-ού

See also: ου, -ου, οὐ, οὔ, οὖ, οὗ, Ȣ, ᴕ, Appendix:Variations of "ou", and Appendix:Variations of "oy"

Greek

Etymology

Transformation of Byzantine Greek -ώ (-ṓ), (a suffix used in female name) using the ending of ἀλωπού (alōpoú, “fox”) as a phonetic basis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈu/

Suffix

-ού • (-oú) f (masculine -άς)

1. added to a noun to create occupation nouns for female people:

   ‎μύλος (mýlos, “mill”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎μυλωνού (mylonoú, “miller”)

   ‎ψάρι (psári, “fish”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎ψαρού (psaroú, “fisherwoman”)

   ‎αβγό (avgó, “egg”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎αβγουλού (avgouloú, “eggseller”)

2. added to a noun to create augmentative nouns for female people, in other words that they possess the quality in excess:

   ‎γλώσσα (glóssa, “tongue, cheek”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎γλωσσού (glossoú, “gobby woman”)

   ‎χείλος (cheílos, “lip”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎χειλού (cheiloú, “big-lipped woman”)

3. female patronymic surname suffix for:

   ‎Μιχαλάς (Michalás, “Michalas”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎Μιχαλού (Michaloú)

   ‎Νικολάς (Nikolás, “Nicholas”) + ‎-ού (-oú) → ‎Νικολού (Nikoloú)

Declension

Declension of -ού

	singular	plural
nominative	-ού (-oú)	-ούδες (-oúdes)
genitive	-ούς (-oús)	-ούδων (-oúdon)
accusative	-ού (-oú)	-ούδες (-oúdes)
vocative	-ού (-oú)	-ούδες (-oúdes)

Derived terms

Greek terms suffixed with -ού