-ovo/-evo

A road sign of an -ovo placename in Bulgaria

-ovo/-evo is a widespread Slavic suffix indicating a placename. It is the neuter form of the Slavic possessive suffix -ov/-ev (meaning "belonging to") which is declined this way after selo (village), mesto (place or town) or another neutral noun, usually omitted in the toponym itself. The form -evo is used after palatal or palatalized consonants. Both forms are especially frequent in the North of Poland, in the region where Kashubian is spoken.

The suffix is spelt in a different manner in various Slavic scripts — it is -ово/-ево in Cyrillic and -owo/-ewo in Polish. In Romanian, Albanian and Turkish placenames of Slavic origin bearing the suffix are usually adapted as -ova. In Greek, borrowed placenames have either an -ovo or an -ova suffix.

Besides the placename use, the suffix is also featured in some Russian family names, such as those of Vladimir Nedobrovo, Ivan Durnovo and Bogdan Khitrovo.

Examples

-ovo Kosovo Kladovo, a town in Serbia Valjevo, a town in Serbia Veliko Tarnovo, a town in Bulgaria Gabrovo, a town in Bulgaria Haskovo, a town in Bulgaria Štúrovo, a town in Slovakia Fiľakovo, a town in Slovakia Kemerovo, a city in Russia Ivanovo, a city in Russia Kumanovo, a town in the Republic of Macedonia Tetovo, a town in the Republic of Macedonia Darłowo, a town in Poland Działdowo, a town in Poland Janikowo, a town in Poland Legionowo, a town in Poland Wejherowo, a town in Poland Đakovo, a town in Croatia Valpovo, a town in Croatia Metsovo, a town in Greece -evo Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina Braniewo, a city in Poland Węgorzewo, a popular tourist resort in Poland Kolpashevo, a town in Russia Mukachevo, a town in Ukraine Sheremetyevo, an international airport serving Moscow Sevlievo, a town in Bulgaria Kičevo, a town in the Republic of Macedonia Kruševo, a town in the Republic of Macedonia Pančevo, a town in Serbia Preševo, a town in Serbia Smederevo, a town in Serbia

-ova Craiova, a city in Romania Orşova, a town in Romania Hârşova, a town in Romania Cricova, a town in the Republic of Moldova Kuçova, a town in Albania Arachova, a town in Greece