-tọ

Gun

Alternative forms

• -tɔ́ (Benin)

Etymology

Likely from Proto-Gbe *-tɔ́ (owner) stems from same root as otọ́ (“father”). Cognates include Fon -tɔ́, Saxwe Gbe -tɔ́, Adja -tɔ, Ewe -tɔ

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɔ́/

Suffix

-tọ́ (Nigeria)

2. (added to verbs) A person or thing that does an action indicated by the root verb or noun; used to form an agent noun.

   aihúndá (“to play/act”) → aihúndátọ́ (“actor/player”, literally “one who plays”)

   nù (“thing”) +‎ plọ́n (“to learn”) → nùplọ́ntọ́ (“student”, literally “one who learns things”)

   hàn (“song”) +‎ jì (“to sing”) → hànjìtọ́ (“singer”, literally “one who sings songs”)

4. Used to form the ordinal numeral when the final term of the spelled number is not tíntán (“first”).

   àwè (“two”) → àwètọ́ (“second”)

   ṣídòpó (“six”) → ṣídòpótọ́ (“sixth”)

   gbàn-nùkún-atọ̀n (“thirty-three”) → gbàn-nùkún-atọ̀ntọ́ (“thirty-third”)

5. Used to form nouns describing the origin of a person or group of a certain ethnic group or nationality.

   Synonyms: -nù, -ví

   Họ̀gbónù (“Porto-Novo”) → Họ̀gbónùtọ́ (“someone from Porto-Novo”, literally “person/people of Porto-Novo”)

Derived terms

• ayihúndátọ́ (“actor/player”)
• gbẹ̀tọ́ (“human”)
• hànjìtọ́ (“singer”)
• húnkùntọ́ (“driver”)
• mẹ̀plọ́ntọ́ (“teacher”)
• nùplọ́ntọ́ (“student”)
• Zángbètọ́ (“Zangbeto”)
• àjòtọ́ (“thief”)
• àjọ̀wàtọ́ (“trader”)
• òhúnhòtọ́ (“drummer”)

 

• atọ̀ntọ́ (“third”)
• atọ́ntọ́ (“fifth”)
• àwòtọ́ (“tenth”)
• ṣíatọ̀ntọ́ (“eighth”)
• ṣídòpótọ́ (“sixth”)
• ṣíàwètọ́ (“seventh”)
• ẹnẹ̀tọ́ (“fourth”)

 

• Họ̀gbónùtọ́ (“someone from Porto-Novo”)