Originally an adjectival suffix, from earlier *-wta, roughly equivalent to *-u + *-(e)ta. Later turned into a consonant stem, as the final *a was lost (like in *-in) and the affix became an e-stem in most descendants by analogy with other consonant stems: an earlier *-ute would have regularly gone through *-ute > *-uti > *-uci > *-uc. The original vowel is further shown in e.g. Estonian lühida and dialectal Finnish lyhvä, lyhyvä, lyhyä. Usage as a diminutive suffix is more recent.
*-ut / *-üt
Note: The Proto-Finnic declension system is yet to be reconstructed in detail. What is presented here is only one possibility. | |||
singular | plural | ||
---|---|---|---|
nominative | *-ut | *-udët | |
accusative | *-udën | *-udët | |
genitive | *-udën | *-ut'ën *-ucidën | |
partitive | *-utta | *-ucita | |
inessive | *-udëssa *-udëhna |
*-ucissa *-ucihna | |
elative | *-udësta | *-ucista | |
illative | *-udësën | *-ucisën | |
adessive | *-udëlla | *-ucilla | |
ablative | *-udëlta | *-ucilta | |
allative | *-udëlën *-udëlëk |
*-ucilën *-ucilëk | |
essive | *-unna | *-ucina | |
translative | *-udëksi | *-uciksi | |
instructive | *-udën | *-ucin | |
comitative | *-unnëk | *-ucinëk | |
abessive | *-udëtta | *-ucitta |