ucuncu

ucuncu is the ASCII spelling of the Turkish word üçüncü, which means the third. In standard Turkish orthography, the form is üçüncü. The word is formed from the cardinal number üç (three) plus the ordinal suffix -üncü, a combination governed by Turkish vowel harmony. Other ordinals use forms such as -inci, -ıncı, -uncu, or -üncü depending on the root’s last vowel; for example, birinci (first), ikinci (second), dördüncü (fourth), beşinci (fifth). Üçüncü specifically yields ucuncu when diacritics are omitted.

In usage, üçüncü serves as an ordinal adjective or noun when referring to the fifth position in a sequence, such as üçüncü gün (the third day), üçüncü sınıf (third grade), or üçüncü çocuk (the third child). It precedes nouns without altering their gender or number, aligning with Turkish grammar where numerals and ordinal numerals modify nouns in a consistent pattern.

The ASCII variant ucuncu appears in contexts where Turkish diacritics are unavailable or impractical, such as computer filenames, URLs, programming identifiers, or platforms that do not support diacritics. While convenient in those settings, the standard orthography üçüncü is preferred in formal writing, publishing, and education.

Etymologically, the form derives from the numeral üç (three) plus the ordinal suffix -üncü, reflecting a common Turkish pattern for forming ordinals from cardinal numbers. The word is widely understood by Turkish speakers and is part of the basic ordinal-number system used in everyday language.