The story
Perhaps a result of the hardening of /-u(w)iən/ (to /-uviən/); compare English Peruvian to French péruvien and Italian peruviano.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
-v-
Today it means: Used before -ia or -ian, when the base word ends in certain vowels, especially /u/. Full definition →