-iu

Inherited from Latin -īvus.

-iu (adjective-forming suffix, feminine -iva, masculine plural -ius, feminine plural -ives)

1. -ive; forms adjectives denoting characteristics or qualities

From Proto-Celtic *-yūs, from Proto-Indo-European *-yōs.^[1]

• IPA^(key): [u]

-iu

1. Used to form the comparative degree of adjectives -er, more (if possible it palatalises the preceding consonant and raises preceding vowel)

   ‎sen (“old”) + ‎-iu → ‎siniu (“older”)

   ‎oll (“ample”) + ‎-iu → ‎uilliu (“more ample”)

   ‎dían (“swift”) + ‎-iu → ‎déniu (“swifter”)

   ‎tiug (“thick”) + ‎-iu → ‎tigiu (“thick”)

   ‎tanae (“thin”) + ‎-iu → ‎tanu (“thinner”)

   ‎lobur (“weak”) + ‎-iu → ‎lobru (“weaker”)

Indeclinable.

• -u (when the preceding consonant (cluster) isn't palatalised)
• -a (in irregular comparatives)

• Middle Irish: -iu
  • Irish: -e

• Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, § 369, pages 233f.; reprinted 2017

Probably from Latin -īvus. Mostly found in older, popular words; compare the neological borrowing -iv.

• IPA^(key): /iw/

-iu m or n (feminine singular -ie, plural -ii)

1. Forms adjectives denoting characteristics or qualities, especially relating to color; roughly equivalent to -ive or sometimes -ish.

The terms formed from the suffix often have the meaning of approximating or being similar to a certain quality (from the noun or adjective it modifies); it can be comparable to some uses of -ish in English: somewhat, approximately, slightly, rather: e.g. cenușiu (“grayish”), albăstriu (“bluish”). A suffix playing a similar role in Romanian is also -ui, especially with colors.

• auriu, arămiu, căpriu, castaniu, cenușiu, corbiu, cărămiziu, cafeniu, portocaliu, albăstriu, negriu, gălbiu, ruginiu, sângeriu, tuciuriu, etc.

• -esc
• -ui