Reconstruction:Proto-Finnic/vottadak

This Proto-Finnic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Unclear. According to older theories, the word would be related to Northern Sami vuohttit, Komi-Zyrian вотны (votny), Northern Mansi ва̄туӈкве (wātuňkwe) and Tundra Nenets (wed́e-), suggesting it could come from Proto-Uralic *watta-, but this implies an irregular change of the initial vowel. Alternatively, according to Zhivlov (2014), from Proto-Uralic *wotta-, whence only the Finnic and Mansi terms.^[1]

Koivulehto proposed that the word, through older *vont-ta-, is borrowed from Proto-Indo-European *wondʰ-éye- or its Pre-Germanic descendant, whence Proto-Germanic *wandijaną. The semantic development would be "to turn > turn towards oneself > take possession of" (cf. German wenden (“to turn”) > German entwenden (“to steal”), and possible parallels in older Germanic languages as well, such as Old Norse venda), with the older meaning surviving in the derived word *vot'in (“key”, literally “a tool which is turned”).^[2]

Metsäranta (2020) raises the possibility that the root is actually two separate, originally unrelated roots. He also denies that the aforementioned Komi word (Komi-Zyrian вотны (votny)) is cognate with either, instead tracing it back to Proto-Uralic *wexe-ptä-.^[3]

*vottadak (stem *votta-)

1. to take

• *vot'in
• *votto

• Estonian: võtma/võtta
• Finnish: ottaa
• Ingrian: ottaa
• Karelian: ottoa
• Livonian: võttõ
• Ludian: ottada
• Veps: otta
• Võro: võtma/võttaq
• Votic: võtta