Reconstruction:Proto-Slavic/-ьcь

This Proto-Slavic 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.

From earlier *-ьkъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ikas, from Proto-Indo-European *-ikos.

Cognate with Lithuanian -ikas, -ikis in siuvikas, siuvikis (< siūti, siùvo), piovikas (“reaper”) (< piáuti, pióvė).^[1]

Cognate with Lithuanian -ingas, Latvian -īgs, Proto-Germanic *-igaz, Latin -icus, Ancient Greek -ικός (-ikós). Typically, these suffixes fulfill adjectival function (similar to Proto-Slavic *-ьnъ), however, sometimes their derivatives could also act as nominals like in Slavic.

Comparison with other languages points to the antiquity of denominal formations, which are most likely substantivized adjectives.^[2]

*-ьcь m

2. (added to nouns) Forms diminutives

   ‎*rogъ (“horn”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*rožьcь (“a small horn”)

   ‎*obolkъ (“cloud”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*obolčьcь (“a small cloud”)

   ‎*gordъ (“city, town”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*gordьcь (“a small town”)

4. (added to adjectives) nominalizer, person

   ‎*starъ (“old”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*starьcь (“an old man”)

   ‎*mǫdrъ (“wise”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*mǫdrьcь (“a wise man”)

   ‎*bordatъ (“bearded”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*bordatьcь (“a bearded man”)

6. (added to verbs) Forms agent nouns

   Synonyms: *-teľь, *-čь, *-ьnikъ

   ‎*šiti (“to sew”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*šьvьcь (“sewer, seamster”)

   ‎*plęsati (“to dance”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*plęsьcь (“dancer”)

   ‎*loviti (“to hunt”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*lovьcь (“hunter”)

   ‎*gǫsti (“to play a string instrument”) + ‎*-ьcь → ‎*gǫdьcь (“musician”)

• East Slavic:
  • Old East Slavic: -ьць (-ĭcĭ)
    • Old Ruthenian: -ець (-ecʹ), -ецъ (-ecʹ)
      • Belarusian: -ец (-jec)
      • Ukrainian: -ець (-ecʹ)
    • Russian: -ец (-ec)
• South Slavic:
  • Old Church Slavonic:

    Cyrillic: -ьць (-ĭcĭ)

    Glagolitic: -ⱐⱌⱐ (-ĭcĭ)

  • Bulgarian: -ец (-ec)
  • Macedonian: -ец (-ec)
  • Serbo-Croatian:

    Cyrillic script: -ац, -ец (Kajkavian)

    Latin script: -ac, -ec (Kajkavian)

  • Slovene: -ec
• West Slavic:
  • Czech: -ec
  • Kashubian: -c
  • Polabian: -ăc
  • Polish: -iec, -ec
  • Slovak: -ec

• Šekli, Matej (2012) “Besedotvorni pomeni samostalniških izpeljank v praslovanščini”, in Philological Studies‎ (in Slovene), volume 10, number 1, Skopje, Perm, Ljubljana, Zagreb, pages 115–32
• Halla-aho, Jussi (2006) Problems of Proto-Slavic Historical Nominal Morphology: On the Basis of Old Church Slavic (Slavica Helsingiensia; 26), Helsinki: University of Helsinki, page 70f