-аем

Bulgarian

Etymology

From Proto-Slavic *-ajemъ, present passive participle ending of a- (including some ja-), a/C-, or a/j-conjugation verbs. In Modern Bulgarian, the derivatives constructed with this suffix are interpreted as normal adjectives.

Pronunciation

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Suffix

-аем • (-aem)

1. (productive) Deverbal from transitive verbs in thematic a-conjugation, forms adjectives expressing capacity, susceptibility, eventuality, or condition: -able

   обитая (obitaja, “to settle in, to habituate”) → обитаем (obitaem, “habitable”)

   закопчая (zakopčaja, “to button (a knob)”) → закопчаем (zakopčaem, “buttonable”)

   оправдая (opravdaja, “to excuse”) → оправдаем (opravdaem, “excusable”)

   разгадая (razgadaja, “to unravel”) → разгадаем (razgadaem, “scrutable, solvable”)

2. (productive) Deverbal from transitive verbs in аthematic a-conjugation, forms adjectives expressing capacity, susceptibility, eventuality, or condition: -able

   гледам impf (gledam, “to observe, to look at”) → гледаем (gledaem, “watchable”)

   смилам pf (smilam, “to mince, to grind”) → смилаем (smilaem, “digestible”)

   разбирам impf (razbiram, “to understand”) → разбираем (razbiraem, “understandable”)

   облагам pf (oblagam, “to put a tax”) → облагаем (oblagaem, “taxable”)

3. (semi-productive) Deverbal from transitive verbs in variable a/C- or a/j-conjugation, forms adjectives expressing capacity, susceptibility, eventuality, or condition: -able

   дъвча (dǎvča, “to chew”) (a/j-conj.) → дъвкаем (dǎvkaem, “chewable”)

   призова (prizova, “to invoke”) (a/C-conj.) → призоваем (prizovaem, “summonable”)

Derived terms

• -аемост (-aemost)

Related terms

• -ом (-om)
• -ваем (-vaem), -уем (-uem)
• -им (-im)
• -яем (-jaem)

References

• St. Stoyanov (1983) “Прилагателни имена от причастия”, in Граматика на съвременния български книжовен език, volume 2, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, page 150