-o

See also: Appendix:Variations of "o"

English

Etymology 1

Perhaps from a special use of the interjection O, oh; and/or perhaps from o (“one”), from Middle English o, oo, variant of a, on, oon, an (“one”). More at one.

Suffix

-o (plural -os or -oes)

1. A colloquializing suffix.
2. A type of person (colloquial).
   • 1991, Stephen Fry, The Liar, p. 37:

     Adrian thought it worth while to try out his new slang. ‘I say, you fellows, here's a rum go. Old Biffo was jolly odd this morning. He gave me a lot of pi-jaw about slacking and then invited me to tea. No rotting! He did really.’

Usage notes

-o generally does not change the meaning of the word, only making it more colloquial, often with elision (like clipping, but with a suffix), and is primarily applied to nouns, as in kiddo (“kid”) or preso (“presentation”). Common words that are shortened with the -o include journalist/journo, repository/repo, distribution/distro. Can change the way a word is written, like ugly/uggo and dog/doggo. It is sometimes applied to adjectives, such as agro or rando. It may also be applied to certain given names or surnames, often with elision and sometimes from an already shortened form, to create a nickname form — e.g., Jacko from Jack, Davo from Dave, Smitho from Smith.

Less commonly, it results in a change in meaning, primarily meaning “a person with a characteristic”, and is generally applied to adjectives, resulting in a noun, as is weirdo (“weird person”). More rarely it can also be applied to a noun, as in wino (“wine-drinking alcoholic”).

Derived terms

► English words suffixed with -o

• bucko
• cheapo
• daddy-o
• friendo
• kiddo
• lesbo
• neato
• parmo
• preggo
• preso
• resto
• righto
• wacko
• whammo
• wino, wine-o
• yobbo

 

Type of person

• cheapo
• psycho
• rando
• sicko
• wacko
• weirdo
• wino

 

Australianisms; some are also found in other varieties of English

• agro, aggro
• arvo
• biffo
• bizzo
• bottlo
• compo
• Davo
• dero, derro
• doco
• fisho
• Freo
• garbo
• goodo
• gyno
• journo
• kero
• lezzo
• metho
• milko
• muso
• nasho
• reffo
• rego
• relo
• seppo, Seppo
• servo
• smoko
• the Salvos
• thingo
• veggo

 

See also

• -ie, -y

Etymology 2

From many Spanish or Italian words that end in o. This ending in such Spanish or Italian words generally derives from -um, the accusative singular inflectional ending for masculine and neuter nouns in Latin.

Suffix

-o

1. (humorous) Converts certain words to faux Italian or Spanish. Can be used with Spanish el for expressions such as el stinko.

   no problemo

Derived terms

• problemo
• stinko

Etymology 3

Back-formation from typo.

Suffix

-o (plural -os)

1. Added to verb stems to create a noun describing an error relating to the action described by the verb.

Derived terms

• clicko
• scanno
• speako
• spello
• thinko
• writo

Derived terms

► English words suffixed with -o

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Afar

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o/

Suffix

-ó

1. Used to form feminine nouns from verbs.

References

• Mohamed Hassan Kamil (2015) L’afar: description grammaticale d’une langue couchitique (Djibouti, Erythrée et Ethiopie)‎^[1], Paris: Université Sorbonne Paris Cité (doctoral thesis)

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Albanian

Etymology

Realted to particle o (“oh”) (used when addressing someone to reinforce the call).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ/ (vowel stem)
• IPA^(key): /oː/ (particle)

Vowel stem

-ó

1. o-vowel stem attached to adverbs/adjectives/prepositions/nouns to form verbs (in active voice). Indicating 2nd person singular; imperative, present.

   • adverb/preposition: afër (“close, nearby”) (drop of ë) + -o → afro (“bring closer!”)

   • adverb: baraz (“equal”) + -o → barazo (“equalize!”)

   • adverb/preposition: krahas (“arm in arm, side by side”) + -o → krahaso (“compare!”)

   • adjective/adverb: pastër (“clean”) (drop of ë) + -o → pastro (“cleanse!”)

   • noun: zhurmë (drop of ë) + -o → zhurmo (“make a noise, scream!”)

Particle

-o

1. vocative particle attached to personal names (nouns); used when addressing someone to reinforce the call. Attached to indefinite forms:

   • (indefinite form) Qup (“Coby”) + -o → Qup-o! (Oh Coby!)

   Note that ending particle -o can be placed in front of a name too: o + Qup → O Qup! (Oh Coby!)

   O malet e Shqipërisë!

   Oh mountains of Albania

Further reading

• [2] Albanian particle 'o' (engl. "oh") - "Fjalor Shqip" ('Albanian Dictionary')

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Esperanto

Etymology

• From the masculine singular of the Romance languages, such as Italian (amico); perhaps also the neuter singular of Russian (окно (okno))
• Perhaps from the above (Italian quello, Russian то (to))

Suffix

-o

1. Nominal suffix. Most Esperanto nouns end in -o. (A few nouns end in -aŭ, and with some writers some feminine names end in -a.)
   • amiko (“friend”)
   • patro (“father”)
   • vorto (“word”)
2. -thing. (correlative object ending.)
   • kio (“what?, what”)
   • tio (“that”)
   • ĉio (“everything”)
   • io (“something”)
   • nenio (“nothing”)

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Finnish

Etymology

Conflated:

• from Proto-Finnic *-o (forms action/result nouns), from Proto-Uralic *-w (as applied to stems ending in -a).
• from Proto-Finnic *-oi (variant/diminutive), from Proto-Uralic *-j (diminutive ending); the -o- is a re-extraction from the suffix being applied to stems ending in -a which was labialized by -j.

Suffix

-o (front vowel harmony variant -ö)

1. Forms result or action nouns from verbs.

   ‎huutaa (“shout”) + ‎-o → ‎huuto (“shout”)

   ‎keittää (“boil, cook”) + ‎-o → ‎keitto (“cooking; soup”)

   ‎nähdä (“see”) + ‎-o → ‎näkö (“vision”) (ability to see)

2. Forms variants or diminutives from a few nominal roots.

   ‎hilla (“cloudberry”) + ‎-o → ‎hillo (“jam”)

   ‎kanta (“base”) + ‎-o → ‎kanto (“tree stump”)

   ‎tasa (“level”) + ‎-o → ‎taso (“plane”)

Usage notes

• Used deverbally especially with those verbs whose citation form ends with -aa or -ää. In stems with e or i, the suffix has its back vowel form, -o.

Declension

Inflection of -o (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		-o	-ot
genitive		-on	-ojen
partitive		-oa	-oja
illative		-oon	-oihin
		singular	plural
nominative		-o	-ot
accusative	nom.	-o	-ot
	gen.	-on
genitive		-on	-ojen
partitive		-oa	-oja
inessive		-ossa	-oissa
elative		-osta	-oista
illative		-oon	-oihin
adessive		-olla	-oilla
ablative		-olta	-oilta
allative		-olle	-oille
essive		-ona	-oina
translative		-oksi	-oiksi
instructive		—	-oin
abessive		-otta	-oitta
comitative		—	-oineen

Possessive forms of -o (type valo)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	-oni	-omme
2nd person	-osi	-onne
3rd person	-onsa

Derived terms

► Finnish words suffixed with -o

See also

• -u
• -uu

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French

Etymology

Corresponds to -ot, -au

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o/

Suffix

-o

1. added to a noun or an adjective after apocope, to create a familiar synonym

Derived terms

► French words suffixed with -o

• dico
• hosto
• populo
• ramollo
• réglo
• resto
• rigolo
• socialo

 

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Gothic

Romanization

-o

1. Romanization of -𐍉

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Ido

Etymology

From Esperanto -o, from Romance languages.

Suffix

-o

1. Nominal suffix. All Ido nouns end in -o.

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Italian

Etymology 1

From Latin -us

Suffix

-o (pl. -i, feminine sg. -a, feminine pl. -e)

1. Used with a stem to form a masculine singular noun

Etymology 2

From Latin -ō.

Suffix

-o

1. Used with a stem to form the first-person singular present of regular are and ere verbs and those -ire verbs that do not take -isc-

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /oː/
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /o/, [ɔ]

Etymology 1

See Proto-Indo-European *-h₃onh₂- (with nominative ō made common to all cases).

Suffix

-ō m (genitive -ōnis); third declension

2. forms masculine agent nouns, positive and especially negative nicknames and other designations, especially in colloquial language.

   combibere (“to drink together”) → combibō (“drinking buddy”)

   vāpulāre (“to get beaten”) → vāpulō (“who gets frequently flogged”)

   ?cōci- → cōciō (“broker”)

   centuria (“century”) → centuriō (“centurion”)

   mūlus (“mule”) → mūliō (“muleteer”)

   μωρός (mōrós, “dull, sluggish”) → mōriō (“idiot”)

4. also forms names, especially cognomina.

   aquila (“eagle”) → Aquilō (“the North wind”)

   incubāre (“to lie on top”) → Incubō (“a spirit that watches over buried treasures”)

   cūria (“curia”) → Cūriō

   cicer (“chickpea”) → Cicerō

   vārus (“bow-legged”) → Varrō

   catus (“clever, shrewd”) → Catō

   conger (“sea-eel”) → Congriō (“name of a cook in Plautus”)

Declension

Third-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	-ō	-ōnēs
Genitive	-ōnis	-ōnum
Dative	-ōnī	-ōnibus
Accusative	-ōnem	-ōnēs
Ablative	-ōne	-ōnibus
Vocative	-ō	-ōnēs

Synonyms

• (forms masculine agent nouns): -a¹, -ārius

Derived terms

► Latin words suffixed with -o (agent noun)

► Latin words suffixed with -o (name)

References

• “-ō¹” on page 1,210/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Etymology 2

From Proto-Italic *-ōd, an ablative suffix, derived from Proto-Indo-European *-éad.

Suffix

-ō (comparative -ius, superlative -issimō)

2. forms adverbs

   prīmus + -ō → prīmō

   tūtus + -ō → tūtō

Derived terms

► Latin words suffixed with -o (adverb)

References

• “-ō²” on page 1,210/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Etymology 3

From Proto-Italic *-āō or *-aēō, from the following sources:

• Denominative verbs with *-eh₂yéti (e.g. dōnō, pugnō, cūrō)
• Verbs from roots in *-h₁-. (e.g. flō)
• Verbs from roots in *-h₂-. (e.g. for, nō, hiō, domō, iuvō)
• Verbs from roots in *-h₃-. (e.g. dō, lavō, arō)
• By sound laws acting on *-h₂ + *-éh₁yeti. (singular case of stō)

Alternative forms

• -aō

Suffix

-ō (present infinitive -āre, perfect active -āvī, supine -ātum); first conjugation

2. suffixed to nouns or adjectives — originally a-stem nouns, but later nouns with other stems — forms regular first-conjugation verbs

   cūra + -ō → cūrō

   dōnum + -ō → dōnō

   laus (stem: laud-) + -ō → laudō

   multa + -ō → multō

4. suffixed to third-conjugation verbs in composition, forms regular first-conjugation verbs

   com- + pellō (pres. act. inf.: pellere) + -ō → compellō (pres. act. inf.: compellāre)

   prō- + flīgō (pres. act. inf.: flīgere) + -ō → prōflīgō (pres. act. inf.: prōflīgāre)

Conjugation

Conjugation of -ō (first conjugation)
indicative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	-ō	-ās	-at	-āmus	-ātis	-ant
	imperfect	-ābam	-ābās	-ābat	-ābāmus	-ābātis	-ābant
	future	-ābō	-ābis	-ābit	-ābimus	-ābitis	-ābunt
	perfect	-āvī	-āvistī	-āvit	-āvimus	-āvistis	-āvērunt, -āvēre
	pluperfect	-āveram	-āverās	-āverat	-āverāmus	-āverātis	-āverant
	future perfect	-āverō	-āveris	-āverit	-āverimus	-āveritis	-āverint
passive	present	-or	-āris, -āre	-ātur	-āmur	-āminī	-antur
	imperfect	-ābar	-ābāris, -ābāre	-ābātur	-ābāmur	-ābāminī	-ābantur
	future	-ābor	-āberis, -ābere	-ābitur	-ābimur	-ābiminī	-ābuntur
	perfect	-ātus + present active indicative of sum
	pluperfect	-ātus + imperfect active indicative of sum
	future perfect	-ātus + future active indicative of sum
subjunctive		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	-em	-ēs	-et	-ēmus	-ētis	-ent
	imperfect	-ārem	-ārēs	-āret	-ārēmus	-ārētis	-ārent
	perfect	-āverim	-āverīs	-āverit	-āverīmus	-āverītis	-āverint
	pluperfect	-āvissem	-āvissēs	-āvisset	-āvissēmus	-āvissētis	-āvissent
passive	present	-er	-ēris, -ēre	-ētur	-ēmur	-ēminī	-entur
	imperfect	-ārer	-ārēris, -ārēre	-ārētur	-ārēmur	-ārēminī	-ārentur
	perfect	-ātus + present active subjunctive of sum
	pluperfect	-ātus + imperfect active subjunctive of sum
imperative		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
active	present	—	-ā	—	—	-āte	—
	future	—	-ātō	-ātō	—	-ātōte	-antō
passive	present	—	-āre	—	—	-āminī	—
	future	—	-ātor	-ātor	—	—	-antor
non-finite forms		active			passive
		present	perfect	future	present	perfect	future
infinitives		-āre	-āvisse	-ātūrum esse	-ārī	-ātum esse	-ātum īrī
participles		-āns	—	-ātūrus	—	-ātus	-andus
verbal nouns		gerund				supine
		genitive	dative	accusative	ablative	accusative	ablative
		-andī	-andō	-andum	-andō	-ātum	-ātū

Derived terms

► Latin words suffixed with -o (denominative)

► Latin words suffixed with -o (compound verb)

References

• Sihler, Andrew L. (1995) New Comparative Grammar of Greek and Latin, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN
• “-ō³” on page 1,210/1 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)

Etymology 4

Regularly declined forms of -us.

Suffix

-ō

1. dative masculine singular of -us
2. dative neuter singular of -us
3. ablative masculine singular of -us
4. ablative neuter singular of -us

See also

• Category:Latin words suffixed with -o

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Lithuanian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ā; compare Latvian -a, Proto-Slavic *-a (“id”). From the Proto-Indo-European thematic masculine ablative ending *-ōd, with regular Balto-Slavic loss of final d. Compare Sanskrit -आत् (-āt), Latin -ō and Ancient Greek ὄπ-ω (óp-ō, “whence”). In Balto-Slavic, the genitive merged with the ablative. The original genitive was retained, however, in West Baltic; compare Old Prussian -as, presumably from Proto-Indo-European *-os; compare Hittite 𒀸 (-as).

Suffix

-õ

1. Used to form genitive singulars of masculine a-stem nouns.
2. Used to form genitive singulars of masculine a-stem adjectives.

Etymology 2

Suffix

-o

1. Used to form third person present tense forms in third declension verbs.
2. Used to form third person past tense forms in first declension verbs.

Etymology 3

Suffix

-õ

1. An illative suffix.

   ‎namas + ‎-o → ‎namo

Synonyms

• -op
• -on, -yn, -ėn

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Lower Sorbian

Suffix

-o

1. -ly (used to turn an adjective into an adverb of manner)

Synonyms

• -je

Derived terms

► Lower Sorbian words suffixed with -o

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Suffix

-o

1. Used to make plural indefinite and definite forms for some neuter nouns
2. (non-standard since 1917) Used to make singular definite form for some weak feminine nouns
3. (archaic)(nonstandard) Used to mark plural form for strong verbs in past tense

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Old Dutch

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *-ô.

Suffix

-o

1. Forms adverbs from adjectives.

Derived terms

Category Old Dutch words suffixed with -o not found

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: -e

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Old High German

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *-ô.

Suffix

-o

1. Forms adverbs from adjectives.

Descendants

• Middle High German: -e

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *-ô. Cognate to Old English -a, in ǣta (“eater”), Gothic -𐌰 (-a), in 𐌽𐌿𐍄𐌰 (nuta, “fisher”). In some cases, the root appears in the zero-grade as in boto (from biotan).

Suffix

-o m

1. used to form masculine agents from verbs

   ‎geban (“to give”) + ‎-o → ‎gëbo (“giver”)

   ‎sprehhan (“to speak”) + ‎-o → ‎sprëhho (“speaker”)

   ‎biotan (“to offer, send, command”) + ‎-o → ‎boto (“messenger”)

   ‎ziohan (“to pull, lead”) + ‎-o → ‎herizogo (“army leader”)

   ‎sagēn (“to say”) + ‎-o → ‎fora-sago (“prophet”)

Declension

Most nouns with this suffix follow the n-declension, like hano (“cock”), namo (“name”), gomo (“man”).

Descendants

• Middle High German: -e
  • German: -e

In Middle High German, the suffix is replaced by -er (whence German -er), as in Middle High German gëber instead of Old High German gëbo. Only a few German words still have a final -e that results from Old High German -o.

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Old Saxon

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *-ô.

Suffix

-o

1. Forms adverbs from adjectives.

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *-ô. Cognate to Old English -a, in ǣta (“eater”), Gothic -𐌰 (-a), in 𐌽𐌿𐍄𐌰 (nuta, “fisher”).

Suffix

-o m

1. used to form masculine agents from verbs and nouns

   ‎gevan (“to give”) + ‎-o → ‎gevo (“giver”)

   ‎beddi (“bed”) + ‎-o → ‎gibeddio (“bedfellow”)

Descendants

• Middle Low German: -e

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Portuguese

Etymology 1

From Old Portuguese -o, from Latin -um.

Suffix

-o

1. forms masculine singular nouns and adjectives

Etymology 2

From Old Portuguese -o, from Latin -ō.

Suffix

-o

1. forms the first-person singular present indicative of verbs

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin -ō.

Suffix

-o

1. suffix indicating the first-person singular present indicative of verbs

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Swedish

Pronunciation

• when combined the stress is always on the first syllable

Suffix

-o

1. (colloquial) Suffix that gives a familiar, and to some extent a diminutive nuance, when combined with an adjective to create a noun referring to a person with a certain property

   ‎full (“drunk”) + ‎-o → ‎fyllo (“drunkard”)

   ‎fet (“fat”) + ‎-o → ‎fetto (“a fatty”)

   ‎snygg (“handsome”) + ‎-o → ‎snyggo (“handsome (noun)”)

   ‎puckad (“stupid”) + ‎-o → ‎pucko (“a stupid person”)

   ‎lycklig (“lucky, fortunate”) + ‎-o → ‎lyllo (“a fortunate person”)

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Volapük

Suffix

-o

1. adverb ending
2. -wise (in the matter of; with regard to)

Derived terms

► Volapük words suffixed with -o

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Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ/

Etymology 1

Suffix

-o

1. used to form pet names

   ‎Dai + ‎-o → ‎Deio

   ‎Gwen + ‎-o → ‎Gwenno

   ‎Iorwerth + ‎-o → ‎Iolo

Etymology 2

Suffix

-o

1. (literary) verb suffix for the third-person singular present subjunctive

Etymology 3

From Middle Welsh -aw, from Proto-Brythonic *-ọβ̃.

Suffix

-o

1. Forms verbnouns from verb stems.

   Synonyms: -i, -u

Usage notes

This suffix is mostly used for verbs where the stem ends in the consonant i (though for some such verbs, such as cynnig, the verbnoun is given by dropping the i from the stem) or the vowel in the last syllable is i, u, eu, or wy.

Related terms

• -io (Forms verbnouns from verbs and other parts of speech)

Derived terms

► Welsh words suffixed with -o