Ukrainian surnames ending in "-uk", in fact, end in the Georgian diminutive ending -უკი. There are many such Ukrainian surnames: Kuzmuk, Antonyuk, Maksimyuk. But why do a huge number of signature Ukrainian surnames end not just in "-uk" but in "-chuk"? Stolyarchuk, Kovalchuk, Mikhalchuk, Semenchuk, Ivanchuk, etc.?
It's because in the Ukrainian language, the alternation of "k-ch" in the process of word formation is very common. In fact, the Russian language, which is also Ukrainian, is no less prone to this: "ruka-ruchnoy". The stems of all these surnames end in "k" - Stolyarko, Kovalko, Mikhalko, Semenko, Ivanko. The alternation gives us this "ch" that came from nowhere.
And what is this "k" in the name "Ivanko"? This is a Megrelian ending of the ergative case. In this form - "Ivank" - the word acts as a subject in the sentence (since the case ergative). Plus the Indo-European masculine ending "-o". So, in Ukrainian surnames ending in "-chuk" there is not only "-uk" - a Georgian diminutive suffix, but also "ch" - a Ukrainianized Megrelian ergative ending.
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