From Proto-Indo-European *smol(H)-o-s, traditionally traced back further to Proto-Indo-European *(s)mal- (“small”) (alternatively reconstructed as *(s)mel-), though Kroonen appears implicitly skeptical and assigns no cognates outside of Germanic.[1] Compare Proto-Slavic *malъ (“small; little”) and Latin malus (“bad”).
*smalaz
Strong declension | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | *smalaz | *smalai | *smalō | *smalôz | *smalą, -atō | *smalō |
Accusative | *smalanǭ | *smalanz | *smalǭ | *smalōz | *smalą, -atō | *smalō |
Genitive | *smalas, -is | *smalaizǫ̂ | *smalaizōz | *smalaizǫ̂ | *smalas, -is | *smalaizǫ̂ |
Dative | *smalammai | *smalaimaz | *smalaizōi | *smalaimaz | *smalammai | *smalaimaz |
Instrumental | *smalanō | *smalaimiz | *smalaizō | *smalaimiz | *smalanō | *smalaimiz |
Weak declension | ||||||
Case | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | |||
Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | *smalô | *smalaniz | *smalǭ | *smalōniz | *smalô | *smalōnō |
Accusative | *smalanų | *smalanunz | *smalōnų | *smalōnunz | *smalô | *smalōnō |
Genitive | *smaliniz | *smalanǫ̂ | *smalōniz | *smalōnǫ̂ | *smaliniz | *smalanǫ̂ |
Dative | *smalini | *smalammaz | *smalōni | *smalōmaz | *smalini | *smalammaz |
Instrumental | *smalinē | *smalammiz | *smalōnē | *smalōmiz | *smalinē | *smalammiz |