-ești

The suffix -ești (pronounced , sometimes changed to -ăști ) is widespread in Romanian placenames. It is the plural of the possessive suffix -escu, formerly used for patronyms and currently widespread in family names. Obsolete spellings are -esci and -eșci, used for a few decades until the beginning of the 20th century.

Overall, this ending is part of the names of 14.8% of the Romanian towns and villages (2,038 out of 13,724) and 11.4% of the Moldovan towns and villages (144 out of 1,254). In some areas in Romania, more than half of the placenames have this suffix.

Placenames

Romania Brănești Bucureșci, Hunedoara County București (Bucharest) Comănești Costinești Dărăști-Ilfov, Ilfov County Fetești Mărășești Moinești Negrești-Oaș Onești Pitești Ploiești Scornicești Zărnești

Moldova Fălești Florești Hîncești Mălăiești, Transnistria Șoldănești Telenești Vulcănești

See also -ovo/-evo, a Slavic suffix

References