-ujo

See also: ujo and Ujo

Esperanto

Etymology

Uncertain though much discussed. Vilborg notes the following facts:

• In modern Esperanto, there are three distinguishable senses for the suffix:
  1. container
  2. plant
  3. land
• In an early 1890s draft of Esperanto, Zamenhof included words ending in -io having senses (1) and (2):

  *verb/io > modern vortaro (“dictionary”), though conceivably this could have easily become *vortujo instead, as a dictionary can be thought of either as a "collection" of words or a "container" for words

  *rudz/io > modern rozujo (“rosebush”)

• By 1887's Unua Libro, Esperanto had only the modern suffix -ujo with all three senses.
• In his 1894 reform proposal, Zamenhof brought back the -io suffix with all three senses.
• Finally, by 1907, he had different suffixes for each of three senses (respectively):
  1. -ujo
  2. *-jero
  3. -io

Considering this, Vilborg proposes the following:

• The original -io suffix gained sense (3) somewhere along the way to becoming -ujo.
• Source-language etymologies for all three senses can be found for -io:
  1. -io < French -ier e.g., sucrier (“sugar bowl”)
  2. -io < French -ier e.g., rosier (“rosebush”)
  3. -io < Translingual -ia e.g., Russia
• Other accompanying changes in proto-Esperanto's evolution necessitated a shift away from -io.
• Source languages like Polish and Russian have the suffix -ja/-ия (-ija), which is similar in pronunciation to the Translingual -ia.
• The *-ijo implied by the Russian version of the suffix is awkward to pronounce.
• The only remaining possibility was -ujo, since -aj, -ejo, and -oj were already taken.
• Zamenhof extended this evolution to the other senses.

However, other possibilities exist:

• -ujo < clipping of French étui (“case”)
• -ujo < clipping of Italian -toio, used mainly on verb stems to derive nouns involved in the execution of the verb
• -ujo < -oj + -o, by analogy to how (e.g.) German Polen is derived from the plural of Pole

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈujo/
• Rhymes: -ujo
• Syllabification: u‧jo

Suffix

-ujo

2. something filled with, a container or box for

   ‎abelo (“bee”) + ‎-ujo → ‎abelujo (“beehive”)

   ‎almozo (“alms”) + ‎kolekti (“to collect”) + ‎-ujo → ‎almozkolektujo (“poor box”)

   ‎bani (“to bathe”) + ‎-ujo → ‎banujo (“bathtub”)

   ‎bapti (“to baptize”) + ‎-ujo → ‎baptujo (“baptismal font”)

   ‎ĉerizo (“cherry”) + ‎-ujo → ‎ĉerizujo (“cherry basket”)

   ‎inko (“ink”) + ‎-ujo → ‎inkujo (“inkpot”)

   ‎kuiri (“to cook”) + ‎-ujo → ‎kuirujo (“kitchenware”)

   ‎lavi (“to wash”) + ‎-ujo → ‎lavujo (“sink, basin”)

4. a plant, usually a tree, of that flower or fruit type

   ‎ananaso (“pineapple”) + ‎-ujo → ‎ananasujo (“pineapple plant”)

   ‎anizo (“anise”) + ‎-ujo → ‎anizujo (“anise (plant)”)

   ‎banano (“banana”) + ‎-ujo → ‎bananujo (“banana plant”)

   ‎pomo (“apple”) + ‎-ujo → ‎pomujo (“apple tree”)

   ‎rozo (“rose”) + ‎-ujo → ‎rozujo (“rose bush”)

   ‎rubuso (“blackberry”) + ‎-ujo → ‎rubusujo (“blackberry bush”)

   ‎vinbero (“grape”) + ‎-ujo → ‎vinberujo (“vine”)

   • 1927, B. Prus, La Faraono, Ĉapitro VIII:

     Ĉie kreskis palmoj, figarboj, oranĝujoj, poploj, akacioj, kiuj formis aŭ aleojn, kiuj sin direktis al la ĉefaj partoj de l’ mondo, aŭ grupoj de arboj, plantitaj regule kaj preskaŭ de sama alteco.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1970, Beaucaire, Kruko kaj Baniko el Bervalo:

     Ĉu vi vidas la pomujon ĉe la fino de herbejo?

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1997-2003, Máire Nic Aoidh, "Dommastrumo", Monato

     Mi komencis aĉeti belajn arbojn kaj plantis ilin en la herbaro: ekzemple acerojn kun bela ŝelo, “plorantan” fagon, pirarbon kaj pomujojn.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

6. a place, usually a country, inhabited by, or associated with, an ethnic group

   Synonym: -io

   ‎andaluzo (“Andalusian”) + ‎-ujo → ‎Andaluzujo (“Andalusia”)

   ‎flandro (“Fleming”) + ‎-ujo → ‎Flandrujo (“Flanders”)

   ‎hindo (“Indian”) + ‎-ujo → ‎Hindujo (“(Zamenhof) the Indian subcontinent; (historical) the British Raj, British India; (dated) modern India, the Republic of India”)

   ‎mojosa (“cool”) + ‎-ujo → ‎Mojosujo (“fake country where Esperantistoj come from”)

   ‎patro (“father”) + ‎-ujo → ‎patrujo (“fatherland”)

   ‎ŝvabo (“Swabian”) + ‎-ujo → ‎Ŝvabujo (“Swabia”)

   ‎turko (“Turk”) + ‎-ujo → ‎Turkujo (“Turkey”)

Usage notes

The suffixes -ujo and -ingo signify different kinds of containers: An -ingo can contain only a single object or part of an object, such as a glavingo (“scabbard”) (the entire sword isn't inside the holder for example, and it can hold only one sword), plumingo (“pen holder”), kandelingo (“a candlestick”), or fingringo (“a thimble”). An -ujo is a container for multiple objects, generally something which one replenishes or keeps in quantity, and it usually contains things in their entirety, such as a cigarujo (“cigar box”) or sukerujo (“sugar bowl”).

Derived terms

Esperanto terms suffixed with -ujo (container)

ĉerizujo

fridujo

pomujo

ujo

Esperanto terms suffixed with -ujo (plant)

ĉerizujo

pomujo

Esperanto terms suffixed with -ujo (place)

patrujo

Ŝvabujo

ujo

Descendants

• Ido: -uyo

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin -uculus, an expanded form of -culus.

Suffix

-ujo m (noun-forming suffix, plural -ujos, feminine -uja, feminine plural -ujas)

1. added to nouns of either gender to denote a diminutive form

Usage notes

• Often pejorative.

Derived terms

Spanish terms suffixed with -ujo

tapujo

viejujo