Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-ō

This Proto-Indo-European entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

*(é)-ō m

1. (productive) Forms so-called "individualizing" or "participant" nouns from nouns and adjectives, agent or patient from verbs.^[1][2][3][4]

   ‎*gʷréh₂us (“heavy”) + ‎*-ō → ‎*gʷréh₂wō (“millstone”, literally “the heavy one”)

   ‎*tḗtḱti (“to create”) + ‎*-ō → ‎*tétḱō (“carpenter”, literally “one who creates”)

   ‎*(s)kérti (“to cut”) + ‎*-ō → ‎*(s)kérō (“meat”, literally “something cut”) (> Latin carō)^[5]

2. (rare) Derives nouns from nouns or roots, often with unclear semantic distinction.^[1][2]

   ‎*h₂eḱs- + ‎*-ō → ‎*h₂éksō (“axis”) (> Ancient Greek ἄξων (áxōn))^[6]

   ‎*meh₂k- + ‎*-ō → ‎*méh₂kō (“poppy”) (> Proto-Germanic *mōhô)^[7]

• Proto-Balto-Slavic: *-ō
  • Lithuanian: -uõ
  • Proto-Slavic: *-y (n-stem)
• Proto-Celtic: *-ū
• Proto-Germanic: *-ô (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Hellenic:
  • Ancient Greek: -ων (-ōn)
• Proto-Indo-Iranian: *-ā
  • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *-ā
    • Sanskrit: -अन् (-an)
• Proto-Italic:
  • Latin: -ō

• *-Hō (Hoffmann's suffix)