppy”)

2. A distinguishable foreign word ending in nouns. It cannot be considered as an independent Hungarian suffix.

   agronómus (“agronomist”)

Usage notes

• (diminutive suffix): It creates diminutive or affectionate forms, most of the time of people’s given names, but also of common nouns, usually from ones ending in -a. Other examples: Anna → Annus, Magda → Magdus, Gyula → Gyulus. The -ka diminutive suffix can also be appended after -us to further increase the degree of endearment: apuska, cicuska, kutyuska, Annuska, Magduska.

Derived terms

See also

• -is
• Appendix:Hungarian suffixes

References

• Attila Mártonfi: The System of the Hungarian Suffixes, Theses of PhD Dissertation, Budapest, 2006

Ingrian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Finnic *-us. Cognates include Finnish -us.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /-us/,
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /-us/,

Suffix

-us (front vowel variant -ys)

1. Forms nouns denoting resemblance.

   ‎pääl (“above”) + ‎-us → ‎päälys (“surface”)

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• (Ala-Laukaa) IPA^(key): /-us/,
• (Soikkola) IPA^(key): /-us/,

Suffix

-us (front vowel variant -ys)

1. Alternative form of -uus

Declension

Derived terms

References

• V. I. Junus (1936) Iƶoran Keelen Grammatikka‎, Leningrad: Riikin Ucebno-pedagogiceskoi Izdateljstva, page 57

Latin

Etymology 1

From Old Latin -os, from Proto-Italic *-os, from Proto-Indo-European *-os (adjectival ending). Cognate with Ancient Greek -ος (-os), Proto-Germanic *-az, Icelandic -ur, Sanskrit -अः (-aḥ), Proto-Slavic *-ъ.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /us/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /us/,

Suffix

-us

1. suffix of nouns in the second declension.
   1. (chiefly) nominative singular of -us
   2. (not productive) nominative/accusative/vocative singular of -us for second-declension neuter nouns.

      vīrus (“a poisonous or acrid secretion”); vulgus (“common people”); pelagus (“sea”)

2. suffix of adjectives in the first/second declension.
   1. (chiefly) nominative singular of -us
3. (New Latin) suffix used to Latinize names ending in consonants.

Declension

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Generally from Proto-Indo-European *-os (suffix forming neuter s-stem nouns from verbs), as in genus n from *ǵénh₁os n (“race”). Not a productive derivational suffix in Latin. The plural and oblique case forms have -r- as the result of the sound change of rhotacism. Additionally, in many words, the oblique stem has the vowel -ĕ- (as in generis), which is generally taken to be the phonetically regular development of the Proto-Indo-European forms. Some words, such as as decus, decoris, instead have -ŏ- in the oblique stem; this is the result of analogical introduction of the rounded vowel from the nominative/accusative singular form.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /us/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /us/,

Suffix

-us

1. ending of some neuter nouns in the third declension.
   1. nominative/accusative/vocative singular of -us

Declension

Descendants

• Romanian: -uri (from the plural -ora, with the final vowel replaced due to analogy with feminine plural forms)

Etymology 3

Not a single suffix, but an ending of various miscellaneous origins. In most words, from Old Latin -us, from Proto-Italic *-us, from Proto-Indo-European *-us as the final part of Proto-Indo-European *-tus (suffix deriving action nouns from verb roots).

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /us/,
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /us/,

Suffix

-us

1. nominative/vocative singular of -us for nouns in the fourth declension.

Declension

Suffix

-ūs

1. nominative/vocative plural of -us for fourth-declension nouns.
2. genitive singular of -us for fourth-declension nouns.
3. accusative plural of -us for fourth-declension nouns.

See also

• -tus

References

• “-us” on page 2,108/2 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Lithuanian

Etymology 1

Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *-ós (“adjectival ending”). Pairs such as lañkas (“bend”) : lankùs (“flexible”) find parallels in Sanskrit रुधिर (rúdhira-, “blood”) : रुधिर (rudhirá-, “red”), Ancient Greek δόλιχος (dólikhos, “a long run”) : δολιχός (dolikhós, “long”) and suggest that oxytone stress was used to mark adjectives in Proto-Indo-European. In Proto-Balto-Slavic, the raising of *o to *u must have been conditioned by stress, with the ending *-os giving Lithuanian -ùs under stress and -as otherwise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊs/

Suffix

-ùs m stress pattern 4

1. Adjectival suffix, applied to verbal and nominal roots to denote a disposal or tendency towards something

   ardýti (“take apart”) → ardùs (“crumbly”)

   kalbėti (“talk”) → kalbùs (“talkative”)

Declension

Derived terms

• -usis

Etymology 2

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-us, reflecting Proto-Indo-European u-stems.

Alternative forms

• -ius

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊs/

Suffix

-us, -ùs m

1. Masculine nominal singular ending for u-stem nouns and adjectives.

   alùs (“beer”) (< Proto-Indo-European *h₂elu-)

   sūnùs (“son”) (< Proto-Indo-European *suHnús)

Declension

(noun):

(adjective):

Etymology 3

From an older *-uos (compare the pronominal ending -uosius). From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ons; compare Latvian -us, Old Prussian -ans, Proto-Slavic *-y. From Proto-Indo-European *-ons (“accusative plural ending”), also reflected in Ancient Greek -ους (-ous), Latin -ōs, Sanskrit -आन् (-ān) and Gothic -𐌰𐌽𐍃 (-ans).

Alternative forms

• -ius
• -uos, -iuos

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊs/

Suffix

-us, -ùs

1. Used to form accusative plurals of masculine a- and u-stem nouns.
2. Used to form accusative plurals of masculine a-stem adjectives.

Derived terms

• -uosius

Etymology 4

From Proto-Indo-European *-wōs. Cognate with Proto-Slavic *-vъ. See also -usi.

Alternative forms

• -ius

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʊs/

Suffix

-us

1. Used to form the past adverbial (padalyvis) participle

   bū́ti (“to be”) → bùvo (“was”) → bùvus (“having been”)

   slė̃pti (“hide”) → past frequentative slė̃pdavo (“hid”) → slė̃pdavus (“having hidden”)

Related terms

• -ęs

References

Livvi

Etymology

From Proto-Finnic *-us. Cognates include Finnish -us and Estonian -us.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /-us/

Suffix

-us (front vowel variant -ys)

1. Used to form action nouns from verbs; -ion

Derived terms

Middle English

Suffix

-us

1. Alternative form of -ous

Middle Welsh

Etymology

From Proto-Brythonic *-ʉs, from Latin -ōsus. Cognate with Cornish -us.

Suffix

-us

1. -ous, full of, prone to; used to form adjectives from nouns

Derived terms

Descendants

• Welsh: -us

References

Northern Sami

Etymology

From Proto-Samic *-ōksë.

Pronunciation

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

Suffix

-us

1. Forms nouns from verbs, indicating something that is to have the verb's action performed on it.

   ‎vuošˈšat (“to cook”) + ‎-us → ‎vuoššus (“something to be cooked”)

   ‎muitalit (“to tell”) + ‎-us → ‎muitalus (“something to be told; story”)

2. Forms nouns from verbs, indicating something that results from having the verb's action performed.

   ‎juohkit (“to divide”) + ‎-us → ‎juogus (“division, section”)

Usage notes

• This suffix triggers the weak grade on a preceding stressed syllable in the nominative singular and essive, and the strong grade in the other forms.

When attached to even-syllable stems, there is diphthong simplification in all forms except the nominative singular and essive.

Inflection

For even-syllable stems:

For odd-syllable stems:

Derived terms

Old French

Alternative forms

• -eus, -eux, -os, -ous

Etymology

From Latin -ōsus.

Suffix

-us

1. -ous, used for forming adjectives

Derived terms

Descendants

• Middle French: -eux, -eulx
  • French: -eux, -ueux
    • → Danish: -øs
    • → Dutch: -eus
    • → German: -ös
    • → Norwegian: -øs
    • → Swedish: -ös
• Norman: -eux
• → Middle English: -ous, -os, -ose, -ouse, -ows, -owse, -us, -ws
  • English: -ous

Old Irish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *-es-tus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /us/

Suffix

-us

1. Alternative form of -as

Etymology 2

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

Suffix

-us (suffixed pronoun)

1. her (object pronoun), it (in reference to a feminine noun)
2. them

Derived terms

See also

Polish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /us/
• Rhymes: -us
• Syllabification: us

Suffix

-us

1. derogatory suffix

   ‎sługa + ‎-us → ‎sługus

2. demonym suffix

   ‎Kraków + ‎-us → ‎krakus

Derived terms

Further reading

• -us in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Welsh

Etymology

From Middle Welsh -us, from Proto-Brythonic *-ʉs, from Latin -ōsus. Cognate with Cornish -us, Breton -us and English -ous.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ɨ̞s/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ɪs/

Suffix

-us

1. adjectival suffix often indicating a characteristic, propensity or abundance

   ‎blas (“taste”) + ‎-us → ‎blasus (“tasty”)

   ‎gwybod (“to know”) + ‎-us → ‎gwybodus (“knowledgeable”)

   ‎anffawd (“misfortune”) + ‎-us → ‎anffodus (“unfortunate”)

2. (chemistry) -ous, Used in chemical nomenclature to name chemical compounds in which a specified chemical element has a lower oxidation number than in the equivalent compound whose name ends in the suffix -ig. For example asid nitrus (“nitrous acid, HNO₂”) has fewer oxygen atoms per molecule than asid nitrig (“nitric acid, HNO₃”).

Derived terms

References

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “-us”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies